The NBA has seen a noticeable shift in recent years, from the dominance of superstar “Big Threes” to a growing emphasis on team depth and balanced rosters. For much of the 2010s, building around three All-Stars was the blueprint for success, with teams like the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors all leaning into that model. But as injuries, salary cap constraints, and chemistry issues took their toll, front offices began rethinking that approach.
Advertisement
Today’s winning formula places greater value on depth, versatility, and role players who can step up in big moments. Title-winning squads like the 2024 Boston Celtics and 2025 OKC Thunder found success not just through their stars but through strong supporting casts that contributed on both ends of the floor.
Instead of relying solely on a handful of elite players, today’s NBA favors teams built to perform consistently, even when their stars aren’t on the floor or having an off night. Still, LeBron James understands that having the right franchise cornerstone remains essential. So when he was asked what the future of roster building might look like, the future Hall of Famer didn’t hesitate with his response.
“You find a guy like Wemby,” James said with a laugh during the live season finale of Mind the Game. “I was just standing next to him while we were shooting the shop. This guy, I feel like he’s grown another two or three inches for sure in the offseason. But the game is going to continue to evolve.”
“The Big Three era has always had its moment. You know, way before myself, D-Wade, and Bosh came together, you had Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, they played together. You had so many guys, that’s the Big Three era,” LeBron continued. “The Big Three era will always kind of be there, but having depth … I think that’s the era that we might fall into.”
While LeBron’s choice to join the Miami Heat was once regarded as the beginning of a superteam era, players have been teaming up long before “The Decision.” Even Michael Jordan was part of a “Big Three” alongside Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, James pointed out. Championships can’t be won alone, after all.
As financial constraints reshape roster construction, the era of the Big Three is giving way to more balanced team builds centered around one or two stars. In this new landscape, singular talents like Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic will shine even brighter, proving just how rare and valuable true unicorns are in today’s NBA.
