Recently, Steven A. Smith blamed LeBron James for the super team era the NBA has been in for the past decade.
This came in light of the Brooklyn Nets arguably being the best team that has ever been assembled.
However, Smith’s claim is simply untrue.
Super teams have always been a thing in the NBA.
Looking back to even the 60s, there were super teams.
The first team assembled that has been widely regarded as a super team is the 1968 Los Angeles Lakers.
Some players on this roster were Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Even if Smith was talking about the modern era of super teams, his claim still does not hold up.
James went from Cleveland to Miami to be able to compete against an already established super team.
That team being the Boston Celtics.
This roster featured Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.
At the time, James was on a Cleveland Cavaliers roster where his best teammates were Mo Williams and an over-the-hill Shaquille O’Neal.
When James was on the Heat with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, it is arguable he only had the best roster in the league for only one season.
That season being 2011 when he had the worst collapse in the NBA Finals of his career.
In 2012, the Heat were underdogs against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder had a starting five of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and Kendrick Perkins.
The next two years in the Finals, James faced off against the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
This team featured Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Kawhi Leonard, and Tim Duncan.
This led to James forming a super team in Cleveland.
His star teammates being Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
James only had the better roster in the Finals two of his four years in Cleveland.
However, in 2015 when he had a better roster than Golden State Warriors, both Irving and Love fell to injuries.
Kevin Durant formed something bigger and better than any team James had ever been a part of.
After blowing a 3-1 lead to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, Kevin Durant joined the team.
James and the remanents of the Cavs could only muster one victory in the next two trips to the Finals.
He would then leave the Cavs and join the Lakers where he formed a superstar duo with Anthony Davis.
Now, Durant is leading a team that may be better than the Warriors team he joined to stop James and the Cavs.
This Nets roster features three superstars in their primes.
Along with this, there are three players who were a part of All-Star teams only a handful of seasons ago.
LeBron James could be facing a superstar squad led by Kevin Durant in the playoffs…again.
Which trio makes a tougher opponent – Nets or Warriors? 🤔
– Kevin Durant
– Steph Curry
– Klay Thompsonvs.
– Kevin Durant
– Kyrie Irving
– James Harden pic.twitter.com/Oa9JxHCHPm— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 17, 2021
A popular claim that LeBron James created super teams is untrue.
Super teams have always been and always will be a part of the NBA.
First, the modern era of super-teams began with the Boston Celtics.
While James has been on his fair share of stacked rosters, he is by no means the originator.
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