The 25 greatest trios in NBA history

It took Jordan and Pippen a few years to get their first championship together, and when they did, they won three in a row. After MJ left to play baseball and then returned, it did not take very long for the Bulls to get back into title-winning form. For their second three-peat, Rodman's rebounding and defensive intensity proved to be the perfect complementary piece, cementing the Bulls as the defining team of the '90s.

The 2011 Heat starring LeBron, Wade, and Bosh in their first year together were great, but they didn't fully live up to the hype early, making the Finals but losing to the Mavericks. They made up for it, though, but winning the championship in the next two seasons. The three had essentially covered the entirety of the court and were tough to stop during their four seasons together.

The "Showtime" Lakers were the team to beat in the 1980s, winning five championships that decade. Three of those titles came via the core of Magic, Kareem, and Worthy, who led an unstoppable fast-break that made heads spin. Under Pat Riley's leadership, LA set the NBA standard for greatness in that era.

In the '80s, the Lakers dominated the West while the Celtics owned the East, with Boston winning three titles during the decade. Between Bird's shooting and passing, McHale's savvy post play, and Parish's strength and consistency, the Celtics were dizzying to guard. Group them with supporting pieces like Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, and Bill Walton and you had a recipe for success.

For well over a decade, the Spurs were perhaps the most consistently great NBA team: During Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili's time together from the 2003 to 2016 seasons, San Antonio never won fewer than 50 regular-season games in a year (not even in the lockout-shortened 2012 season). They made the Finals five times during that stretch and won four times as one of the longest-running star trios in league history.

For a long time, two of the best three-point shooters ever, perhaps the two best, were on the same team. Add the grit, defense, and versatility of Green as a perfect complement to Steph and Klay and you have yourself a modern dynasty. Winning four titles from 2015 to 2022 and making the Finals in five consecutive seasons, Golden State was about as hot as a team has ever been.

Cousy was the all-NBA star of the Celtics for most of the 1950s, and then, Boston scored huge in the 1956 draft, picking Heinsohn and trading for Russell. The results were immediate: Heinsohn was named Rookie Of The Year, Russell led the league in rebounds per game, Cousy led in assists for the fifth consecutive season, and Cousy secured his first title. It was, of course, just the first of many Boston would bring home in the '50s and '60s.

The Warriors were incredible in the early 2010s, and then they added one of the best offensive players ever in Durant. KD's time with Steph and Klay was ultimately short-lived, but in three seasons, they made the Finals every year and won two of them. Durant was more than just an addition to the core, as he proved by winning Finals MVP for both of his titles with Golden State.

In 1983, Malone famously predicted his, Erving, and Cheeks' 76ers would sweep the playoffs on their way to a title ("Fo', fo', fo'," as he phrased it). He was just barely wrong: The team had a perfect postseason except for one loss in the conference finals. Between Moses and Julius leading the scoring charge and Cheeks making everything gel as a facilitator, the Sixers were a terror for a spell.

When Love joined LeBron and Kyrie in Cleveland, he was coming off a season in which he averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds in Minnesota. He made significant statistical sacrifices to make it work with his two star teammates, and the results were great. The highlight of the era was when they came back from being down 3-1 in the Finals against the Warriors in 2016.

West, Wilt, and Elgin on the same team was incredible, even if the latter two were no longer at the height of their powers when it happened. It was still a successful collaboration, though, as the trio helped power the Lakers to the 1972 championship. Statistically, their peak as a trio was 1969, when they were all All-Stars who averaged at least 20 points a game.

For much of the 2000s, the Celtics were mediocre at best, dismal at worst. Then KG and Ray came to join Pierce, instantly transforming Boston into one of the best teams in the league. They made two Finals appearances in their first three seasons together, including a win in their first time there. This came as the Lakers were a major threat in the West, reviving the franchise's classic rivalry for at least a moment.

Three all-stars led the way for the Pistons during their late-'80s and early-'90s era, defined by toughness. You weren't going to leave a game against the "Bad Boys" without a bruise, but aside from physicality, they could just flat-out play. They certainly proved that by winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.

Finley might be overlooked historically in relation to Nowitzki and Nash, but before they emerged as all-time greats, Finley was leading the Mavs as a two-time All-Star. In the early 2000s, the Mavericks had a three-headed beast, establishing Dallas as a contender after years of making little impact.

With Ewing and Oakley down low, opposing offenses and defenses weren't going to have an easy time in the paint. Pair them with Starks' consistency at the point guard position and the Knicks had themselves a well-rounded squad. At the height of their powers, in the 1994 season, they were all All-Stars and they powered New York to a Finals appearance.

Malone and Stockton played nearly 20 seasons together, and a defining third piece towards the end of that run was Hornacek. He added a dimension of shooting that helped Utah make back-to-back Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998. Unfortunately, they ran into MJ's Bulls, so while they weren't able to claim the trophy, these Jazz were nonetheless one of the era's best teams.

The Bucks waited 50 years for a championship and they finally got it in 2021 thanks to the efforts of these three. Giannis was an MVP-caliber player, Middleton was as good as second options get, and Holiday's combination of scoring, playmaking, and defense was the glue. This trio was short-lived but it was impactful nonetheless.

The "Lob City" Clippers didn't do much in the postseason, but in the regular season, they were the most exciting team in basketball. At the time, Griffin and Jordan were the league's two most imposing lob threats. Those lobs were coming courtesy of one of the greatest distributors ever, so they were plentiful and must-see TV.

The Sonics made it to the 1996 Finals thanks largely to Payton's defense and passing, Kemp's unbridled power, and Schrempf's hot shooting. Again, the Bulls made it hard for anybody else to win in the '90s, but this Seattle team had an excellent run. Their uptempo style made them a favorite team to watch across the league.

It took Kobe a few seasons to become the all-time-caliber player he ultimately became, but once he did, he and Shaq were formidable. They were the clear headliners, but Fisher was a consistent and stable complement to them, running the point with consistency. He even had some star moments of his own, most notably the 0.4-second shot in the 2004 playoffs.

Before Duncan and Robinson were an unstoppable duo, it was Robinson and Elliott who were the Spurs' All-Star leaders. By the time Duncan got there, the older players were near the ends of their careers but still valuable. Their forces combined were enough to bring San Antonio its first championship in 1999.

"Run-TMC" was a revelation in their era, playing a fast and free-flowing form of basketball that made them a real threat in the West. The three led a top-heavy roster, as they each scored at least 22 points a game and made the All-Star team. The lack of depth, though, meant this short-lived trio didn't enjoy much postseason success.

For a few years in the mid-2000s, the Pistons were one of the East's teams to beat. That was most true in 2004, when they went all the way and one a title over the favored Lakers. Rasheed's versatility, Ben's paint protection, and Billups' leadership sparked the chemistry that made it happen.

They never went all the way, but these Bulls were regularly in the mix under coach Tom Thibodeau. Before injury changed the course of Rose's career, he was an MVP-caliber talent, having actually won the award in 2011 and carried his team to the conference finals in just his third season. Noah's energy and Deng's defense provided the balance necessary to make the team a contender, giving the Bulls a shot at post-MJ hope.

The Kings were beloved in the early 2000s thanks to a well-rounded team led by Webber, Peja, and Bibby. In 2002, the team was part of one of the most controversial playoff series in NBA history, as it was widely felt that the officiating heavily favored the Lakers in the conference finals. Still, Sacramento had a run near the top of the basketball world and remain one of the iconic squads of the era.