When teams bring together a pair of superstars, every basketball expert can’t help but think about its championship promise. But while some duos can be anticipated, that isn’t always the case. Here is a look at the 10 most unexpected superstar pairings in NBA history.
1. LeBron James and Luka Doncic
To say Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers caught everybody by surprise is a huge understatement. The Dallas Mavericks were coming off their best season in years, and Doncic was the young star leading the charge. The Mavs gave no indication they weren’t willing to give Doncic a supermax contract, which is what led to one of the most shocking NBA trades ever at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline.
2. LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal
When the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to get a second star to play alongside LeBron James in his first stint with the Cavs, the team managed to pick up Shaquille O’Neal. The only problem was that Shaq was no longer in his prime. Nonetheless, the Big Diesel was still an imposing presence in the paint. Unfortunately, the duo wasn’t enough to get past a well-seasoned Boston Celtics team in the Eastern Conference in the 2010 NBA Playoffs.
3. Michael Jordan and Robert Parish
Michael Jordan and Robert Parish pic.twitter.com/v6UwBvFtFU
— Luke (@ifeelthecosmoss) June 2, 2024
Robert Parish was one of the driving forces of the Celtics dynasty in the ’80s that led to three NBA championships. However, no one would’ve thought that the Celtics legend would end his career in Chicago. Around this time, the Bulls were campaigning for a back-to-back championship run that turned out to be a three-peat. Parish ended his career playing alongside Michael Jordan, winning a title in 1997.
4. Hakeem Olajuwon and Vince Carter
Vince Carter has been teammates with both 1984 NBA Draft pick Hakeem Olajuwon and 2018 Draft pick Trae Young
pic.twitter.com/dmxUGAiYkL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 3, 2020
Everyone expected that Hakeem Olajuwon would end his career in Houston with the Rockets. But in a shocking turn of events, Olajuwon was sent to Toronto in August 2001. While it was an uneventful stint, the move did allow Olajuwon to team up with a young and athletic Vince Carter. It wasn’t exactly a dream matchup. However, it was an odd pairing of sorts that didn’t exactly elevate the Raptors into NBA contenders .
5. Kobe Bryant and Dennis Rodman
Una imagen que igual no sabías que existía: Kobe Bryant y Dennis Rodman jugando juntos en Los Ángeles Lakers, durante la temporada 1998/99 pic.twitter.com/JPuwWfM2hn
— Pasion Basket (@PasionBasketNBA) August 21, 2023
From making his mark in Chicago with Michael Jordan, no one anticipated that Dennis Rodman would actually take his act to Los Angeles where he actually teamed up with another great, Kobe Bryant. But around that time, Bryant was still a developing rising star. Rodman’s stint in 1998-99 with the Purple and Gold wasn’t exactly memorable. The Lakers had to move on from Rodman before they embarked on a three-peat run of their own.
6. Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady
During the last stretch of his career, Tracy McGrady had a solid chance of winning a championship ring. After taking his act to China, T-Mac joined the Spurs in time for the postseason. This paved the way for an unexpected team-up between T-Mac and Tim Duncan. Previously rivals, T-Mac played sparingly for the San Antonio Spurs. However, this duo was actually pretty close to winning a title together until Ray Allen spoiled the party in the 2013 NBA Finals.
7. Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns
When Kevin Garnett was nearly hanging up his sneakers, he returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015 where he started his career. This paved the way for an unusual pairing of the past and the present elite big men. Garnett was the face of the franchise for the Timberwolves in the 2000s, while Towns was establishing himself in the league.
8. Luka Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki
In similar fashion, another pairing of the past and the present emerged in Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki was on his way out, as Doncic had just been acquired by the Mavs on a draft-day trade. Both elite players have been part of all of the franchise’s NBA Finals appearances. While the pairing didn’t amount to any success, it was a sight to witness two of the franchise greats playing side by side for Doncic’s rookie season.
9. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony has passed Allen Iverson for 24th on the NBA all-time scoring list! (
: 2007) pic.twitter.com/WJPL9XI5mm
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) November 10, 2017
Given that Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony are both ball-heavy isolation scorers, it’s hard to think as to why any general manager would want to bring them together in a team. Surprisingly, that’s just what the Denver Nuggets did for two seasons from 2006-2008. Although the Nuggets looked competitive on some occasions, it was Melo’s and Iverson’s desire to put points to their names that also prevented the team’s success.
10. Joel Embiid and Paul George
After another uneventful hunt for a championship in Los Angeles, Paul George took his talents to Philadelphia in the recent offseason. George decided to team up with former NBA MVP Joel Embiid. It was an unlikely partnership of sorts, but George did claim that Embiid was “secretly” one of his close friends, as per reports. But given that the Sixers are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, things aren’t looking great for the injury-riddled duo.
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