Define "Superteam"

[LaLover11]

In my life, Lebron teaming up with Wade and Bosh is the first time that I went "holy **** that shouldn't be allowed" and they got much deserved hate for it. That was a superteam. It was such a freak decision at the time to see three MVP candidates teaming up together, including two you could debate as the best in the league.

Since then, this forum expanded on this to the point that teams that are not superteams are considered so.


I'll say a superteam has three players that when individual, could be potential MVP candidates or at the least, are the next tier down.

It's one thing when role players try to find a roster to win a championship, but when one of the league's best players does this, one who can move the needle significantly more? I consider that a sheer lack of competitive drive, glaring weakness and have no respect for it. I like competitive mindsets in sports.

So who cares about a good bench and good coach right?
Spo was a noob with no experience and the Heat Started Joel Anthony and Arroyo lol

Keep thinking that 3 max players can beat a good team with a good coaching and a great bench roster smh

[jkvonny]

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[jkvonny]

I consider Superteam to be at least 4 all star level of still close to prime level vets on a team with at least 2 quality role players.

By this definition these are the latest teams to qualify:
2008 Celtics : kg, pierce, ray allen, rondo with quality role players house, posey, Davis, Perkins, brown (for the time)

2009 lakers : Kobe, pau, Odom, Bynum, artest with role players Derek fisher, Walton

2017 warriors : KD, curry, green, klay, iggy, with role players west, looney, Livingston

2013 heat : lebron, wade, bosh with role players Allen, miller (personally I thought they were always one guy short of super team)

I would even say 2014 spurs with Duncan, tony Parker, manu, kawhi and role players green, diaw but that’s maybe pushing it.

97 Bulls
Pop/Duncan Spurs
Curry/Durant Warriors
KB24/Shaq Lakers

The only Super Teams in the modern era

Super Teams = Super Stars/ Super Bench/Super Coach

Everything else is just a Great Team

Spurs weren't really a superteam.

Organically built.

It doesn't matter if it's Organically or Thru free agency
Spurs we're definitely a Superteam and Dynasty

Some of yall have your own wacky definitions of superteams, but ok.

But, agreed on the dynasty part.

[jkvonny]

KB24/Shaq Lakers

The only Super Teams in the modern era

Super Teams = Super Stars/ Super Bench/Super Coach

Everything else is just a Great Team

Spurs weren't really a superteam.

Organically built.

It doesn't matter if it's Organically or Thru free agency
Spurs we're definitely a Superteam and Dynasty

While you are entitled to your opinion, the way you talk to me makes it sound like you never really considered that you might be missing part of the historical context when you first heard the term.

There's a bit of a "snake oil" vs "baby oil" thing going here.

If snake oil is made from snakes, does that mean baby oil is made from babies? Of course not, but there's no way to tell that just from the meaning of the individual words being combined. So confusion is very understandable...but you still want to try to avoid ending up talking as if baby oil is made out of babies.[/quote]


Good post.

[Lunartic]

I notice that fans of obvious superteams are the ones to deride the definition of it and insist everyone is just biased. Or they create some insanely strange standard involving how the players teamed up, who texted who first, what the salaries were etc.

It's literally just 3 star-tier players teaming up via FA or trade.

Everything else is just Lebron/Curry fan cope noise.

The Warriors only made one star FA signing - KD. Wouldn’t that make them not a super team by default? People just lump them in because they are the best team of all time, but it still feels very different from how the 2008 Celtics and 2011 Heat were formed, among others.

Nah, it doesn't really matter how they are assembled. End result matters most.

3-4 stars on that Dubs team

[foobar24]

It's like the supergroups. You need 3 or more big name players to come together on a team. But when you think about it, was any of the Traveling Wilburys music as good as any of its members solo/band work? And who the hell is Jeff Lynne?

I could take or leave whether you count teams like the Duncan Spurs and pre-Durant Warriors that were built through the draft.

...and based on player collusion.

They were adversaries (at least between Wade and LeBron) and they joined up to eliminate it---so that they can stack the odds in their favor...not 1, not 2, not 3...4,5,6,7

In my mind, there's a negative connotation to the term 'superteam' in a sports league; no team would give up their valuable/franchise player unless it was manufactured by the players themselves.

[Wingy]

It should be at least 2 (current) top 10 players + a (current) top 25 player

But it’s more based off past reputation than anything. Any 3 former (but not too far removed) All-Stars/Superstars get labeled a super team.

Yup. Above you defined something closer to how people should think of a super team. Think Lebron Heat, Steph/KD Warriors.

Below you’ve pointed out how the label is currently abused and thoroughly mis/overused. With that it’s no wonder “super teams” are losing so often. They’re not particularly super.

[MavsDirk41]

In my life, Lebron teaming up with Wade and Bosh is the first time that I went "holy **** that shouldn't be allowed" and they got much deserved hate for it. That was a superteam. It was such a freak decision at the time to see three MVP candidates teaming up together, including two you could debate as the best in the league.

Since then, this forum expanded on this to the point that teams that are not superteams are considered so.


I'll say a superteam has three players that when individual, could be potential MVP candidates or at the least, are the next tier down.

It's one thing when role players try to find a roster to win a championship, but when one of the league's best players does this, one who can move the needle significantly more? I consider that a sheer lack of competitive drive, glaring weakness and have no respect for it. I like competitive mindsets in sports.

So who cares about a good bench and good coach right?
Spo was a noob with no experience and the Heat Started Joel Anthony and Arroyo lol

Keep thinking that 3 max players can beat a good team with a good coaching and a great bench roster smh

Well if you have 3 max players on a team how do you expect them to fill out their roster? Have you ever heard of a salary cap? Did James, Wade, or Bosh give up any salary to fill out the bench? Seems like they got what they asked for…,no?

[Buckeye-NBAFan]

3 max-ish players.

What do you call 5 max players then?
C Ben Simmons
PF Tobias Harris
SF Klay Thompson
SG Beal
PG VanVleet

[bovice]

y'all posting essays and formulas to answer a simple ass question lmaooo

[Wingy]

when 3 or more star players (all-star caliber) come together inorganically. 2010 heat, 2007 boston, 2012 lakers, etc...

so okc's russ, kd, harden isn't a superteam. lakers magic, kaj, worthy isn't a superteam

and bird's boston nor mj's bulls. they were all super great but not "superteams"

yup.

I feel no need to debate your definition, but I don’t know about considering Boston as “inorganic.” Yes, KG had to give his seal of approval, but iirc that was all primarily FO-driven.

[Tor_Raps]

A team that is super?

[uncleduck13]

It should be at least 2 (current) top 10 players + a (current) top 25 player

But it’s more based off past reputation than anything. Any 3 former (but not too far removed) All-Stars/Superstars get labeled a super team.

Yup. Above you defined something closer to how people should think of a super team. Think Lebron Heat, Steph/KD Warriors.

Below you’ve pointed out how the label is currently abused and thoroughly mis/overused. With that it’s no wonder “super teams” are losing so often. They’re not particularly super.

Well said. 2013 Lakers, 2014 Nets, 2018 Thunder, 2022 Lakers, 2024 Suns = Classic examples of ‘super teams’ that should’ve never been considered super

[Onlytimewilltel]

definition of superteam = any team that LeBron is on, regardless of the support cast

Before LeBron = no super teams

I kid I kid....

[Wingy]

definition of superteam = any team that LeBron is on, regardless of the support cast

Before LeBron = no super teams

I kid I kid....

There’s a reason you made the joke.

He was the pioneer of player-manufactured super teams.

At least he was man enough to take the mostly deserved flack for being the first ATG to take the short cut/easy way out. It will never be provable, but without Bron taking that leap, I’ll maintain there’s no way Creampuff KD would’ve been bold enough to make his Warriors move. Those two set off the debacle that are today’s “super” (yeah, air quotes) teams like the Suns.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Three types of Super Teams. One is where the team is built through the draft to win a championship. There have been very few teams that fit this description. The Duncan Spurs. The Warriors. The 80s Pistons. The Bulls. The second is when teams are built through the draft but also have a star they obtained outside of the draft. The 80s Lakers and Celtics plus the recent Bucks, Raptors and Warriors are examples of this. Then you have the third and weakest type, when stars from outside the organization are assembled. There's been countless examples of this but most were star(s) outside their primes or not quite stars and they failed to win and weren't really very super. The few successful examples being the, 80s Sixers, Shaq Lakers, 2016 Cavs, Big Three Celtics, Lebron/AD Lakers, and Heatles.

This year's Suns team is technically a super team but not really and more in line with the Suns, Rockets, Nets, and Lakers of yesteryear. OKC has a chance to be an organic Super Team. MN and Celtics both have a chance to be an organic super team that gets a star to join it to put it over the top.

[Lalouie]

and bird's boston nor mj's bulls. they were all super great but not "superteams"

yup.

I feel no need to debate your definition, but I don’t know about considering Boston as “inorganic.” Yes, KG had to give his seal of approval, but iirc that was all primarily FO-driven.

yeah,,,i don't know if the big3 were as palsy walsy as lebron/wade/bosh that they got together as such

[LaLover11]

definition of superteam = any team that LeBron is on, regardless of the support cast

Before LeBron = no super teams

I kid I kid....

Exactly straight haters but it's ok

[ChipotleWest]

When 3 stars team up, they're a super team. They don't even have to be super, they can get swept in the first round.

[bovice]

yup.

I feel no need to debate your definition, but I don’t know about considering Boston as “inorganic.” Yes, KG had to give his seal of approval, but iirc that was all primarily FO-driven.

yeah,,,i don't know if the big3 were as palsy walsy as lebron/wade/bosh that they got together as such

we're complicating it fellas. how would we know if players lobbied their front office to trade for one of their buddies? how would we ever know if KD and booker asked the suns GM to go for Beal. keep it simple.