In the modern NBA, some teams were so incredibly talented and skilled on paper that they were quickly categorized as super teams. These teams comprised some of the best players in the NBA, and fans had very high expectations for them. However, not all of them lived up to those expectations.
On this list, we'll look at the super teams that not only disappoint their fans by failing to win a championship but also prove that winning is not just about putting together a bunch of star players in one team.
The 2004 Lakers
Heading into the 2003-04 season, hoops fans had high hopes for the Los Angeles Lakers after they brought in future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton . True to form, the Lakers dominated the regular season, finishing the campaign with a 56-36 record to clinch the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
However, things didn't go as planned for the Purple and Gold in the postseason. They were expected to eliminate their opponents en route to a championship. Still, they faced many challenges along the way, including Malone's knee injury.
With "The Mailman" out of the picture in the Finals, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal had to lead the way against the Detroit Pistons. But instead of teaming up, the pair ended up having a conflict in the middle of the series, ultimately failing in their goal to take the Lakers to another championship.
While the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud is believed to be the culprit of the Lakers' upset Finals loss to Detroit in '04, Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck once revealed that it was Payton who didn't perform his duties well at the time.
"Malone was the guy holding Shaq and Kobe and holding the team together and keeping Shaq and Kobe from beating the heck out of each other early that season," Beck once said . "Gary Payton didn't want to play in the Triangle. He hated the Triangle, but he signed there to play for Phil Jackson, and he should've known. If there was one player who didn't fit, it was Payton. He didn't fit the Triangle and rebelled against it in a way."
The 2021 Nets
Perennial NBA All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined forces in 2019 to finally make the Brooklyn Nets championship contenders. In the middle of the 2020-21 season, James Harden tagged along to add even more firepower.
While the Nets appeared to be favorites to win the NBA title that year, a series of setbacks prevented them from reaching the Finals. Irving got hurt in the middle of the series, while Harden wasn't at his best in the postseason. Nevertheless, KD stepped up when the series went to Game 7.
Durant had the chance to lead the Nets to victory. Still, his crucial three-pointer in the dying seconds of OT was overturned to a two-pointer after replays showed that the tip of his shoes was on the line.
The following season, Harden left for the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round. In the 2022-23 season, Durant and Irving followed suit and parted ways with Brooklyn.
The 1969 and 1970 Lakers
The Lakers faithful thought their 15-year championship drought would come to an end when Wilt Chamberlain joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in LA in 1968. However, the star-studded trio learned firsthand that winning a championship took more than fame and star power.
As expected, Chamberlain, West, and Elg led the Lakers to the Finals in two consecutive seasons but ultimately failed. Baylor then suffered a career-ending knee injury in the 1970-71 season, which was evidently a huge blow for the Lakers.
In 1972, West and Chamberlain finally returned the championship to LA after four consecutive years of disappointment. Baylor retired that year, and Wilt and West never won another championship.
Looking back, "The Logo" revealed that aging and off-the-court differences were why their trio didn't live up to its hype then.
"Two completely different personalities in terms of Elgin and Wilt. Two completely different people. Frankly, it was a team that was not together. It just couldn't play together at that point in time. And we are all getting old…It was frustrating because I thought we could be better than we were, but it just didn't work," West once opened up.
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The 2013 Lakers
Known for pulling off blockbuster free agency moves, the Lakers mustered another super team in 2012. That offseason, LA signed two-time league MVP Steve Nash and perennial All-Star big man Dwight Howard to link them up with Kobe , Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, or Metta World Peace.
Unsurprisingly, many were excited about how the Lakers would dominate the league. Still, unfortunately, the team's power five didn't work out as they should have on the court. It didn't take long before the lack of chemistry between Bryant and Howard became evident. On top of that, Nash was already on his last leg and spent his entire stint with the Lakers dealing with injuries.
Ultimately, the Lakers had to win their last several regular-season games just to make the playoffs. Kobe wore his body out in the process, ultimately tearing his Achilles. LA made it to the postseason, but as expected, they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
The 1999 Rockets
Scottie Pippen took his talents to H-Town and formed a super team with Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon . With two multi-time NBA champions on their squad, the Houston Rockets were optimistic heading into the 1998-99 season.
Little did Pip, Chuck , and Dream know they were in for a rude awakening. The trio of future Hall of Famers were able to lead the Rockets to the postseason but were eliminated by the Lakers in the first round.
Reflecting on his disappointing stint with Barkley and Olajuwon , Pippen reckoned that they didn't know Father Time had already caught up with them at the time. Moreover, Pip said Chuck no longer had the winning mentality he once had.
"I thought I was joining a super-team to some degree. It just didn't work out. We just didn't have the right chemistry, and we were aging a little bit. It wasn't a good fit for me. Coming off a second-back injury, I needed a little more youth around me. I didn't realize how much Hakeem had diminished in the game, and I didn't realize Charles wasn't as dedicated as I thought he would be," Pippen said .
The 2022 Lakers
Eager to win another title after their emphatic championship run in 2020, the Lakers signed Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook in the summer of 2021. That year, they also brought back Howard to form an aging yet formidable super team.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the frontline, the Lakers expected Melo , Brodie, and D12 to help the pair. But for some reason, the stacked team struggled to win games in the regular season. The Lakers finished the season with an underwhelming 33-49 record and were 11th in the West.
That tally is still the Lakers' worst regular season record in the 2020s. What's even worse, it was a team consisting of multi-time All-Stars and future Hall of Famers.
It's always frustrating to see a super team fail. But on the flip side, what these super teams experienced serves as an important reminder for NBA teams that stacking their roster with stars doesn't guarantee success.
Related: "Jerry and I gave him his going-away present - When Jerry Krause gave Scottie Pippen a $20 million parting gift
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