We compiled a ranking of the best teammates in NBA history by compiling fan preferences and combining them with statistics and victories of various couples.
10. Kevin Durant & Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have only been together for three years, during which they have won two rings and lost an NBA final, owing in part to the number 35's injury in the most recent Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
Without mentioning the various Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors' duo was undoubtedly virtually unstoppable for any defense facing two players of this caliber. Curry and Durant combined for 52.1 points per game, 11.4 assists, and 6.6 triples per game.
9. Tim Duncan & Tony Parker
Tim Duncan makes his first appearance in this special ranking: he has fought many battles alongside French number 9 Tony Parker. The long Caribbean, drafted first overall in 1997, was joined by the French, drafted 28th overall in 2001, to form a formidable duo in coach Gregg Popovich's team.
Together, they led the Alamo franchise to four NBA championships, played an almost infinite number of pick'n roll, and, along with Manu Ginobili, set the record for most total games together in the regular season and playoffs.
The MVP award in the 2007 finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which included a young LeBron James, and the title of European champions with the French national team, which included MVP, at the 2013 EuroBasket championships in Slovenia, stand out for the Frenchman. Duncan, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next August, finished his illustrious NBA career with five championships, two MVP awards, and three Finals MVP awards.
8. Larry Bird & Kevin McHale
Three championships in twelve years for the green-and-white couple who, along with Robert The Chief Parish, forever changed the Boston franchise's history. Bird and McHale, in particular, were able to win three MVP awards during the regular season and two MVP awards in the NBA Finals, as well as the second and third sixth man of the year awards. They were the first to play pick'n roll with continuity between long shots, thanks to their brilliant interpretation.
From 1980 to 1992, they were teammates and scored a combined total of 21,791 points for Larry Legend and 17,335 points for the former Houston Rockets coach in twelve seasons. Those were the years when the great Celtics reigned supreme. They are automatically placed in this special category.
7. Bill Russell & Sam Jones
What's a Bill Russell fan to do if he can't find a place in the charts? 11 NBA titles is insane, and no one compares to him, but Sam Jones, a 193 cm guard capable of winning 10, just one less than the player who is honored with the NBA Finals MVP award, came very close.
He was drafted by the Boston Celtics directly from the University of North Carolina Central, where he had previously distinguished himself with a total of 1,770 points as part of the future Hall of Famer John McLendon's formation.
6. Tim Duncan & Manu Ginobili
We find Tim Duncan again, along with the only other player capable of winning the NBA, Euroleague, and Olympic titles, Bill Bradley (another American).
On an individual level, Manu Ginobili may have received less than he deserved, but no one can deny the contribution he has always made to the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he won four NBA championships. Despite a physique that was slowly abandoning them, they both managed to show themselves still at the top of the game as they approached forty, and thus they deserve to be ranked sixth.
5. Tim Duncan & David Robinson
We see Tim Duncan again! This time, however, a trio was not divided; instead, we're talking about what was effectively a couple, one of the most powerful in the longs' history.
David Robinson, known as the Admiral, was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1987 NBA Draft despite not intending to play in the NBA right away because his stated goal at the time was to finish his service in the Navy.
Duncan joined the team about a decade later, winning his first title in his sophomore year and providing the veteran with the support he has lacked over the years in his quest for the title. The 2 also won in 2003, the year in which the Admiral would retire from basketball and be inducted into the Hall of Fame for all eternity.
4. LeBron James & Dwyane Wade
Is it possible that the Chosen One isn't included in this list? Clearly not! And who better to wear him with than Dwyane Wade, his friend and loyal partner in the Miami Heat jersey? With the help of Chris Bosh, Flash-D and The King were able to dominate the league for four years, scoring four NBA Finals and winning two.
They tried to play together again with the Cleveland Cavaliers a few years later, but the experience did not go well for Wade, who decided to leave the team a few months after joining LeBron in Ohio, to return to his Miami Heat and retire with the jersey that had made him NBA champion and Finals MVP in 2006.
3. Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant
Shaquille O'Neal's playful nicknames include The Diesel, The Big Shamrock, and The Big Aristotle. The hilarious character, on the other hand, sometimes makes us forget how powerful and dominant he was in his first season: three championships in a row with the Lakers, seasoned by three Finals MVPs, leave no room for reruns.
However, when he joined the Lakers in 1996, he struggled to compete as well as he would have liked due to a lack of the right pieces on the team: the decisive factor was the graft of Kobe Bryant, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets but immediately moved to LA at Jerry West's request in the June 1996 Draft and proved capable of competing at the highest levels.
They were virtually unstoppable as a team, winning time after time until, in 2004, after losing in the final to the Detroit Pistons, the center decided to leave for the beaches of Florida, destined for the Miami Heat. As we all know, the rest is history.
2. Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the greatest scorer of all time, and Earvin Magic Johnson, one of the best players ever, spent ten seasons together. The 1980s Los Angeles Lakers' one-time duo has a total of five championships and 19 All-Star Game appearances out of a possible 20. They were a kind of perfect machine, and the game was renamed "Showtime" for the occasion because of the beauty on the court, especially the Michigan point guard.
TeJersey number 32 and 33, respectively, won 9 regular-season MVPs and 5 NBA Finals MVPs. A career that will test the entire League, reigniting the historic rivalry with the Boston Celtics of Larry Bird. In short, the two lakes had a fantastic season that earned them second place.
1. Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen
Who better to lead this list than the person who made records of his daily bread and victory for his religion? His Airness Michael Jordan was alone, along with his loyal and talented companion Scottie Pippen.
Individual awards aren't evenly distributed in this case; not that Pippen didn't deserve them; rather, Jordan's talent was simply too broad for anyone to compete with: six Finals MVPs, ten League Goals Scorers, Best Defender of the Year, and over thirty points per game over his career. In a nutshell, there isn't much more to say.
Pippen, on the other hand, was the key to the Bulls' success, excelling in the Phil Jackson and Tex Winter-designed system. Jordan and Pippen are the most popular NBA couple, according to a poll conducted by Bleacher Report. They could only take the top spot in this unique ranking
