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20 NBA superstars who carried awful teams the farthest
Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

20 NBA superstars who carried awful teams the farthest

Good players tend to succeed in the NBA. Sometimes, though, they find themselves in terrible situations but still find ways to over-achieve. These are the 20 players who carried the worst NBA teams.

 
1 of 20

Allen Iverson: 2001 76ers

Allen Iverson: 2001 76ers
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

Although Iverson had solid defensive support on the 2001 Sixers, it was far from the same story on offense. He averaged 31 points a night, while the team's No. 2 scorer was Theo Ratliff with 12 points a game. Despite that, Iverson led the team to the Finals, where they lost to the Lakers in five games.

 
2 of 20

LeBron James: 2007 Cavaliers

LeBron James: 2007 Cavaliers
Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn

LeBron had little supporting cast to speak of in 2007: The Cavs' second-leading scorer was Larry Hughes with 15 points a game. Somehow, though, he led that team to a 50-32 record and even to the Finals. The Spurs made quick work of them in four games, but getting that far was a miracle.

 
3 of 20

Hakeem Olajuwon: 1994 Rockets

Hakeem Olajuwon: 1994 Rockets
USA TODAY Sports/Imagn

Hakeem had virtually no scoring support in 1994, save for about 14 points a game each from Otis Thorpe and Vernon Maxwell. Despite that, this team thrived. They actually cruised to the Finals and won their first of two consecutive titles.

 
4 of 20

Dirk Nowitzki: 2006 Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki: 2006 Mavericks
Matthew Emmons/Imagn

Jason Terry was a decent second option, scoring 17 points a game. But Dirk had no All-Star-level sidekick in 2006. He carried the team to 60 wins and a trip to the Finals, though, where they gave the Heat a tough time before losing in six games.

 
5 of 20

Jason Kidd: 2002 Nets

Jason Kidd: 2002 Nets
Kirby Lee/Imagn

The Nets were the furthest thing from top-heavy when it came to scoring production: Their leading scorers were four guys who averaged about 14 a game each. It was Kidd who led that charge with 7 rebounds and 9 assists a night, somehow taking that team all the way to the Finals. It was virtually the same story in 2003, too.

 
6 of 20

Dwyane Wade: 2006 Heat

Dwyane Wade: 2006 Heat
Jerome Miron/Imagn

Speaking of those Heat, Wade didn't have the greatest supporting cast either. Shaq was still a 20-and-10 guy but on the decline, and depth beyond that was minimal. 24-year-old Wade, though, showed tremendous leadership at a young age and captured his first title.

 
7 of 20

Elgin Baylor: 1959 Lakers

Elgin Baylor: 1959 Lakers
Darryl Norenberg/Imagn

The '59 Lakers managed to make the playoffs despite a comfortably sub-.500 records of 33-39. Baylor averaged a hair under 25 a game while having no teammates scoring over 14 per night. Still, he led that team to the Finals, though they were swept by the Celtics.

 
8 of 20

Tim Duncan: 2003 Spurs

Tim Duncan: 2003 Spurs
Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn

"2000s Spurs" and "bad teams" don't usually go hand-in-hand, but the '03 Spurs didn't have a stunning roster. Tony Parker was Duncan's main sidekick, while David Robinson was at the tail-end of his career, and Mani Ginóbili was still a rookie, not yet a pillar of the team. Still, Duncan lifted this team to the Finals and won his second championship.

 
9 of 20

Russell Westbrook: 2017 Thunder

Russell Westbrook: 2017 Thunder
Kirby Lee/Imagn

After Kevin Durant moved on, it was Westbrook's turn to run the ship in 2017. With Enes Kanter and a young Victor Oladipo as his running mates, Westbrook actually kept the Thunder competitive. Their 47 wins were probably better than most expected, and although the Rockets beat them in five games in the first round, most of the games were decided by just a few points.

 
10 of 20

James Harden: 2015 Rockets

James Harden: 2015 Rockets
Erik Williams/Imagn

Dwight Howard was in decline in 2015, and beyond that, Harden didn't have much help in Houston. The team was good, though, racking up 56 wins in the regular season and making a deep playoff run. It ended when they faced the 2015 Warriors at the start of their dynasty.

 
11 of 20

Anthony Davis: 2018 Pelicans

Anthony Davis: 2018 Pelicans
Reinhold Matay/Imagn

Davis and DeMarcus Cousins were supposed to be one of the league's most dangerous duos, and for a while, they were. Boogie's season was ended prematurely due to injury but Davis kept the Pelicans competitive. They enjoyed a brief playoff run, making it past the first round before again losing to Golden State.

 
12 of 20

Luka Dončić: 2022 Mavericks

Luka Dončić: 2022 Mavericks
Kevin Jairaj/Imagn

Kristaps Porziņģis was good but frequently injured and Jalen Brunson wasn't yet the star he'd be in New York. That was about all Dončić had to work with in 2022, but he still got that team pretty far. In fact, they made it all the way to the Conference Finals before getting eliminated by (this is becoming a theme) the Warriors.

 
13 of 20

Tracy McGrady: 2003 Magic

Tracy McGrady: 2003 Magic
G Fiume/Getty

McGrady led the league in scoring in '03, but he didn't really have anything close to a second star in Orlando; Grant Hill was the best candidate, but he was far from the 25-a-game guy he was a few seasons earlier (and only played 29 games in 2003). McGrady managed to get his team a winning record, though, and even pushed the Pistons to a seven-game first-round playoff series.

 
14 of 20

Isaiah Thomas: 2017 Celtics

Isaiah Thomas: 2017 Celtics
Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn

The 2017 Celtics weren't supposed to be a 53-win team, but the unexpected superstar leap of Thomas made it happen. Despite Avery Bradley being the team's No. 2 scorer at 16 points a game, Thomas nearly single-handedly made the Celtics competitive thanks to clutch performances. He actually got Boston to the Conference Finals, where the Cavs beat them in five.

 
15 of 20

Steve Nash: 2006 Suns

Steve Nash: 2006 Suns
Jennifer Stewart/Imagn

With Amar'e Stoudamire hurt and missing the majority of the season, it was on Nash and Shawn Marion to lead an otherwise thin roster. They did a fantastic job working with what they had, finishing the season with 54 wins. Nash led his squad all the way to the Conference Finals, where they won two games against Dallas.

 
16 of 20

Kemba Walker: 2016 Hornets

Kemba Walker: 2016 Hornets
David Richard/Imagn

During his time in Charlotte, Kemba's Hornets were rarely good. One exception, though, was a decent 2016 season, in which they won 48 games and made the playoffs. This was despite Walker's second option being Nicolas Batum and not having much to rely on after that.

 
17 of 20

Paul George: 2014 Pacers

Paul George: 2014 Pacers
Kim Klement/Imagn

The year after winning the Most Improved Player award, George again made a leap, logging his first 20-PPG season. This translated into team success, as the Pacers logged 56 wins and reached the Conference Finals. This was despite David West being the team's second leading scorer at 14 a game and fellow All-Star Roy Hibbert not contributing much on offense.

 
18 of 20

Kevin Garnett: 2004 Timberwolves

Kevin Garnett: 2004 Timberwolves
RVR/Imagn

Garnett only rarely saw success during his Minnesota years, but he did in 2004. While Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell had value, KG shouldered the load. Garnett powered the team all the way to the Conference Finals, where they challenged the Lakers in a six-game series.

 
19 of 20

Kobe Bryant: 2006 Lakers

Kobe Bryant: 2006 Lakers
Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn

Kobe famously played with some awesome teammates, but those guys were not around in 2006. That year, his second and third options were Lamar Odom and Smush Parker. Despite that, he still muscled out 45 wins and gave the Suns a hard time in the first round of the playoffs.

 
20 of 20

Chris Paul: 2008 Hornets

Chris Paul: 2008 Hornets
Jennifer Stewart/Imagn

At just 22 years old, Paul took a roster that was thin beyond its top few players and made them pretty great. They posted 56 regular-season wins and put on an impressive playoff showing. They had the misfortune of running into the Spurs in the second round, but they made it a seven-game series.

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