Before there was the Lakers and Heat, LeBron James was tearing up the basketball world as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his rise to stardom may have started the superteam era as we know it today.
According to league insider/analyst Jeff Benedict, who just published a book on LeBron, the 2008 Celtics big three with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen was a direct response to James and his tightening grip on the Eastern Conference at the time.
“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,” Benedict said. “The whole thing with [Kevin] Garnett and [Ray] Allen and [Paul] 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
LeBron himself often gets credited with popularizing the superteam trend, but it was actually Ainge and the KG-led Celtics who started it all. They were able to win a championship in 2008 over LeBron and his Cavs until James took over everything and went on to make 8 straight Finals appearances.
Today, LeBron is still often blamed for the creation of superteams, and one could argue that he’s played for at least two over the course of his career.
Do LeBron’s All-Star Teammates Negatively Impact His Legacy?
There is no question that LeBron has had a lot of help over his career. His list of star teammates includes Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. He’s also played for legendary coaches like Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue.
Considering all of that, some would argue that LeBron hasn’t really endured and overcome the same struggles as guys like Jordan and Kobe did.
“LeBron is amazing. What he has done in the community is amazing,” Barkley said on Back On The Record With Bob Costas. “LeBron has stacked his teams. Let’s be realistic. To go through the grind and lose – which Michael did,” he added. “When I was watching that documentary [The Last Dance], I was like, ‘Damn, I forgot how much the Pistons beat him up.’ But going through that struggle, that’s what separates sports.”
Of course, Jordan and Kobe also had a lot of help on their path to greatness, as it’s a fact that no player can carry a team by himself anymore.
But whether you love him or hate him, you can’t blame LeBron for building a superteam in Miami when the league was trying to superteams to stop him first.
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