LeBron James defends stance on superteams by bringing up ‘03 Lakers and ‘96 Rockets

LeBron James still doesn’t think he started the NBA’s superteam trend. Why? Because some of the stacked teams that preceded his featured multiple Hall of Fame players on a single roster.

“In 2003, the Lakers combined Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Shaq and Kobe,” James said at around the 55-minute mark of the Road Trippin’ w/RJ & Channing podcast with Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye. “In ‘96, when Jordan was retired, the Rockets joined Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler all on the same team. But I don’t look at it as I definitely didn’t start the superteam.”

James’ comments come on the heels of Draymond Green’s, who said it was LeBron who started the NBA’s superteam trend when he joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami back in 2010.

“They wanna talk about superteams this superteam that,” Green said during the Warriors’ championship parade on Thursday. “‘I never played on a superteam.’ You started the superteam, bro.”

To Green’s point, James responded: “It’s great that on the day that you’re celebrating your championship, my likeness and my name is in your head. I love that.”

The day after his Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, James praised his opponent’s firepower before saying he had never played for a superteam in his career. LeBron currently plays with two All-Stars in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. He played with two more All-Stars in Wade and Bosh during his four-year stint in Miami.

“I don’t believe I’ve played for a superteam,” James said. “I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe we’re a superteam here.”

A day after James’ remark, finals MVP Kevin Durant said he doesn’t consider the Warriors a superteam either. Durant joined a team that set the NBA record for wins in a season last year. The Warriors currently have four All-Stars and two former MVPs on the roster. Together they set a new mark with a 16-1 playoff record, the best in NBA history.

“Superteam? No,” Durant said, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Haynes. “We just work extremely well together. Coach puts us in position to maximize our strengths.”

What’s clear is that both the Warriors and Cavaliers have an insane amount of talent on their roster. Golden State swept through the first three rounds of the Western Conference playoffs, while Cleveland suffered its first postseason loss in Game 3 of the East Finals.

And even though neither side wants to own the “superteam” tag, both teams fit the bill, whether they like it or not.