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The Creation of Super-Teams - Are Their Victories Really That Impressive?

In the last 10 years, the NBA landscape has changed. What once was a place of competitive greatness has descended into a non-competitive madness, and at its core is the creation of "The Super Team". Before a season even starts, even a lesser basketball fanatic can quite easily predict a finals matchup just by looking at player rosters and recent trade deals. However, no matter how certain or spectacular their victory is, I just have one question: Is it really that impressive? 

For me, not really. Unfortunately, this is a concept in the NBA that won't be going away anytime soon, with the recent forming of another 'Super Team' in Brooklyn which brings together the talents of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden. Now I admit, for an NBA franchise, this is a surefire way to make some big money. Alongside increases in TV coverage and jersey sales, they are guaranteed to get an influx in fans that "have always loved Brooklyn" and players that "just want to be a good team-mate". In simpler terms, unless this merger of NBA superstars goes very wrong, we are going to see the Net's first championship banner elevate to the rafters of the Barclay Centre in July. 

But being part of a super team is much like being stupid, it's only painful for others. Whilst Brooklyn is off celebrating their first NBA championship, there is only one concept that will be on the mind of every other NBA general manager; creating a super team of their own. This is the most poisonous factor of this whole concept as history has shown the very creation of a 'Super Team' invites the challenge of another. Yes, it's very exciting to see 3 NBA all-Stars in the same team. It's almost perfect. But who wants that? Sport is exciting because there is an element of risk in the pursuit of an unknown outcome. 'Super Teams' completely destroy this, as before the game has even begun, an opposition victory is already statistically improbable. 

However, there is only one thing that sells just as well as the creation of a monster, and that is the death of one. 

The 2016 NBA Finals became the 3rd highest-grossing Finals Series since the NBA's inception and saw LeBron James and his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers take on the might of the 'Super Team' Golden State Warriors. It was a pure underdog story and ultimately ended in the Warriors defeat after losing a 3-1 lead and going on to lose the series 4-3. Now, although this finals matchup contained at least 6 players who are destined for the Hall of Fame, there is one other reason this matchup will go down as the greatest in history; it produced the fall of a giant. 

So although it may take a few years of dull and uneventful final matchups, Brooklyn's underdog will at some point be found and the NBA realm will once again be brought back to its days of ultimate competitiveness and unknown outcomes. 


 

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  1. Stevo 57January 25, 2021 at 9:56 AM

    The pursuit of building a super team yet again ratchets up money stakes and leaves the poor punter short on ever seeing in person the stars that they love.
    Bring down players pay level to the point where ticket prices are affordable !!!
    Mr angry in Liverpool !!

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