NBA History: 5 greatest duos in the league since 2000

The league has always been a breeding ground for elite duos of championship calibre.

Kawhi luring PG to the Clippers and LeBron teaming up with AD for the purple-n-gold headlined an off-season that saw the NBA landscape shift to “superstar duos”. With basketball fanatics obsessing over the seismic changes to multiple franchises, most front-offices made sure to land a superstar couple if nothing else this past July.

With the recent upsurge of superstar duos in the league, it is only fitting that we take a quick look at some of the most explosive partnerships in recent time. On that note, here's a list of the five best duos produced by the NBA this century so far.

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#5 LeBron James & Kyrie Irving

Both were 1st overall picks in their respective draft classes.

Since Cavs' No. 1 draft pick in Irving came a year too late to "The Decision", LeBron had to wait three seasons to collaborate with this young phenom back in Cleveland.

Although Kyrie's 2014-15 playoff campaign was marred by injuries, he more than made up for it when he helped LeBron and the Cavs come back from a 3-1 deficit in the historic 2016 NBA Finals. Uncle Drew and King James became the first teammates to ever record 40+ point games together in NBA Finals history as they lifted the 52-year long Championship curse for the city of Cleveland.

It is debatable that Irving couldn't truly blossom as a 'leader' under Bron, and which was probably one of the prominent reasons(to some extent) leading up to his shock departure in 2017.

Nevertheless, this duo achieved what nobody in the history of the game had been able to pull off. And even though it was just one title in three years, the 2016 Finals still remain etched in the memories of all NBA fans worldwide for more reasons than one.

#4 Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson

Klay & Steph averaged a combined 50 ppg this past season.

This list is tailor-made for two of the best shooters ever to lift a basketball, and add to that three NBA titles- the recipe for arguably the most accomplished one-two punch this game has seen.

The Splash Brothers carry 11 All-Star appearances between them and are on pace to finish as the Top 2 leading names of NBA's All-time three-pointers made list (Steph's already there). Even though experts might point fingers at two of their rings, citing the support provided by Durant, there seems to be no doubt when it comes to the fact the Thompson and Curry are more than capable of leading a title campaign on their own.

Now that the Golden State front office has managed to retain their core amidst all the free agency chaos, we might get a taste of the somewhat old-look Warriors as soon as Klay returns from his ACL rehab.

#3 LeBron James & Dwyane Wade

The camaraderie off the court translated into impeccable chemistry on the court.

After giving his all to the Cavaliers during his first seven seasons, James decided he had to jump ship in order to win rings or make an impact at the level he deserves. In 2010, "The Decision" to join Wade in Miami (who had already won his first ring in 2006 and proven himself) was met with intense scrutiny from media and fans alike, but nobody seemed to foresee what lied ahead.

After a catastrophic letdown in 2011, the Wade-James connection (with some crucial assistance from Chris Bosh) bounced back to win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Classmates of the 2003 NBA draft, their bond only grew stronger with time and their on-court communion continued to break the heart and souls of the opposition for all the years they clicked.

LeBron continued on his redemption path back to Cleveland in 2014, while Wade, Bosh and Haslem resigned with the Heat.

#2 Tim Duncan & Tony Parker

Arguably, the most underrated and ingenious Guard-Center pairing of the century.

Duncan had already led the Spurs to a title in 1999 before the Spurs drafted the 6-foot-2 French point guard as a 28th overall pick in 2003. A wide majority of NBA scouts, coaches and players did not have any high hopes whatsoever for the skill levels that Parker seemed to have, and they couldn't have been more wrong.

By far, Coach Popovich must have had the time of his life mentoring this duo as they went on to win four NBA Championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. Duncan was the Finals MVP in 2003 and 2005 while Parker was named the same in 2007.

Under the Parker-Duncan reign (honourable mention- Manu Ginobili), the franchise witnessed some of the most professional and fundamentally sound basketball ever played. Duncan retired in 2016 as a 15-time All-Star, while Parker moved on to play his final season with the Hornets and eventually retire in June of 2019.

#1 Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O'Neal

Kobe and Shaq continued to trade barbs via interviews and awkward freestyle raps.

Laker legend and then-General Manager Jerry West managed to get both Kobe and Shaq to wear purple-n-gold in what turned out to be a move for the ages. The dynamic coupling of Shaq and Kobe made four trips to the Finals which included a memorable three-peat (only the fourth in NBA history) from 2000 to 2002. Moreover, their 2000-01 playoff campaign posted an NBA history best 15-1 postseason record for their second championship.

The tussle for control over the team continued to grow to the point that their 2004 Finals appearance resulted in the Lakers getting blown out in five games by a cohesive Detroit Pistons squad. As was expected, the Pistons proved to be the antithesis to the star-studded makeup in Hollywood.

Eventually, Shaq was shipped off to Miami and the storied Lakers franchise was handed over to Bryant who later went on to bag a couple of back-to-back rings again in 2009 and 2010. Kobe and Shaq were easily the most dominant one-two punch put together in this century so far, as they played a major role in cementing the Lakers as one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the game.