The NBA has exhibited several iconic teams, including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers, and Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s Golden State Warriors. These teams depict the greatest duos in NBA history.
However, fans have witnessed NBA duos that had the potential to achieve greater success yet had a relatively shorter partnership. In this article, we will examine some of the greatest NBA duos that were short-lived.
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5. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade (2010-14)
Former Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade were among the best duos in NBA history. They played four seasons together from 2010 to 2014, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. However, the 6’9” forward returned to his former team, Cleveland Cavaliers, in the summer of 2014.
LeBron and Wade were part of the Miami Heat’s big three, including Chris Bosh. They went on to make four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. The Lakers star also won a gold medal alongside the former Heat guard at the 2008 Olympics.
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4. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving
After winning two NBA championships in four years, LeBron returned to his childhood team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in 2014. The 39-year-old was Cleveland’s first overall pick at the 2003 NBA Draft, and LeBron lived up to the expectations with his spectacular game. However, he failed to lift the NBA trophy in his first seven years.
Returning to the Cavaliers, he teamed up with another first-overall draft pick by the franchise. Kyrie Irving was Cleveland’s first pick in the 2011 draft, and he played with King James for three seasons from 2014 to 2017. After failing to win the championship in 2015, they came back from a historic 3-1 deficit to win the 2016 NBA Finals. With this win, LeBron delivered his promise of winning Cleveland’s first-ever NBA championship.
3. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant
After leaving the Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving joined the Boston Celtics, where he played for two seasons. In 2019, the 8-time NBA All-Star teamed up with the two-time NBA champion, Kevin Durant, at the Brooklyn Nets. James Harden later joined the duo to form a big three. However, injuries and off-court controversies plagued their time together.
While Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant played 74 games in their four seasons together at the Nets, their trio with Harden played just 16 seasons with a 13-3 record. Kyrie’s handling and game intelligence, combined with Durant’s accuracy and formidable game, could’ve made history if they had played with each other for a few more years.
2. Allen Iverson and Chris Webber
Philadelphia 76ers selected Allen Iverson as the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Orlando Magic’s first overall pick in the 1993 draft, Chris Webber, joined Iverson at the Sixers in 2005. While this guard-center duo was expected to win a championship for the franchise, they had a disappointing playoff season.
Webber was sacked by the Sixers in 2007, while Iverson was traded mid-season to the Denver Nuggets in December 2006. Injuries and roster changes marred Iverson and Webber’s partnership at the Sixers.
1. Tim Duncan and David Robinson
The first overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, David Robinson, played 14 seasons in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. However, he won his first championship in 1999, Tim Duncan’s second year in the NBA. The duo of Duncan and Robinson won another championship with the Spurs in 2003.
One of the most dominant frontcourt duos in the NBA, Tim Duncan and David Robinson, were too hard for the opponents to handle. While the five-time NBA champion was known for his exceptional defensive skills, Robinson was famous for his versatility. They played at the Spurs from 1997 to 2003 as Robinson took retirement after winning his second ring.
While many duos broke up due to injuries or off-court controversies, others had to part ways due to the long gap between their careers. However, duos like Jordan-Pippen and Kobe-Shaq are a testament to the collaboration of achieving greatness in the NBA.
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