The National Basketball Association has been around for over 70 years and has been growing ever since. We have seen teams that have been well put together through the draft and free agency and seen a lot of competition. The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have been the star destinations and top title winning organizations as they have won more than any other team by a wide margin. Super teams have become the new reality of the NBA during the last decade. A Super Team is when a team that contains 3 or more All-Stars with other role players filling the spots.

Everyone thinks the Super Team era started in 2010 when Lebron James made the decision to leave his hometown team the Cavaliers to form a team in South Beach with the Miami Heat with fellow stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. They won 2 titles in 4 years until Lebron left to join a new super team with the Cavaliers again. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were the new stars with James, and this group played in 4 championships, but only won one before Lebron made the move to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. I never had a problem with 2-3 guys teaming up as more and more stars started doing it, so you had a good balance. People always blame Lebron for going to Miami to start a Super Team, but people do not realize that these already existed before Lebron formed his. Lebron made the decisions to leave after his contracts to form better teams with players to take down the three current Super Teams. The Celtic drafted and signed players young in Free Agency and had 4 All-Stars during their dominance of the East Conference during the 2000s. The Celtics had Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen. Meanwhile, the Lakers had traded for young players and drafted their own to develop a championship team. The Lakers had Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, and Pau Gasol. The San Antonio Spurs developed their talent through the draft and signed professional players from overseas. The Spurs team included Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. These teams were formed a little differently, but they were the top 3 teams in the NBA during this time because they all had three All-Stars winning the titles.

The Warriors have dominated the league winning 3 of the last 4 NBA finals. The Warriors drafted Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green and developed these guys during their first few years. The organization then hired former NBA player Steve Kerr who won titles with Michael Jordan in the 80s. The Warriors won a championship together and then lost one to Lebron and company in 2016. This caused the Warriors to recruit one of the best players in the league Kevin Durant to join their team. He played for the Thunder in Oklahoma City on a great team, but they could never win the championships. This caused the Super Team to have 4 All Stars and they all shoot the ball so well. Their such a well-run organization and the team plays together so well, because of their teamwork and shooting ability. I love seeing team basketball and these guys spread the ball around as much as they spread the individual glory as each player has big stat lines in certain games. These guys create so many opportunities for one another and they are a pleasure to watch. Durant Green and Thompson have all been elite defenders over the years and they all including Curry shoot and pass the ball so well. They are a great representation of how to play team basketball, but a lot of people including myself feel it's too hard of a team to beat. Many people realize the Warriors can shoot better than any team in NBA history, but they have 3 Elite All-Star defenders and a few average defenders on the team. I watch them in games communicating and working so well together to stop the opposing team from scoring. They know they will get their points from their excellent shooting, but their defense is a big part of their game that fans don't realize.

As a result, Stars started realizing that the teams they were on without another star or two were not going to be able to take down this now legendary team. Paul George demanded the Indiana Pacers trade him because he would not resign with them when his contract ended. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder before the 2017 season. Kawhi Leonard was a member of the San Antonio Spurs when he demanded out after the team handled his injury differently than he wanted to. He demanded to be traded immediately and refused to play any games next season. This led to him being sent to the Toronto Raptors to play with another All-Star Kyle Lowry. Next, Jimmy Butler wanted out of Minnesota as he played with two young and talented players who were very inconsistent and "lazy" in Butler's eyes. He wanted to go somewhere he could win championships and beat the Warriors. He was traded to Philadelphia after making it public he wanted out to the entire NBA. These players are changing the landscapes because they are forcing their way out to play with other players they have a relationship with. The Rockets have All-Stars and are pushing to sign veteran players to win. Teams are doing everything they can to take down this dynasty who looks unbeatable in a seven-game series.

The Warriors have now added one of the best centers in basketball due to his Achilles injury because nobody jumped on signing him early due to not knowing if he could play well. He is now healthy and playing very well for this team that now has 5 All-Stars and they are beyond the betting favorite. Anthony Davis has now requested a trade to leave his team that has no All-Stars to get somewhere better to win and be able to somehow beat this team. The Warriors have officially taken over the NBA in these last few years because they have become the focus of every team. Teams are trying to match their shooting and grab elite defenders to handle their high field goal percentage. Some teams are loading up on young guys knowing they have no chance of winning and others are trying to get All-Star players and vets that match the Warriors style. The NBA is going through a phase where if your team does not contain three All-Stars and have plenty of high percentages shot makers, then you will not be able to beat the Warriors who are the new NBA standard. Whether you think the competition is fair or not, because it is the reality of the league.