page_title: Superteams in the National Basketball Association
section_title: 2014-2018: Cavaliers vs. Warriors
hierarchical_section_title: Superteams in the National Basketball Association / Superteams of the modern NBA / 2014-2018: Cavaliers vs. Warriors
caption_attribution_description: English: Stephen Curry practices prior to the start of a game in Denver, Colorado.
context_page_description: NBA Superteams is the term coined for NBA franchises that typically has three or more "superstar"/"hall-of-fame" caliber players that are currently in or near their prime and playing together on their team. A more conservative form would be 'All-Star' or All-NBA level players who have recently or are currently still chosen to represent the best of the Eastern and Western conferences as All-Star players or were voted in as part of the All-NBA team at the end of every season. This term has now been used for some teams of the past but the most notable move, and arguably the 'first player-formed' Superteam, was ushered in when LeBron James had decided to join his fellow draft-class members, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, at the Miami Heat at the end of the 2009-2010 season.
  The three were named "the Big 3" and would establish their dominance by making it to the NBA Finals for all of the four years that they were together, winning back-to-back titles in the 2011–2012 and the 2012–2013 Finals. LeBron had joined the Heat as a back-to-back MVP winner and equal six-time All-Star with Dwyane Wade, whilst Chris Bosh had been a four-time All-Star.
context_section_description: Following James' stint with the Miami Heat, he had decided to head back to his hometown team (the Cleveland Cavaliers), and once again form another 'Big 3' to compete for the title. Cleveland had already had Kyrie Irving on their roster who was drafted by the Cavaliers in 2011 (taken 1st overall). Before James joined the Cavaliers, Irving had already won Rookie-of-the-Year in 2012, was a two-time All-Star (and All-Star MVP in 2014) as well as being the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 40 points at Madison Square Garden. Joining them via trade would be Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves to complete the new LeBron James' 'Big 3'. Love had finished the previous season with his best production since joining the league with career high-averages in points and assists as well as making the All-Star game in 2012. In his 6-year stint with the Wolves, he had also recorded the longest streak of 'Double-Doubles' (double figure in two of either points, rebounds, assists, blocks or steals) at 52 in a row as well as the first player since Moses Malone in 1982 to record a 30 points and 30 rebounds night in a regulation game. With the acquisition of Kevin Love, who was considered one of the best power forwards in the league, and Kyrie Irving, perennial All-Star and 'future superstar', LeBron James had formed another 'Big 3' that had instantly made the Cleveland Cavaliers a title favorite.
  During the same season that LeBron had returned to the Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors had also an emerging team that would later become the dynasty that would dominate the league and establish itself as another Superteam. Although James' team was built through trades and Free Agency, the Warriors would build their team through the draft and development to obtain the core that would come to challenge the Cavaliers for the best team in the league and the Championship. The Warriors had drafted Stephen Curry as the No. 7 pick in 2009, Klay Thompson as the No. 11 pick in 2011 and Draymond Green as the No. 35 pick in 2012 to form the nucleus of this team while adding Andrew Bogut (former No. 1 draft pick in 2005) and Andre Iguodala (2-time Defensive Player of the Year) to their roster to complete the core players that would ultimately challenge for the title in  the 2014–2015 season. Although the Warriors would eventually be noted as a Superteam, during this season, their core players had yet to make an All-Star or All-NBA team except for Stephen Curry (All-NBA and All-Star in 2013) and Andre Iguodala (All-Star in 2012). This would all change in the 2014–2015 campaign when the Warriors had completed the regular season with the No. 1 seed with 67 wins out of 82 games and would make it through as the winners of the Western Conference to face LeBron's Cavaliers (the Eastern Conference champions) in the NBA Finals.
  The young Warriors team would win the Finals over the Cavaliers in 6 games and bring home the NBA Championship to Oakland for the first time in 40 years (last won in 1975). This would firmly establish the Warriors as a Superteam as their core players won a multitude of awards in their breakthrough season: Stephen Curry (MVP, All-Star selection, All-NBA First team), Klay Thompson (All-Star Selection, All-NBA team), Draymond Green (All-Defensive team selection) and Andre Iguodala (Finals MVP). Cleveland's 'Big 3' had also won accolades that further bolstered their claim as a legitimate Superteam despite losing the Finals: Kyrie Irving (All-Star Selection, All-NBA Third team) and LeBron James (All-Star Selection, All-NBA First team). Following the 2015 Finals, these two Superteams would dominate their respective conferences the next year and have a rematch in the finals.
  The Warriors had started the 2015–2016 season by breaking the opening number of wins (at 26, before losing on December 12 to the Milwaukee Bucks) as well as a number of other NBA records by the end of the season. These include the most road wins in a season (at 34), most consecutive number of home wins (at 54) and most important of all, the best regular seaso
caption: Stephen Curry leads the Warriors to their first title in 40 years and winning an MVP and All-NBA First team along the way
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