The 10 Worst Supporting Casts That Helped Win An NBA Championship

10 Min Read

The season-ending knee injury to Kyrie Irving has made the Cleveland Cavaliers’ drive to win their first NBA title that much harder, and puts even more weight on the shoulders of LeBron James to find a way to win four more games this season.

James’ burden begs the question about which NBA team has had the worst supporting cast en route to winning a title. James is the last man standing among the team’s “Big Three” with Irving and Kevin Love having been felled during the postseason.

Below is a list of the 10 teams in NBA history that have had a superstar (or two) that essentially carried his team to a title.

10. 1983 Philadelphia 76ers

Moses Malone

A team that won 65 games during the regular season, then lost just once in three playoff rounds, should have plenty of talent on it. In truth, this Sixers contingent that was led by center Moses Malone also had Julius Erving, Andrew Toney and Lionel Hollins.

However, that trio had multiple chances to win NBA titles before Malone arrived and always managed to come up short. Had Malone not arrived when he did, Erving might have been saddled with the reputation (never winning an NBA title) of another Sixer legend, Charles Barkley.

Next: 1958 St. Louis Hawks


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Brad Sullivan is a lead writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has spent much of life in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and has remained a Cavalier fan from their 1970 beginnings through the return of LeBron James. While that fandom was sorely tested during the Reign of Error known simply by one word, Stepien, that overall historical perspective will be part of his writing for Cavaliers Nation in the months ahead.