Chicago Bulls dominated the 1990s and won 6 championships in 10 years. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman were the greatest Big 3 during that era.
Credit: Fadeaway World
The term “Big 3” is one that has become more and more popular over the course of the last 15 years. It all started in 2008 with the formation of the star-studded Boston Celtics and their additions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a team that already had a star in Paul Pierce. The term was intensified when LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to take their talents to South Beach and join Dwyane Wade. The fact is that the Big 3’s have been around almost since the beginning of NBA History and dates back to the days of the 60s Celtics teams that won 11 championships after the addition of Bill Russell to an already stacked roster.
Today, we start our Big 3 journey with the 1990s decade and the 10 best trio’s from 1990 thru 1999. Whether formed by lopsided trades, draft steals, or free agency deals, Big 3’s were alive and well even in the 90s when the competition was at its most fierce. The only difference between the 90s Big 3 formations and today’s is the fact that they occurred naturally rather than being sought out by the players themselves. Now, some of these “Big 3”s” were successful during the 90s and won NBA championships in dominant fashion. Others fell just shy of their goal despite the talent they possessed.
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These are the 10 best Big 3’s of the 1990s.
10. Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf
Championships: 0
NBA Finals: 1
We kick things off with one of the most exciting teams and trios of the entire 90s decade. The Seattle SuperSonics combined the attitude and speed of Gary Payton and the explosive athleticism of Shawn Kemp to form a lethal duo on the court. When they added Detlef Schrempf in 1994, the team took off as a powerhouse in the decade. In 1994, the team won 63 games and in 195, they won 57 games. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of those two seasons.
In 1996, things were a bit different. The team would win 64 games under Coach George Karl and advance to the NBA Finals where they pushed the Bulls to six games with Kemp, Payton, and Schrempf each playing a significant role. Payton was Defensive Player of the Year while Kemo was an All-Star and Schrempf was in between All-Star seasons. The trio would help Seattle with their division in each of the next two seasons after their NBA Finals appearances with 57 wins in 1997 and 61 wins in 1998.
9. Kevin Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle
Championships: 0
NBA Finals: 1
The Phoenix Suns struck gold when they drafted Dan Majerle with the 14th overall pick in 1988. He would go on to become a three-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive Team selection. The season prior to drafting Majerle, they had acquired disgruntled youngster Kevin Johnson from the Cleveland Cavaliers who exploded with the Suns as one of the best point guards in basketball. The duo would lead the Suns to the Western Conference Finals in 1990 but were clearly one piece away from taking the next step. Prior to the 1992-93 season, the team went out and got another disgruntled star Charles Barkley to take them there.
Immediately the Suns were a threat to anyone who stood in their way. Barkley was named the 1993 MVP while Majerle was an All-Star and Johnson had a spectacular season to help Phoenix win 62 games. They advanced to the NBA Finals where they fell to the Chicago Bulls but the Suns were officially back as an NBA contender with these three leading the charge. Although they never got back to the Finals, Johnson, Majerle, and Barkley would get Phoenix back to the second round in both 1994 and 1995.
8. Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey
Championships: 0
NBA Finals: 2
The Portland Trail Blazers of the 1990s and their success are usually associated with one man, Clyde Drexler. While Drexler was easily the best player on the team, he was not the only factor in their success. Terry Porter is one of the most underrated players of the decade who at his peak was a 17.0 to 18.0 PPG scorer dishing out 8.0 to 9.0 APG as their starting point guard. Jerome Kersey was a defensive machine who was durable and a 17.0-18.0 PPG scorer as well as a consistent 8.0 RPG rebounder. When added to Drexler’s mighty all-around game, the Trail Blazers were a formidable opponent in any matchup.
As a team, these 3 led the Trail Blazers to two different NBA Finals appearances in the 1990s. In 1990, the team advanced to the Finals against the Detroit Pistons. While they lost in five games, Kersey each added 19.0 PPG with Kersey adding 7.0 RPG and Porter averaging 8.4 APG. Drexler was the best player on the court with 26.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 6.2 APG, and 1.8 SPG. The trio would lead Portland right back to the NBA Finals in 1992 but this time against a budding dynasty in the Chicago Bulls. They would lose in six games this time but once again, Kersey, Porter, and Drexler showed up in a big way. The Trail Blazers may have not been NBA champions but their impact on the NBA at the time deserves a ton more respect.
7. Karl Malone, John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek
Championships: 0
NBA Finals: 2
The Utah Jazz of the 1990s were an undisputed contender nearly every year of the decade. They already had the amazing duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton for most of the entirety of the 90s whose chemistry on the court has not been replicated since. Things became even more enhanced and successful when they added sharpshooter and ultimate competitor Jeff Hornacek in 1994. By 1996, the Jazz were in the Western Conference finals competing for a chance at an NBA championship. Over the next two years, they would be the second-best team in basketball trying to dethrone a dynasty.
In 1997, the Jazz would win 64 games led by Malone’s scoring and Stockton’s playmaking along with the addition of 14.5 PPG from Hornacek. They would advance to the NBA Finals against the Bulls and the trio would combine for over 50.0 PPG but fall in six games. In 1998, the trio performed so well in the regular season and playoffs that many considered them to be favored over the Bulls by the time the Finals came. Despite the compliments and expectations, the Jazz fell once again to Chicago and relinquished a three-peat to the greatest dynasty in NBA history. The team’s Big 3 had failed to deliver an NBA title to Utah but were the reasons they were even there in the first place and the closest the team has ever come to being crowned NBA champions.
6. Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott
Championships: 0
NBA Finals: 1
The big 3 for the Lakers during the 1990s was nowhere near the powerhouse it was in the 80s. Kareem had retired and their third option was now their second option in James Worthy. Their floor general and leader was still Magic Johnson but now a third player had emerged as a key factor in their success, at least early on in the decade. In 1990, Magic would be the MVP while Worthy became one of the best second options in basketball. Byron Scott would take on the role as the third member of the Big 3, with his 15.0 PPG scoring and ability to keep up with the fast pace that the Lakers loved to play with.
In 1989, it was these three that led the Lakers to the NBA Finals but they ultimately lost to the Pistons. In 1991, Magic, Worthy, and Scott combined for 55.3 PPG to lead Los Angeles to 58 wins and a trip to the NBA Finals once again. In the Finals, the three played exceptionally well but an injury to Scott and the emergence of Michael Jordan as the new face of the NBA hindered their chances at a sixth NBA title.
5. Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Avery Johnson
NBA Finals: 1
Championships: 1
The next trio of the 90s ranked right in the middle of the pack is that of the Spurs later in the decade. The frontcourt of David Robinson and No. 1 overall pick Tim Duncan was among the best in the NBA and proved that to be true in both 1998 and 1999. Running the point for that team was Avery Johnson who although not a big scorer, was definitely the third head of the three-headed monster that went on to become NBA champions in 1999.
In 1998, this trio fell just short in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs but would bounce back in 1999. In a lockout-shortened season, the Spurs would finish 37-13 behind 21.7 PPG and 11.4 RPG from Duncan along with elite defense and a team-leading 7.4 APG from Johnson. Robinson contributed 15.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 2.4 BPG as well. They cruised to a berth in the NBA Finals where they defeated the New York Knicks in five games. Duncan was the Finals MVP while Johnson led the team in assists and Robinson averaged a double-double.
4. Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer
NBA Finals: 1
Championships: 1
From a team that cashed in at the end of the 90s in the Spurs to a team that cashed in at the beginning of the decade in the Detroit Pistons. As the NBA entered the 90s, the Bad Boys were still on top of the NBA as the defending champs in 1989. The trio of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer anchored the most feared roster and most hated team in basketball as they pursued a second NBA title. While Thomas and Dumars took care of all the perimeter scoring and playmaking, Laimbeer was the glue that held the interior defense together, laying opponents out as they came down the lane and being a physical threat in every aspect of the game.
The road to the NBA Finals in 1990 was not easy once again. The trio would lead the Pistons to a three-game sweep of the Pacers in round one and a five-game dismissal of the Knicks in round two. The team would then once again have to go through Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as they would successfully achieve again in a seven-game thriller. In the NBA Finals, the Pistons would once again emerge victorious with Isiah Thomas leading the way as Finals MVP. Dumars added 20.0 PPG while Laimbeer sealed it all with a 13.2 PPG and 13.4 RPG double-double for the series.
3. Hakeem Olajuwon, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith
NBA Finals: 2
Championships: 2
The term “Big 3” is used quite loosely for the next trio from the Houston Rockets in the 90s but they were the mainstays on not one but two championship teams. Hakeem Olajuwon took over the title of the best player in the world in 1994 and 1995 with Michael Jordan away from the game. In these two seasons, Hakeem would win MVP, Defensive layer of the Year, and two NBA Finals MVP awards. Alongside him were point guard Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell.
While Olajuwon dominated every side of the ball in 1994, Maxwell and Smith picked up the slack elsewhere. It should also be noted that Otis Thorpe was a solid piece to their 1994 championship run as well. The three would end up becoming NBA champions at the season’s end and were looked at as favorites in 1995. The trio would struggle to begin the 1995 campaign until they agreed to swap Thorpe for Trail Blazers superstar Clyde Drexler. Once Drexler arrived, the team went on a run to a second straight NBA championship with Olajuwon once again as the best player on the floor. Maxwell and Smith weren’t superstars by any means but they played their roles perfectly which led to NBA titles.
2. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant
NBA Finals: 3
Championships: 3
There is no doubt as to who the team of the 1990s was. The Chicago Bulls, led by the greatest player in NBA history, won six NBA championships from 1991 thru 1998 to the tune of two separate three-peats. During the first three-peat, the trio consisted of Horace Grant as well as the greatest duo in NBA history, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Over the course of the 1991-1993 titles, it would be these three players that were essential to team success and marked the beginning of the NBA’s greatest dynasty.
Over the course of these three championships, Horace Grant was the perfect complimentary defender and rebounder the Bulls needed to win. In missing just 10 games over those three years, Grant averaged 13.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.3 BPG. As for Jordan and Pippen, the NBA’s most lethal duo learned how to win alongside each other and once they did, there was no stopping them. Jordan won all three Finals MVP awards as the clear best player in the world but Pippen provided elite defense and playmaking that became the perfect storm and an absolute nightmare for opponents.
1. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman
NBA Finals: 3
Championships: 3
After the 1993 NBA Finals, Jordan suffered a major loss in his family and decided to walk away from the game and retire. He returned in 1995 for 17 games only to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Magic. The duo of Pippen and Jordan were still the best in the business but they knew they needed that powerful presence in the paint in order to be champions once again. Enter Dennis Rodman. As the game’s best rebounder at the time and two-time Defensive Player of the Year whom no one wanted because of the media frenzy he brought wherever he went, he was the perfect solution for Chicago.
Over the next three seasons, the Bulls enjoyed their best seasons in team history. They set an NBA record for wins in the 1996 season with 72 and cruised to their fourth NBA title. In 1997 and 1998, the team decided to defy injury, age, and their front office for two final NBA titles giving them two three-peats and a total of six NBA championships. Jordan was once again Finals MVP in all six victories while Rodman and Pippen handled the leftover dirty work to propel them to NBA supremacy.
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