The modern-day NBA is full of superteams where multiple All-Star caliber players have joined forces. Most credit LeBron James’ infamous decision to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami to bring the culture of superteams to the league.
James has been blasted several times for essentially ruining the balance in the league with this practice. However, NBA analyst Colin Cowherd and author Jeff Benedict recently called this notion laughable.
“The idea that he created superteams is really laughable,” Cowherd said. “There was a super team created because of LeBron.”
Benedict added: “Nobody understood superteams more than Pat Riley and Danny Ainge, and Ainge is up running the Celtics, Riley’s down in Miami running the Heat. The whole thing with Garnett and Allen and Pierce, what’s he doing? He’s trying to beat LeBron. He’s trying to make sure that the Celtics can beat LeBron because he knows how good LeBron is.”
.@authorjeff and @ColinCowherd on why the notion that LeBron James created super teams is "laughable" pic.twitter.com/2rY9mZiRdw
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 12, 2023
Cowherd and Benedict were talking about none other than the Boston Celtics when they recruited Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to form a Big 3 with Paul Pierce in order to defeat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
The moves took place in the summer of 2007, just weeks after the Cavs lost in the NBA Finals. Following the formation of the star-studded team, the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers in the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals (4-3). They later went on to win the NBA Championship over the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers.
Did LeBron James Start The Era Of Superteams?
While Cowherd and Benedict deny LeBron James is the reason behind the culture of superteams, not everyone believes that.
NBA legend and current analyst Shaquille O’Neal once claimed James is indeed the reason behind the trend of superteams in the NBA.
“That’s the loophole that’s accepted that, but you know, and I say, LeBron started making the super team and all that.”
At the end of the day, regardless of who started this trend, the entire NBA has accepted it now. There are legitimately many superteams in the league right now. In a way, it makes it impossible to guess the true contender for the NBA title each season.
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