10 Greatest Big 3s in NBA History: Durant/Curry/Thompson vs. Magic/Kareem/Worthy

In 2010 the phrase Big 3 was used regularly after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh teamed up in Miami. But building an NBA franchise centered around 3 stars has been a method used since the beginning of the league’s creation. 

Here are the 10 greatest Big 3s in NBA history ranked 10-1:

10. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen

The guts, experience, and will of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen was unmatched in the NBA in the late 2000s. Together they were able to defeat a Kobe Bryant-led team in the NBA Finals and force them to seven games just two years later. Age was not on their side, thankfully for 29 other teams.

1. Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson – Golden State Warriors

It is still early, but as long as they stay together, nobody is stopping them and nobody has ever been better than them. The three future Hall-of-Famers that are made up of the two greatest shooters and the second greatest offensive player of all-time have made it clear trying for two halves is not necessary. Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson are 32-6 in the postseason with two NBA Championships in nine Finals games together.

Several Big 3s have been together longer, and have accomplished more but none have been better.

9. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love – Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron’s second Big 3 was shorter in years together and championships won compared to his first. The Cleveland version also made the Finals every season together and defeated a 73-win juggernaut. The trio dealt with drama but mostly thrived off negativity. As good as the 76ers and Celtics (even without Irving) project to be in the coming years, they would be competing for second place if LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love were still together.

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8. Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn – Boston Celtics

Together Russell, Cousy, and Heinsohn clicked and were such a dominant trio they won six championships in seven years together. However, a higher ranking is prevented as the trio were surrounded by several other skilled players and faced teams with far less talent. Not to mention far fewer teams.

7. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker,  Manu Ginobili – San Antonio Spurs

Yawn.

The most boring Big 3 was simply a well-oiled machine. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker had unprecedented, sustained success for a small-market team winning five championships in 6 Finals appearances, and were a threat year in and year out.

6. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors

The first Big 3 in Golden State meshed nearly perfect together. Their legacy is the opposite of the Big 3 in Miami as they were on the short end of a Finals choke job after they were up 3-1. Curry, Thompson, and Green were responsible for a 73-win regular season, the best record in the NBA twice, two Finals appearances, and a championship.

5. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh – Miami Heat

If the most talked about, polarizing Big 3 was not on the lucky end of a choke job from the Spurs to capture its second title, the whole thing would have been a major disappointment. Even though the three superstars did not reach the height expected, they spent much of their time together as the best team in the NBA and made the Finals every year they were together. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh will always be synonymous with the phrase “Big 3” deservingly so or not.

4. Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale – Boston Celtics

There is no need for a Mount Rushmore of NBA frontcourts because there is only one that did it like these three. Pairing three stars together that do not take away from the other is difficult, and the Celtics had mastered it. Bird’s shooting and passing, McHale’s moves in the post, and Parish’s control of the paint led to three titles against some of the stiffest competition in NBA history.

3. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman – Chicago Bulls

If the three Bulls had played together longer, the city of Chicago would have more to brag about than six NBA championships. The trio of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman featured the greatest player of all-time; a tough, gritty rebounder; and the ultimate sidekick. Get this, all three of them made the first team All-Defensive team in the 1995-96 season. The only thing that could stop them, did stop them — Jordan retiring.

2. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy – Los Angeles Lakers

In 1982, James Worthy was drafted to play alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the gold standard for NBA Big 3s for nearly three decades. The trio was so dominant, so unstoppable, and fit so well together in seven seasons they made the Finals six times and won three of them. Magic is the greatest passer to have ever lived, combining that with Kareem’s unstoppable offensive game and Worthy’s big game guts, the Showtime Lakers were not only great but a show.

* Worthy missed the 1983 Finals due to injury, however, it is still counted towards his Finals record.