The idea of building “superteams” in the NBA has been a prominent topic around the association for over a decade now, and it’s clear that the subject matter still brings out mixed emotions from the game’s past stars. This was evident in the discussion on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back when Vince Carter was asked to give his opinion on Charles Barkley’s take that “Superteams are cheating”.
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The Toronto Raptors legend didn’t agree with the Chuckster’s exact sentiment but certainly made his stance clear on the formation of these loaded All-Star squads. “I understand Charles’ stance on that because… we came from an era where you didn’t look at teams or situations like that. You wanted to do it yourself. It’s the changing of the guard,” Carter said.
The 2024 Hall of Fame inductee even recalled his experience playing against the dominant Golden State Warriors led by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Carter aired his frustrations about facing the squad, which featured four future Hall of Famers, stating that even a perfect defensive output couldn’t stop the Dubs from finding an open shot for one of their All-Stars.
“I played against that Golden State team that had KD on it… it’s not fair man,” the 47-year-old added.
Charles Barkley thinks superteams are cheating
“I played against that Warriors team that had Kevin Durant…it’s not fair, man.” – @mrvincecarter15
“It feels a little bit like a copout.” – @ChandlerParsons
“But how many superteams have been successful?” – @DGreen_14 pic.twitter.com/26AbiNjK0e
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 10, 2024
When the question shifted to his co-hosts, they mostly echoed his statement without directly agreeing with Chuck. “It feels a little bit like a copout,” Chandler Parsons said, when referring to players who attempt to win by forming a superteam.
While he didn’t approve superstars joining forces, Danny Green did interject to remind his co-hosts about the numerous times when forming a superteam didn’t work out. The former Spur referenced Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett’s Brooklyn Nets and the current-day Phoenix Suns when citing failed All-Star teams. “If it’s within the cap, it’s not cheating, but it doesn’t look great,” Green added.
Carter and his fellow retired NBA veterans have a point, this wasn’t how team building worked when they entered the league. That could be why he and other 2000’s All-Stars refused to ring chase.
Vince Carter shared why he refused to ring chase late in his career
Carter’s lengthy 22-year NBA tenure undoubtedly could have included a late-career stint with a contender. But the high-flying forward stated that he, like many others of his era, prioritized playing the right way.
“In my later years, I wanted to play, and I didn’t want to be on a superteam if I didn’t play… It was just never my thing; I didn’t come from that era…,” Carter started
Vince Carter explains why he, @blakegriffin23, @Tmac_213 & @alleniverson didn’t ring chase with a superteam late in their NBA careers
“We all wanted championships, but we wanted to do it a certain way.” – @mrvincecarter15
https://t.co/8Iq94K3MtW pic.twitter.com/d1oI3j5Te7
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 10, 2024
He continued to list off fellow All-Stars who didn’t want to ride the pine to close out their careers, including Blake Griffin, Tracy McGrady, and Allen Iverson. All three ended their careers before winning a ring.
Carter emphasized that these types of competitors didn’t want to simply be gifted a championship. Times have clearly changed in the NBA roster-building landscape, so these former All-Stars find the current ring-chasing team formation tasteless.