When superstars come together to play, there are plenty of heavy championship expectations to carry. While superstars teaming up together can bring a lot of promise, it doesn’t always bring success. Here is a look at the 10 most disappointing duos in NBA history.
10. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward
After Kyrie Irving grew frustrated in Cleveland for not having the keys to the franchise, he surprisingly demanded a trade that landed him in Boston. At the same time, the Celtics were able to sign All-Star free-agent Gordon Hayward.
But right from the get-go, the All-Star duo was disappointing primarily due to serious injuries, highlighted by Hayward’s broken ankle in the season opener. Although the Celtics carved out Eastern Conference Finals runs, it was none of the duo’s doing, signaling the franchise to rely on the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, both of which carried the Celtics to a title in 2024.
9. Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley
Unhappy with the playoff exits in Phoenix, Charles Barkley forced his way out and landed with the Houston Rockets to team up with legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon. With the hopes of adding more titles to the franchise, the acquisition of Barkley was welcomed.
While they did have a Western Conference Finals appearance, age caught up, and the Utah Jazz stood in their way in back-to-back occasions followed by a first-round exit at the hands of the Lakers. The retirement of Clyde Drexler and the acquisition of an aging Scottie Pippen didn’t really help this dynamic duo.
8. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine
The Chicago Bulls moved on from their All-Star duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine when they traded DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings. Despite having a surplus of athleticism, it just didn’t work. Since bringing together these two All-Stars, the Bulls have only made one playoff appearance, which resulted in a first-round exit against the Milwaukee Bucks.
After that, the duo couldn’t muster anything more. With DeRozan in Sacramento and LaVine on the trading block, the Bulls find themselves in another rebuilding purgatory.
7. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis
With Luka Doncic being dubbed as a generational talent, the Dallas Mavericks were exhausting all efforts to pair him with another star. The Mavericks ended up plucking Kristaps Porzingis away from the New York Knicks to form a solid European duo.
While both were skilled athletes, the Mavericks couldn’t carve out a deep playoff run with the duo getting bounced by the Los Angeles Clippers on their first two playoff appearances together before an elimination at the Western Conference Finals at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
Ironically, Porzingis recently won his first NBA championship with the Celtics at the expense of Doncic and the Mavs.
6. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin
With nearly every team in the league trying to catch up to the Big Three of the Miami Heat, the Clippers assembled a super team of their own by acquiring Chris Paul to usher in the Lob City era.
Although CP3 and Blake Griffin brought plenty of highlights and excitement to the NBA, the team failed to find any sort of playoff success. Whether it’s the Clippers curse or a tough Western Conference playing field, the franchise eventually broke the iconic core up.
5. Joel Embiid and James Harden
With James Harden dramatically exiting teams after repeated playoff failures, the former NBA MVP eventually landed in Philadelphia with the 76ers. While Harden formed a solid duo with fellow NBA MVP Joel Embiid on paper, Harden wasn’t quite happy with his role in Philly.
Feeling limited, the Sixers failed to get past the second round with this formidable duo. This led to another controversial exit by Harden, leading to a beef with Daryl Morey.
4. Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard
Disgruntled in Orlando, Dwight Howard found a way to land with the Los Angeles Lakers. Howard’s acquisition allowed him to team up with Kobe Bryant.
However, it turned out to be a dark chapter in the Lakers organization. The fit and chemistry were downright awful. Instead of fans witnessing a similar Kobe-Shaq duo, both Howard and Bryant were rarely on the same page, which touched on ego issues. Furthermore, injuries also plagued this aging duo, leading to a disappointing season and a forgettable playoff appearance.
3. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook
With the Purple and Gold searching for a third star, the Lakers traded for former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. The move led to the team featuring a pair of former MVPs LeBron James and Westbrook.
But while the duo was not short on star power, the fit was also questionable. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the critics’ claims manifested in ugly fashion. The results showed, as the Purple and Gold didn’t even make the playoffs or the Play-in tournament.
2. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
After winning two NBA championships in Golden State, Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets during the time he recovered from an Achilles injury. Here, a dynamic duo was formed with Kyrie Irving.
The move elevated Brooklyn into a legitimate championship contender thanks to the scoring duo. Unfortunately, they couldn’t even get past the second round of the playoffs. With injuries plaguing the duo, it was a rare sight to see them play together at full health.
1. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
Fresh from winning a championship in Toronto, Kawhi Leonard made a decision to join the Clippers with the team also retaining the services of All-Star forward Paul George. The team-up convinced fans that the Clippers’ curse would be over soon, especially with Leonard’s past playoff success.
Unfortunately, the duo was disappointing at best, leading to early playoff exits against their Western Conference rivals, as they failed to make a single NBA Finals appearance at the very least. The most disappointing era officially ended when PG recently opted to join the Sixers.
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