Most-Hyped Super Teams in Sports History

Super teams aren’t just limited to the NBA; after all, they’ve existed for decades in other leagues, even if we weren’t aware of them at the time.

Most-Hyped Super Teams in Sports History

The phrase “super team” was created in the late 2000s when the 2007-08 Boston Celtics paired together three future Hall-of-Famers on a single squad. The experiment proved to be a successful one, as the Celtics won the NBA championship that year, and other franchises would copy their blueprint.

However, a super team isn’t limited to just the NBA — one can form in any team sport. All you need is a bunch of big-name, elite athletes assembled through inorganic means (i.e., trades or free agency) with the goal of winning a championship. Super teams in other sports include various Yankees squads in baseball, Real Madrid’s Galacticos in soccer and, most recently, the 2021 Los Angeles Rams in football.

Some of these experiments have proven successful while others have been absolute failures. After all, we’re talking about team sports, so simply having a collection of talented individual athletes doesn’t guarantee success. Which of these was your favorite “super team” in sports?

30. 2000 Washington Redskins

Sport: Football

Head coach: Norv Turner, Terry Robiskie

Record: 8-8 (.500 W-L%)

Finish: Missed Playoffs

Notable players: Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Champ Bailey, Andre Reed, Darrell Green

The 2000 Redskins are the perfect example of a failed super team; the team looked great on paper but was average on the field. Washington was loaded with five Hall of Famers this season, but four of them were well past their primes. Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith and Andre Reed were all added in free agency, as were players like Jeff George and Mark Carrier, but none were able to relive their past production in the nation’s capital.

The team’s best players were the ones on the right side of 30 such as Champ Bailey and Stephen Davis. Even though owner Daniel Snyder was the one who authorized the team to sign over-the-hill veterans, when they didn’t live up to expectations, it was head coach Norv Turner who felt the wrath. He was fired after Week 14, and the Redskins missed the postseason after winning the NFC East the year prior.

29. 2017-18 Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Emmanuel Mudiay

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Billy Donovan

Record: 48-34 (.585 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in First Round (4-2)

Notable players: Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Steven Adams

In the 2016-17 season, Westbrook won the MVP, but OKC could only win a single playoff game. Thus, reinforcements were brought in the next year in the form of George and Anthony. They cost OKC quite a penny since they traded away five players, including Domantas Sabonis, Victor Oladipo and Mitchell Robinson, in order to land the two veterans.

While Westbrook and George played well together, Anthony struggled at being a No. 3 option for the first time in his career, with his points per game dropping nearly nine points from his career scoring average. Despite increasing its star power, OKC would win just one more playoff game than they won the previous year.

28. 2002 New York Yankees

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Joe Torre

Record: 103-58 (.640 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in ALDS

Notable players: Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, David Wells, Raul Mondesi

After losing in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, thus preventing a four-peat, George Steinbrenner did as he always does and swung for the fences the next season. He landed the big fish on the free agency market in Jason Giambi, traded for six-time Gold Glove winner Robin Ventura and brought back three-time All-Star David Wells. Then, during the season, he traded for the top player on the trading block in Raul Mondesi.

All of those new faces added to the likes of Clemens, Alfonso Soriano, Mike Mussina, Bernie Williams and the Core Four. But pitching did the Yanks in versus the eventual champion Angels in the American League Divisional Series.

27. 2001-02 New York Rangers

Sport: Hockey

Head coach: Ron Low

Record: 36-38-4-4 (.488 W-L%)

Finish: Missed Playoffs

Notable players: Mark Messier, Eric Lindros, Brian Leetch, Pavel Bure, Theo Fleury

After four straight years without a postseason appearance, the Rangers attempted to reinsert themselves into the NHL’s elite but failed in doing so. Prior to the 2001-02 season, the team traded for former MVP Eric Lindros, who was good but not great at that point and didn’t make much of an impact on the Rangers’ win-loss record.

Then, during the season, New York acquired Pavel Bure, who was the reigning back-to-back goals leader. He was productive and averaged a goal per game, but the Rangers still finished .500 in the 12 games he played. That wasn’t enough for the Rangers to accumulate enough points, and they finished with 80 points on the season, which was seven points behind the No. 8 playoff seed in the East.

26. 2019-20 Brooklyn Nets

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Kenny Atkinson, Jacque Vaughn

Record: 35-37 (.486 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in First Round (4-0)

Notable players: Kevin Durant (DNP), Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert

When Kyrie and KD became free agents in 2019, many thought they would go to New York and join the Knicks. Those people were half right — the duo went to NYC but joined Brooklyn instead. However, Durant was recovering from a torn Achilles and did not play the entire season, while Irving played just 20 games due to injuries.

It ended up being a transition season for the Nets, but young players like Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie made names for themselves. Without much of Durant or Irving, though, coach Kenny Atkinson was let go late in the year, and Brooklyn was swept in the first round of the playoffs.

25. 2014 Denver Broncos

Sport: Football

Head coach: John Fox

Record: 12-4 (.750 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in AFC Divisional Round

Notable players: Peyton Manning, Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders

It’s rare for a team to hit home runs on all of their major player additions, but that’s what the Broncos did in 2014. After losing in the Super Bowl the previous season, the team added Emmanuel Sanders on offense as well as Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward on defense.

All four veterans would become Pro Bowlers in the 2014 season, as were several holdovers including Peyton Manning, Von Miller and Demaryius Thomas. However, the regular season success didn’t carry over into the postseason. Denver was one and done.

24. 2012 Miami Marlins

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Ozzie Guillen

Record: 69-93 (.426 W-L%)

Finish: Missed Playoffs

Notable players: Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Mark Buehrle

You have to credit the Marlins for going all out in 2012 as they rebranded from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. They went after free agent Albert Pujols, and while they didn’t land him, they did bring in Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Carlos Zambrano, each of whom had at least three All-Star appearances. They joined a team centered around Hanley Ramirez, burgeoning star Giancarlo (Mike) Stanton and ace Josh Johnson.

However, the individual pieces proved to be much greater than the sum of those parts. Despite the cosmetic changes, the team actually had a worse record than it had the previous year. To cap things off, manager Ozzie Guillen was fired after the season for making inflammatory comments about Fidel Castro, which is the ultimate no-no when in South Florida.

23. 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Mike Brown, Bernie Bickerstaff, Mike D’Antoni

Record: 45-37 (.549 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in First Round (4-0)

Notable players: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash

After back-to-back early playoff exits, the Lakers did as they always do and reloaded. They traded away four draft picks plus young center Andrew Bynum in order to land Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, pairing them in the starting lineup with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. However, the new pieces were a poor fit, and the lack of chemistry, combined with injuries, led to a dysfunctional team that never came anywhere close to its potential.

The team also had defensive ace Ron Artest and 20,000-point scorer Antawn Jamison but could never coalesce. The preferred starting five of Nash-Bryant-Artest-Gasol-Howard actually had an 0-7 record when they started together, and the Lakers were swept in the first round after Bryant tore his Achilles’ tendon at the end of the regular season.

22. 2009-10 Real Madrid

Sport: Soccer

Manager: Manuel Pellegrini

Record: 31-3-4 (96 points)

Finish: Second in La Liga; Round of 16 of Champions League

Notable players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka, Sergio Ramos

After coming up short in its bid for a three-peat as La Liga champions, and after losing players like Fabio Cannavaro and Arjen Robben, Real Madrid dipped its toes back into its Galacticos strategy. It signed three of the best players in the world in Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema. Oh, and it also inked the best (or second-best) player in the world in Ronaldo. However, the end result was the same, as Real Madrid finished second in La Liga, and manager Manuel Pellegrini was fired just one year on the job.

After his dismissal, Pellegrini had a damning quote about the Galacticos strategy Real Madrid employed when they loaded up at certain positions, leaving others bare. “It's no good having an orchestra with the 10 best guitarists if I don't have a pianist,” Pellegrini said. “Real Madrid has the best guitarists, but if I ask them to play the piano, they won't be able to do it so well.”

21. 2015 San Diego Padres

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Bud Black, Dave Roberts, Pat Murphy

Record: 74-88 (.457 W-L%)

Finish: Missed Playoffs

Notable players: Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, James Shields, B.J. Upton

Despite being in sunny San Diego, the Padres struggled to attract top free agents. Thus, they went the inorganic route of building a super team by trading for big names, thus mortgaging their future. To land players like Kemp, Kimbrel and Justin Upton, the Padres traded away seven of their top 11 prospects with hopes of ending an eight-year postseason drought.

The experiment didn’t work, and it ended up costing manager Bud Black his job when San Diego missed the playoffs. And many of the prospects they traded away ended up becoming serviceable players like Mallex Smith, good players like Max Fried or All-Stars like Trea Turner.

20. 2010 New York Jets

Sport: Football

Head coach: Rex Ryan

Record: 11-5 (.689 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in AFC Championship Game

Notable players: Mark Sanchez, LaDainian Tomlinson, Darrelle Revis, Jason Taylor, Santonio Holmes

After a surprising run to the AFC Championship Game in 2009 under rookie coach Rex Ryan, the Jets went “all in” in 2010. They added a mixture of veterans in future Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor through free agency, while also trading for All-Pro CB Antonio Cromartie and Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes.

The moves paid off as the Jets went from 9-7 to 11-5 and then had an epic postseason run. They first upset the defending AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts, led by Peyton Manning, before then knocking off the AFC’s top seed in the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. Their postseason run ended at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers just before the Super Bowl, but their four main additions that created this super team all had notable contributions during the season.

19. 2012 Los Angeles Angels

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Mike Scioscia

Record: 89-73 (.549 W-L%)

Finish: Missed Playoffs

Notable players: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Zack Greinke, Torii Hunter, C.J. Wilson

Perhaps outside of A-Rod after leaving Seattle, Pujols may have been the most coveted free agent in MLB history back in 2012. He ended up in Los Angeles but was soon overshadowed by the call-up of Mike Trout from the minors early in the season.

Even with the presence of those two superstars, L.A. didn’t really gain any traction in the American League. A midseason trade of Cy Young winner Zack Greinke didn’t affect the team’s standing much, and the Angels finished just three games better than their record the previous season.

18. 2016-17 Golden State Warriors

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Steve Kerr

Record: 67-15 (.817 W-L%)

Finish: Won NBA Finals (4-1)

Notable players: Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, David West

What do you do after setting the single-season wins mark (73) in the previous year but losing in the NBA Finals? You go out and sign the best scorer of his generation in Kevin Durant, not to mention a two-time All-Star in David West.

The Warriors then proceeded to run roughshod through the league and tied the all-time NBA record by sending four players to the All-Star Game. They also made amends for their postseason failure the previous year as KD, Steph, Klay and Dray posted the best record in postseason history, winning 16 of their 17 games.

17. 2003-04 Colorado Avalanche

Sport: Hockey

Head coach: Tony Granato

Record: 40-22-13-7 (.610 W-L%)

Finish: Lost Conference Semifinals (4-2)

Notable players: Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Peter Forsberg

After losing Patrick Roy to retirement in the offseason, the Avalanche replaced one Hall of Famer with two by bringing in Selanne and Kariya on a packaged deal. While they added even more star power to Colorado, they didn’t add much on the ice, as both players would set career-lows in goals scored.

Defending MVP, and holdover, Peter Forsberg missed half the season due to injury, and the Avalanche never got in sync. They were bounced in the second round of the playoffs, and then the NHL’s lockout the following year would break up the core of the team.

16. 2004 New York Yankees

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Joe Torre

Record: 101-61 (.623 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in ALCS (4-3)

Notable players: Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Mariano Rivera

Much of the Yankees' 2004 offseason centered around the team’s trade for Alex Rodriguez, but you also can’t forget the other pieces New York added. Gary Sheffield, Kenny Lofton and Kevin Brown were also brought into the mix, and those three combined for 19 All-Star appearances prior to donning pinstripes. And, of course, Yankees mainstays like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera were still in the Bronx.

All of that talent propelled New York to the best record in the American League and to a 3-0 lead over the Red Sox in the ALCS. However, we all know what happened after that, as the Sox overcame that postseason deficit and would go on to win the World Series that season, ending their 86-year drought.

15. 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: David Blatt

Record: 53-29 (.646 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in NBA Finals (4-2)

Notable players: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Shawn Marion, J.R. Smith

LeBron likely would have never “come home” had Cleveland not been fortunate enough to land the top overall draft pick in three out of four years. That allowed them to draft Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. Irving would stay in Cleveland, but the two Andrews would then be shipped to Minnesota for Kevin Love. With Irving 10 years younger than Dwyane Wade and Love four years younger than Chris Bosh, Cleveland became much more appealing to LeBron, and he took his talents back to The Land.

After a rocky start that included a 19-20 record, the Cavs found their footing and would represent the East in the Finals. However, Love would miss the entire series, while Irving would miss all but one game as the Cavs fell in five to Golden State.

14. 2021 Los Angeles Rams

Sport: Football

Head coach: Sean McVay

Record: 12-5 (.706 W-L%)

Finish: Won Super Bowl LVI

Notable players: Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Odell Beckham Jr., Cooper Kupp, Von Miller

After not being happy with the play of Jared Goff, the Rams shipped him and two first-round picks to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. He and Cooper Kupp then formed an elite pairing, but the Rams weren’t done with adding big names. They made two notable in-season moves in bringing in Von Miller via trade and Odell Beckham via free agency, with the former costing a third- and a fourth-round pick.

Mortgaging the team’s future to build a 2021 super team paid off since the Rams won the Super Bowl.

13. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 66-16 (.805 W-L%)

Finish: Won NBA Finals (4-2)

Notable players: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo

It was the success of this team that's still felt in the NBA today with disgruntled All-Stars from bad teams banding together to form a super team. The teams of Garnett, Pierce and Allen combined to go 87-159 in the previous year, and the veterans all needed a kick-start for their careers.

On the day of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Celtics swooped in and traded for Allen from the SuperSonics. A month later, they then acquired Garnett in a trade from Minnesota. In total, the two players cost the Celtics eight players and three draft picks, so they filled out their roster with veterans hungry for a championship. With Allen and Garnett joining Pierce in Boston, the experiment paid off, and the Celtics won the 2008 NBA championship.

12. 1997 Cleveland Indians

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Mike Hargrove

Record: 86-75 (.534 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in World Series (4-3)

Notable players: Manny Ramirez, Matt Williams, Jim Thome, David Justice, Bartolo Colon

Eight. That’s the number of former All-Stars the Indians added in the 1997 offseason, highlighted by Matt Williams. The team also added another four players who would be future All-Stars in 1997 including Bartolo Colon and Richie Sexson. They all joined a loaded lineup that already included Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Brian Giles.

The Indians' top 11 hitters were all multi-time All-Stars, and they combined for 48 All-Star appearances. With this talent, the Indians made it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series and held a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. But closer Jose Mesa, himself a two-time All-Star, couldn’t get the job done, and the Marlins would win the game and the series.

11. 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Jason Kidd

Record: 44-38 (.537 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in Conference Semifinals (4-1)

Notable players: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez

It was this Nets super team that ironically set up the Celtics for the next decade, but more on that later. Brooklyn pushed all of its chips into the middle of the table during the summer of 2013, sending a bounty to Boston for Garnett, Pierce and others. With the vets paired with Williams, Johnson and Lopez, the Nets had an All-Star starting five, but four of those five were past their primes. Even with a bench consisting of veterans like Andrei Kirilenko and Shaun Livingston, Brooklyn could only get a game off the eventual East champion Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs.

As for what Boston got in return for this trade, they received draft picks that would allow them to draft Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and trade for Kyrie Irving.

10. 2009 New York Yankees

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Joe Girardi

Record: 103-59 (.636 W-L%)

Finish: Won World Series (4-2)

Notable players: Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, A.J. Burnett

In 2008, the Yankees' 13-year postseason streak came to an end, despite the presence of stars like Jeter, A-Rod and Mariano Rivera. Thus, the team’s brass went out and added Sabathia and Burnett to the rotation, in addition to Teixeira and Nick Swisher to the lineup.

While Swisher was acquired via trade, the first three were all signed in free agency, and they cost nearly $425 million in total. It proved to be money well spent. Not only did New York get back into the postseason, but they won what remains the franchise’s last World Series.

9. 2003-04 Real Madrid

Sport: Soccer

Manager: Carlos Queiroz

Record: 21-7-10 (70 points)

Finish: Fourth in La Liga; Quarterfinals of Champions League

Notable players: Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos

Imagine if an NBA team signed LeBron one offseason, then Kevin Durant the next offseason, then Giannis the next and then Luka Doncic the next. That’s essentially what Real Madrid looked like in 2003 after it signed a World Player of the Year in back-to-back-to-back years with Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, before then adding the sport’s most famous player in David Beckham. This era is coined the “Galacticos” era in Spain, which translates to “Superstars.”

But many of the players Real Madrid accomplished were past their primes, and their names were bigger than their games in the early 2000s. The four aforementioned players spent two years together, and Madrid finished second and fourth in La Liga during those seasons. They also never advanced past the quarterfinals of the Champions League in either year.

8. 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sport: Football

Head coach: Bruce Arians

Record: 11-5 (.689 W-L%)

Finish: Won Super Bowl LV

Notable players: Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, Devin White, Antonio Brown

When Tom Brady landed in Tampa, he brought some old friends along with him in former Patriot teammates Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Brady’s presence also induced veterans like Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy to take pay cuts and reduced roles in order to join the Bucs in their Super Bowl push.

The moves paid off. Not only did Tampa make the postseason for the first time in a dozen years, but they won the Super Bowl. And their new additions were the catalysts during the playoffs run, with Gronk, AB and Fournette combining for eight postseason touchdowns while Brady was the Super Bowl LV MVP.

7. 1971-72 New York Knicks

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Red Holzman

Record: 48-34 (.585 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in NBA Finals (4-1)

Notable players: Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Jerry Lucas, Bill Bradley

The Knicks of the previous season already had four future Hall of Famers in their starting lineup, but they also couldn’t even reach the Finals. So, why not add a couple of more future HOFers and make a Finals push? That’s what New York did by trading for Earl Monroe and Jerry Lucas, and combined with reserve Phil Jackson, the Knicks now had seven Hall of Famers.

However, arguably the most important of those seven, center Willis Reed, played just 11 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Without him, New York was good enough to make the NBA Finals but couldn’t contend with a Lakers squad with Wilt Chamberlain in the middle.

6. 2010 Philadelphia Phillies

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Charlie Manuel

Record: 97-65 (.599 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in NLCS (4-2)

Notable players: Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Roy Oswalt

After coming up two games short of winning back-to-back World Series, the Phillies went all-in during the 2010 season. They traded for Cy Young winner Roy Halladay in the offseason, and Halladay would reward Philly by winning his second Cy Young in 2010. They also added former All-Stars and veterans in Placido Polanco and Mike Sweeney, but their second-biggest move came at the trade deadline. The team traded three young players for All-Star pitcher Roy Oswalt to add him to a rotation that already had Halladay, Cliff Lee and Jamie Moyer.

The team looked great on paper but was merely above average on the field, as the Phils fell to the eventual World Series champion Giants in the National League Championship Series.

5. 2010-11 Miami Heat

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 58-24 (.707 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in NBA Finals (4-2)

Notable players: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller

In the span of about a month, LeBron James went from being the most popular player in the NBA to the most coveted free agent in sports history to the most hated player in the NBA. The last of those, courtesy of the phrase, “I’m taking my talents to South Beach.”

His talents would join Dwyane Wade and fellow free agent Chris Bosh in Miami. Things didn’t start off great for the NBA’s “Heatles” as they began the season 9-8. But they then found their groove and won 21 of their next 22 games. Miami then won each of its first three postseason series 4-1 and held a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. But James struggled over the rest of the series, and Miami would lose 4-2, before then winning the next two NBA Finals.

4. 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers

Sport: Baseball

Manager: Dave Roberts

Record: 106-56 (.654 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in NLCS (4-2)

Notable players: Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Trevor Bauer, Trea Turner

Even though the Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts and won the World Series in 2020, it wasn’t until a year later that they reached super-team status. It started with signing reigning Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer and then continued when picking up three-time MVP Albert Pujols off the street during the season. But L.A. wasn’t done, as they then traded for three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (and Trae Turner), and they would even add World Series MVP Cole Hamels, although he wouldn’t suit up.

The Dodgers became the first team in MLB history with four former MVPs (Pujols, Betts, Kershaw and Cody Bellinger). They also had four Cy Young winners in Kershaw, Scherzer, Bauer and David Price. Even with all of that talent, L.A. couldn’t repeat as champs.

3. 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers

Sport: Basketball

Head coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 56-26 (.683 W-L%)

Finish: Lost in NBA Finals (4-1)

Notable players: Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Gary Payton

The Lakers won three straight championships from 2000-02 but came up short in their quest for a four-peat in 2003. So, what did they do in reaction? They went out and signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton in free agency on the same day. The two had 23 All-Star selections between them to pair with Shaq and Kobe, who had another 15 All-Stars between them. This collection of talent is considered the first NBA super team since free agency went into place in 1976.

The team locked up the No. 2 seed in the East and breezed through the Western Conference playoffs, never seeing a Game 7. But the team of four superstars ran into a team without any superstars in the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. The Lakers were heavy favorites, but the Pistons upset L.A. in five games, and Shaq, Malone and Payton would all depart the team in the offseason.

2. 1994 San Francisco 49ers

Steve Young, Dexter Carter, Jerry Rice, Ricky Watters

Sport: Football

Head coach: George Seifert

Record: 13-3 (.813 W-L%)

Finish: Won Super Bowl XXIX

Notable players: Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Ken Norton Jr., Ricky Watters

NFL free agency didn’t exist until 1993, and the Niners dove head first into it a year later, which not-so-coincidentally came after back-to-back postseason defeats to the Dallas Cowboys. Already blessed with the No. 1 offense from the previous year, led by Steve Young and Jerry Rice, the Niners splurged on defense to create a super team.

The most notable addition was Deion Sanders who won Defensive Player of the Year in 1994. But the Niners also added a trio of acclaimed pass rushers in Rickey Jackson, Richard Dent and Charles Mann. Those three combined for 14 Pro Bowls and nearly 350 career sacks before they even landed in San Francisco, while two of them have since been enshrined into the Hall of Fame. They, along with Sanders and another free agent signee in LB Ken Norton Jr., helped San Fran’s defense go from ranking 16th in 1993 to sixth in 1994, and the Niners won the Super Bowl.

1. 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings

Sport: Hockey

Head coach: Scotty Bowman

Record: 51-17-10-4 (.707 W-L%)

Finish: Won Stanley Cup Final (4-1)

Notable players: Dominik Hasek, Nicklas Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Chris Chelios

If a Martian landed on Earth and asked, “What’s a super team?" one would only have to point to the 2001-02 Red Wings roster. They had 10 future Hall of Famers, including coach Scotty Bowman, and Detroit ran through the regular season with 116 points, which led the league by 15 points.

The postseason was more of a struggle with the Red Wings trailing in three of their four series. But talent won out in the end, and the Wings hoisted the Stanley Cup. The following year, eight of the 10 Hall of Famers would return, but Detroit wouldn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs.