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10 NBA duos that defied critics by winning a championship

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Having two superstars on an NBA team is a great way to increase a team’s chances of winning a championship. However, given the amount of failed duos recently, fans can tell that a championship is never a guarantee. Nonetheless, some duos have defied the odds to capture the elusive ring. Here is a look at 10 duos that defied critics by winning an NBA championship.

Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam (2019)

A lot of basketball fans can tell that Kawhi Leonard wasn’t even happy to land in Toronto. To fuel the doubts, Leonard also had to play on a team that didn’t have any other established stars.

However, Leonard and Pascal Siakam easily proved doubters wrong with the former’s elite play combined with the latter’s breakout season. The perfect storm allowed this high-scoring duo to take down the Golden State Warriors dynasty in 2019.

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd (2011)

With Jason Kidd already past his prime combined with a stacked playoff playing field, this Dallas Mavericks duo defied the odds. With Kidd’s playmaking and Dirk Nowitzki’s hot shooting, the Mavericks took down their Western Conference rivals before pulling off a major upset against the Miami Heat’s Big Three.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (2022)

While the Warriors dynasty was formidable in the 2010s, there were doubts surrounding the team after the departure of Kevin Durant. But in 2022, the Golden State Warriors proved the doubters wrong by adding another championship to their dynasty. Furthermore, Stephen Curry stepped up into the spotlight by winning his first NBA Finals MVP.

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal (2006)

After leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, there were doubts about Shaquille O’Neal winning another chip in Miami. An aging Shaq coupled with a public promise to win one in South Beach, all eyes were on the Heat.

Initially the doubters were proving to be right, especially when the Mavericks raced to a 2-0 Finals series lead. However, thanks to Wade’s big games coupled with Shaq’s presence, the Heat were able to land their first chip in Miami in comeback fashion.

Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace (2004)

Faced against a heavily favored Lakers team led by Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton, the odds were stacked against a Pistons squad that didn’t really have a certified star at that time with no All-NBA team players. But to everyone’s surprise, the Pistons blitzed and surprised the Purple and Gold by finishing them off in five games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton (2021)

With a handful of repeated playoff failures, despite being the leader in the East during the season, a lot of critics believed that Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were only built for the regular season.

But in the 2021 Playoffs, both Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were out for a championship. The duo carried the load offensively to lead the Bucks all the way to an NBA championship, the franchise’s first in five decades.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol (2009 and 2010)

When Shaquille O’Neal left the Lakers, there were doubts surrounding Kobe Bryant, whether the Lakers made the right decision. Bryant carried the pressure of winning a championship in Los Angeles without Shaq.

The Lakers decided to instead acquire Memphis Grizzlies star Pau Gasol via a trade. Initially, fans dubbed Gasol as being “too soft,” particularly when the Boston Celtics manhandled the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. But a year later, this duo won the first of back-to-back championships together to cap off the decade.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (2024)

There was no doubt that when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were given the keys to the franchise that they would elevate the Celtics into a legitimate contender. However, the road wasn’t easy, with several Eastern Conference Finals exits, followed by a loss to the Warriors in 2022.

Despite plenty of fans calling for the franchise to break up the duo, the Celtics stuck with Tatum and Brown. Just recently, both Tatum and Brown led the Celtics to the 18th championship banner.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis (2020)

When LeBron James arrived in Los Angeles, the Lakers knew they needed to pair him with another certified star to maximize his closing career window. As a result, the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis in return for their young core of Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball.

A lot of critics claimed that the Lakers gave up too much for the All-Star center. In Davis’ first season with James, the duo won an NBA championship inside the NBA Bubble amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years later, the duo helped the Lakers become the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Champions.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving (2016)

Just a year after the Warriors won a championship at the expense of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a majority of NBA fans expected that it would be the same ending during their rematch in 2016. In fact, fans felt more convinced after the 73-9 Warriors took a 3-1 Finals lead.

However, against all odds, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving conspired to put up historic performances by breaking the history books to help Cleveland become the first team to come out of the said deficit in dramatic fashion to win the NBA title.

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