Here it is guys. All of this "Big Three" talk in Boston got me thinking. I believe these are the best "Big Three's" in the history of the league.
I hope I didn't leave any obvious teams out. Please leave a comment if you think I am missing someone or if you think I am way off base with whom I have mentioned below. I will be waiting to back up any of my picks with rock hard stats. Let's hear some feedback!
I also want to mention that I looked very closely at all three players. Every player on my list is a part of the "50 Greatest Players of All-Time." These guys are all legends of the game and have made the league what it is. (This is the reason why I don't have Jordan and Pippen in my top three.)
Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and John Havlicek
The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA during the late 1950's and early 1960's. It was largely due to these three hall of fame players. There are 25 NBA championship rings owned between these three men. All three are a part of the "50 Greatest Players of All-Time." All three have won finals MVP's. There will never again be a greater dynasty than what these three guys have put together in Boston.
Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy
The Los Angeles Lakers were considered one of the greatest teams of all-time during the "Showtime Years" in the 1980's. They won five titles in 11 years. Magic and Kareem are widely considered two of the greatest players to have ever played the game.
This usually leaves Worthy go unnoticed. What people don't know is that Worthy made seven all-star teams during his career, and landed himself the NBA finals MVP in 1988. These three outstanding players have 17 NBA championship rings between them.
Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and Dave DeBusschere
These three players will always be remembered by winning the NBA championship in the 1969-70 season. In this magical season, the Knicks won a then-NBA record 18 wins in a row. One of the most famous moments in history came in game seven of that championship series when team captain, Willis Reed, limped out onto the court after tearing a muscle in his leg the previous game.
The New York Knicks won another championship again in 1973. Many believe they should have won more, but it's also not their fault they had to play in the era dominated by the Celtics and Lakers. All three men are Hall of Fame players, and are all included in the "50 Greatest Players of All-Time."
Other notable "Big 3's"
Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor
Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman
Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Detlef Schremph
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili
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about 1 month ago
I would have put Wilt, West and Baylor ahead of Reed, Frazier and DeBusschere but you are definitely on the point in the other two.
from about 1 month ago
Hello Guys! this is just my opinion. Celtics Trio of cousy, Russell and Hondo were just a level above anyone out there but my vote goes to Lakers big 3 Kareem, Magic and Big Game James just for the reason that they were formed in a midst of NBA having the best decade of basketball in their pocket. Competiton wise Teams are far more superior than the one's in the 60's were Celtics dominated because not too many can compete with them. Whereas in the 80's you have Jordan and the bulls, Isiah and the Pistons, Erving and the Sixers. Plus having to win championships in this group of talents
is in my opinion one of the hardest to achieve. Just the mere fact that Lakers/Celtics brought Life back to the league. Thanks
from about 1 month ago
Baylor and West played 4 on 5 against the Celtics for years. No center and almost pulled off upsets every year against 5 of the best. When Wilt came in, Elgin's knee's no longer worked very well. But if Wilt, Elgin and Jerry had been together earlier, the Cletics would not even be mentioned in the same breath. Elgin made Jordon, Erving, Kobe, etc. Wilt averaged 50 pts. a game, West scored over 30 pts. a game and was 2nd on his own team to guess who? Who won 32 games in a row? Celtics? How about Wilt, Jerry, and Gail Goodrich? Baylor was on the team but had to retire due to injuries. All 4 are in the top 50 all-time players. Lakers best 2 are better than the Celtics best 3.
about 1 month ago
Interesting concept. Based solely upon NBA championships I've have to agree that Russell, Cousy and Havlicek top the list. As I've stated in other posts, I'm a lifetime Los Angeles Lakers fan but view Russell as the all-time most valuable player in NBA history. And rings are what matter most. However, if we are talking about pure athletic talent, Wilt, Jerry and Elgin beat any three players who have ever played on the same team (when they were together they represented three of the top 10 who had ever played in the NBA up to that time), but as a team they sadly underachieved with zero rings. Wilt is the best physically talented center in NBA history (Have you ever looked at the film back when he averaged 50 points a game? Amazing!), but it wasn't until after Elgin retired that he fully developed as a complete team player. Oscar Robertson might have been better than West (he averaged a triple double), but in the playoffs Jerry was unstoppable, and to this day I've never seen another guard pull off the block/steal/break away layup the way he could. Elgin remains one of the most underappreciated players in league history. He held the record for most points in a playoff game for a very long time. What Bill/Bob/John had was an unmatched mental/intellectual/psychological edge over their opponents. So I'd place them first and Wilt/Jerry/Elgin second.
about 1 month ago
Thank you both for commenting,
Bittu- The only reason I have the Knick trio over the L.A trio is because of the championship they won together and how special it was.
Tom- Great comments you have here. I agree with you about Wilt, I think he was the most gifted center this game will ever see. However, when it came down to it, Russell's team always finished with the victory. You didn't mention anything about the Magic, Kareem, Worthy trio. Do you think the Wilt bunch should be ranked higher than them? Haha, the money I would pay to watch that 3v3 pickup game!
about 1 month ago
Interesting article, but if you are going to list Magic, Kareem and Worthy as your #2 group, then Bird, McHale and Parish should follow them in the #3 spot, These teams faced each other and the Celtics were only one championship shy of the Lakers' total for that decade. Many sports writers put the front line of Bird, McHale and Parish as the best ever, so give them a little more respect! The Knicks were an incredible team, but underachieving is underachieving, right?!!
about 1 month ago
Where's Jordan, Pippen and Kerr? 5 rings...more than LA and NY trios you mention!! By the way...Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Detlef Schremph? Come on...at least pick someone that won something more than a playoff game. If you're a Seattle homer then go with Dennis Johnson, Gus Williams and Jack Sikma.
about 1 month ago
Good argument Stuart, you have some valid points backing up your statements. The only reason I did not include Bird, McHale, and Parrish in my top three was because I believe as a whole, the Knicks three was better. I do not want to take anything away from Bird and company, but I believe they were so great, mainly because of Bird. McHale and Parrish were great players and both made several all-star teams, but if they never played with Bird i'm just not sure they would have been as great as they were. McHale had a lifetime average 17 points, and 7 rebouncs. Parrish was 14 points and 9 rebounds.
Lucky- Thanks for your opinion. I'm not quite sure what you mean by where is Jordan, Pippen, and Kerr? If I remember right, Steve Kerr didn't even start on that team. He shot the 3-ball pretty well, but the guy only averaged 6 points per game over his career. And when he got to the playoffs, his average dropped even lower to 4 points per game. You really think if Kerr wasn't on that team they wouldn't have won all those championships? Come on. He played with possibly the greatest player of all-time.
As for your thoughts about Kemp, Payton, and Schremph, you are right about them never winning a championship. That doesn't mean they weren't a great team. They went 5 straight seasons in the 1990's with over 55 wins in a season. Not to mention, all three players actually made an NBA all-star team! Back up some of your statements with some facts for more credibility, Lucky.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the kind words, Brian. I can't argue that Bird's ability did not make McHale and Parrish better players. But Magic did the same for Kareem and Worthy. I'd still put Bird & Co. at #3 on your list.
By the way -- your picture shows Bob Cousy, Bill Russell and a very young Tommy Heinson! John Havlicek's number was 17, and he was an awesome player!!
from about 1 month ago
Stuart,
I will have to disagree with you here. Although I do believe, there are some better trio's out there than the Knicks one he has in the article. Bird did make McHale and Parrish much better than they would have been without him. But without Magic, Kareem and Worthy still would have been head and shoulders above McHale and Parrish without Bird. Nothing to take away from those two, but Kareem and Worthy (especially Kareem) were very special players, Magic or no-Magic, although having him only made things better. I don't know if the same can be said about McHale and Parrish.
about 1 month ago
perfect article absolutely correct. reed frazier debusshere and jordan pippen rodman were the 2 gruops of 3 players from the same team that made tha all nba defensive 1st team as well., bird mchale parrish were good! kerr never startedwell once in a while maybe if someone was hurt! i like your order brian. relate to what tom is saying too!! 3 on 3 i don t think anyone could beat wilt baylor and west... see my best autobiography article foul the connie hawkins story.. imagine these knicks celtics and laker teams and put the hawk in those line ups. you d have 10 championships in a row! lol i saw him in the late stages of his career. no one in the world could stay with him one on one. better than dr j,, better than EVEN MICHAEL... BETTER THAN MAGIC!!!he had a very short career because of a jerk coach in college, false accusations, and an illegal barring by the NBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS whoever the hell that was! He should have played for 15 years!! still an easy 1st ballot in the hall of fame!!!in 1992! thomas
about 1 month ago
Stuart- Lol, I was waiting to see if anyone would catch that. I knew who the 3rd guy was before I posted it, but I couldn't find one picture with Russell, Cousy, and Havlicek in it. I figured Heinson was close enough.
Thanks for commenting Thomas, Ill be sure to read your article about Mr. Hawkins.
about 1 month ago
My point was that you could put anyone in with the players you named. Trio implies three players...once I saw the players that did not meet your criteria, I figured it was fair game.
You said, " I also want to mention that I looked very closely at all three players. Every player on my list is a part of the "50 Greatest Players of All-Time." Those Seattle players were not on this list, were they? NO. Credibility, come on. You can't mix and match without at least a footnote saying the other notables were not on the Top 50 list. (ie the Spurs players)
Those Sonics were also the first and only #1 seed to lose to a #8 seed (Denver) in the playoffs. By the way, two of the three players I mentioned had their numbers retired by the Sonics. I believe that is more of a tribute to their legacy than falling short for an entire decade of winning a title. Nice article...
about 1 month ago
When I said my list, I ment my top 3 trios. The sonics wern't in my top 3, I just listed them as another notable "big 3".
Are you trying to say Steve Kerr was a better player than Payton, Kemp, or Schremph? I'm not sure what your argument is. You keep bringing up the fact the sonics did not win a championship in that decade. I realize that, but that doesn't mean they were not good.
The 1998 Utah Jazz was one of the best teams I have seen play in my time, and they did not win a championship. Rings mean a lot in this sport, that's why I have the Russell, Cousy, Havlicek trio at the top. But you can still be considered a very good team if you do not win.
If your argument is that you don't think Payton, Kemp, and Schremph should be on the list than thats your opinion, but I would strongly disagree. Gary Payton is considered by a lot of experts as one of the most complete point guards who has ever played. Like most people already know, he is the only point guard to ever win the defensive player of the year award. During his prime, with the Sonics, he averaged over 20 points and 7 assists per game. Shawn Kemp has always been a very consistant player during his career. He had 10 straight season averaging over 16 points and 8 rebounds per game. He was selected to 6 all stars and made the All-NBA second team 3 times. Schremph averaged over 15 points and 5 rebounds during his time in Seattle. He was a 3-time all star and a great 3 point shooter. In 1996, he shot 51 % from long range. That's unheard of.
And where did you find the fact that the sonics are the only #1 seed to lose to a #8 seed in the playoffs?
Wikipedia? Because two years ago I remember watching the #1 ranked Dallas Mavericks get humiliated in the first round by the #8 Golden State Warriors.
I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Lucky. I'm not trying to get under your skin. But like I said in my article, I'm going to wait here and defend all of my picks with rock hard stats.
This should be a debate, not an argument. Thanks for replying.
about 1 month ago
I was wrong about the #1 seed, the Mavs were out so quick it slipped my mind. I do use Wiki sometimes, should have double checked it. Your list is good. But those three from Seattle remind me of the Sesame Street segment, "which ones don't belong". Remember that one? Everyone on your list won a championship. Those three are good players, but not in the league of the guys you listed. I have a bias against Kemp, so any list he is on except for fathering the most kids in the most NBA cities, I struggle with. My opinion, right or wrong.
I am not a Steve Kerr groupie, but use him as an illustration of how stats fail to tell the entire story. That's my only reason for suggesting him to be added to your list. Peace!
about 1 month ago
I think Lucky meant "where is Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman?" Rodman was a major contributor to the Bulls second three-peat. People seem to forget he is a hall of fame caliber player and was a peerless rebounder and fierce defender. I can see the Worm giving even Russell and Chamberlain migraine headaches. This trio would have been more than capable of winning at least 6 straight championships had they been together since 1990. (Rodman didnt join the bulls until '95 I think and everyone knows that MJ went awol for 2 yrs for baseball). To sum it up they are my top pick because of # of rings, athleticism, skill and dominance. 72 Wins? How can these guys be left out? Absurd....
about 1 month ago
I think Lucky meant "where is Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman?" Rodman was a major contributor to the Bulls second three-peat. People seem to forget he is a hall of fame caliber player and was a peerless rebounder and fierce defender. I can see the Worm giving even Russell and Chamberlain migraine headaches. This trio would have been more than capable of winning at least 6 straight championships had they been together since 1990. (Rodman didnt join the bulls until '95 I think and everyone knows that MJ went awol for 2 yrs for baseball). To sum it up they are my top pick because of # of rings, athleticism, skill and dominance. 72 Wins? How can these guys be left out? Absurd....
about 1 month ago
Oops, My bad. Sorry about the double post. I am a new member and didnt know my comment would be posted the first time I tried.
about 1 month ago
Nice article Hutch! I couldn't agree with you more!
about 1 month ago
Detlet Shremph ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
how many titles did he win .........
about 1 month ago
Detlef Shremph ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
how many titles did he win .........
about 1 month ago
Eric- Thank you for your comments! I have Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman on my list. The only reason they are not top 3 is because of Rodman. Everyone has their own opinion about Rodman. I think he was one of the best rebounders the league has ever seen. However, his off court issues, and offensive issues were not that great. Actually, pathetic might be a better word. If I were to make another list of best 1-2 punches of all-time (hmm...) Jordan and Pippen would definitly be in my top 3.
John- Please scroll up a little bit for my reasons of putting Payton, Kemp, and Schrempf on my list. It looks like I have discovered the most underrated "big 3" out there. These guys had 5 straight 55 win seasons! This team took the Jordan-led Bulls to 6 close games in the 95' nba finals! Schrempf was an NBA ALL-STAR people. For the "worst" player in this Big 3, he was pretty darn good.
Karl Malone and John Stockton didn't win any championships did they? Two of the best players ever. You will never be the best w/out a ring, but you can still be great.
about 1 month ago
Interesting. I would definitely give honorable mention to Thomas/Dumars/Lambier, but I don't think you can beat the Lakers trio, personally.
That said, if Jordan/Pippen/Rodman had more time together during their primes, they would've put up 7-8 titles together.
about 1 month ago
No Disrespect to the other teams Big 3 but i think Lakers Kareem, Magic and Worthy just gave a new meaning to the word Big 3 since they brought back the league when it was surrounded by Drug controversies and Nba lacks a marquee name that will carry them to a new level. I think Magic with the help of course of Larry Bird and the Celtics carried this league and paved the way for others to follow. Celtics Larry, McHale and Parrish are closely in 2nd spot for me...
about 1 month ago
Did u mean russell cousy and Heinsohn Havileck wasnt drafted until 62 that picture show heinsoln not havlicek
about 1 month ago
I am a celtic fan,,,but I remember the dominent LAL team with Shac and Koby,,,,but the name of the 3rd slips my mind...koby and Shac will be hof for sure and members of 50 greatest
about 1 month ago
Hey Thanks for posting everybody.
J.C- Thomas, Dumars, and Lambier should probably be on this list, good call.
George- No, I ment Russell, Cousy, and Havlicek. I know he was drafted in 62'. And the Celtics won the NBA championship in 62' 63' 64' 65' 66' 68' and in 69' until Russell retired. I know the picture shows Heinsohn, but I couldn't find one on the internet with Havlicek. If you can find one please let me know and I will change it. You are only the second person to even notice and say something about it.
Bill- Haha, you mean Shaq and Kobe? Yes they were a very dominant team, but they were also more of a 1-2 punch, rather than a big 3. If you can't remember the name of the other guy, he probably doesn't really deserve to be on this list. They had Karl Malone and Gary Payton, but they were way out of their primes.
about 1 month ago
Come on everyone......Bird, Parish, and McHale were the greatest front court of ALLTIME. Did Bird make the other two better....yes, but don't forget they were ALL voted into the NBA Top 50. You could argue that Parish and McHale's numbers were held down a bit because of LB. If thet were the main option on other teams they would have had better stats. They are clearly the greatest "Big Three" of all time.....yes, better than Kareem, Magic, and Worthy.
about 1 month ago
It's been said, but Kemp n Payton was a duo, there was no "Big 3" on that team.
from about 1 month ago
Exactly John. There was Kemp and Payton only. everybody else around them wasn't in there league, like the trios are in the article. And if we are mentioning Duo's with a decent role player next to them, than Kemp and Payton going to have wait for quite a list, as MJ & Pippen, Shaq & Kobe, Malone & Stockton among many are ahead of them in that line.
from about 1 month ago
Yeah there was one of those articles earlier.. it got out of hand. Det made 1 AS team and was 2 time 6th man of the year.. very good player, but not on the glove-rain man level.
about 1 month ago
Do you realize that Russell, Cousy and Havlicek only played one year together? Or that the picture you have of the three of them isn't the three of them? Havlicek's not even in your picture, you have Tom Heinsohn in there. Russell, Cousy, and Havlicek only played together in 1962-63 which was Hondo's rookie year, and that was the last year Cousy played before retiring from the Celtics (before he came back to play for Cinci).
If you're going to go old school Big 3 then Russell, Cooz, Heinsohn were it - they played together for 7 full seasons.
about 1 month ago
Thank you everybody for commenting!!
Ok, so a lot of you disagree with my Payton, Kemp, Schrempf pick. But I have only heard one other suggestion and that was from J.C with Thomas/Dumars/Lambier from the Pistons. It's easy to bag what I am saying, but how come no one is coming up with any better?
There have not been many teams with 3 All-Stars in the starting 5. So along with your arguments that the Sonic 3 should not be on the list, I would like to hear some suggestions of "Big 3s" that should be on the list over them!
Thanks
about 1 month ago
In talent, the Payton, Kemp, Schrempf trio is up there. Those guys were tremendous. But in accomplishment, no chance.
Without a doubt, Cousy--greatest point guard ever--, Russell--greatest winner and defensive big ever--, and Hondo--one of the all-time all-around greats, are "it." But Jordan, Pippen and Ho. Grant were really good too.
about 1 month ago
Thank you A-Train for realizing how good those Sonics really were. It's too bad they never won a ring, they really deserved it.
Horace Grant? This is where we disagree. He was ok. But the Bulls had a much player in Dennis "The Worm" Rodman. And that trio is in the notables.
I think I'm going to have to make the ultimate 1-2 punches the league has ever seen soon...
from about 1 month ago
I forget about Rodman because he was only a Bull for three seasons, while Grant was there for seven. I always associate Rodman with the Pistons even though he won more rings with the Bulls.
Without a doubt, Rodman was better and you're right--that trio of Rodman, Jordan and Pip is up there.
But for the record, Ho Grant was a very good player. He was tremendous defensively, could shoot and make midrange jumpers with consistency and could rebound with the best. He's kind of the forgotten man because of how good Jordan and Pippen were. But Grant was a very strong player for a very long time.
Detlef Schrempf is a forgotten man. He was a near-elite player whose reputation suffered from his team-first approach and foreign background. If Detlef were playing today, he would most certainly be recognized as a star.
Kemp at his best was an unstoppable force. I always thought Payton was somewhat overrated but I think that's because his game was ball control/defense and it would drive me nuts to see him launch 18 to 20 shots per game. If Payton had shot less, and had the Sonics focused more on scoring inside rather than settling for long perimeter shots, I think they could have won a few titles. The Sonics were truly at their best when Payton didn't look to score.
about 1 month ago
How about Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Andrew Toney?
about 1 month ago
And, as a Rockets fan, I'm still partial to the Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler trio. But they never won anything and they were old as dirt when they got together. I'm still getting over John Stockton sticking that jumper in Chuck's grill.
about 1 month ago
I'm a Celts fan, but I've gotta go with West, Chamberlain, and Baylor as the best trio ever. That's three of the top twenty players of all time right there.
about 1 month ago
West, Chamberlain, and Baylor are three of the top 20 players of all time, but they played only one season together. Plus, they lost to an inferior Celtics team that did not even win 50 games in 1969. In terms of productivity, I think West, Chamberlain, and Goodrich in 1972 was a more prolific trio than West, Chamberlain, and Baylor. They won 33 games in a row in 1972.
about 1 month ago
celtic pride
great article
i agree with those
espn is now saying that artest yao and mcgrady are a big 3
about 1 month ago
Toney wasnt a big man(front court). Try Bobby Jones, The Doctor and Moses.
about 1 month ago
majic, kareem and worthy
i mean how can you even mention any body else in the same sentence
about 1 month ago
If you're looking for great trios (quartets or quintets), "on paper", what about the Lakers of 2003-04...Malone, Kobe, Payton, Shaq and Horace Grant. If winning doesn't count then these guys take the prize! It includes your Sonics and your Jazz arguments.
about 1 month ago
Haha, they were only together for like 1 year. And Malone and Payton were way out of their primes. But on paper, that's the best starting line up in the world...If everyone was still in their primes
about 1 month ago
The argument begins and ends with Bird, McHale, and Parish. As one astute reader previously pointed out, Russell, Cousy, and Havlicek only played one season together. The Bird, McHale, Parish trio make up the greatest frontcourt in NBA history, and they played together for more than a decade, winning 3 NBA titles and 5 conference titles. They also were the centerpiece of what may have been the single greatest team in NBA history, the 1985-86 Boston Celtics. Larry Bird is arguably the greatest all-around player ever to step onto the court, just ask Magic Johnson or the late Red Auerbach. Auerbach once stated that Larry Bird would be his first choice if he had to start an NBA franchise around any one player, beating out Bill Russell or anybody else. His overall skills were unparalleled, as he is the only player in history to appear in the top-50 in points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game (not to mention steals per game). And that doesn't even take into account his clutch shooting and ability to elevate the games of those around him. Kevin McHale was arguably the greatest low-post player in history with better moves down low than Kevin Garnett, great as he is, could ever dream of. He also made 6 All-Defensive teams and 7 All Star teams. For what it's worth, Parish, for the bulk of his tenure in Boston, was more like a 18/10 guy every night than a 14/9 guy. His career per-games suffered due to extreme longevity and decreased production in his last few seasons with the Hornets and Bulls. He made 9 All Star teams in his career. All three players are in the Hall of Fame.
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