When it comes to sports agency,Rich Paul has rewritten the book. His efforts helped catapult LeBron James into the stratosphere along with many others. In many ways, he helped orchestrate the phenomenon of the Big Three super teams.
The most obvious example was that of LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat. However, to hear Paul say it,he's opposed to the Big 3superteams, per The Game On Podcast with Max Kellerman.
“I don’t like a big three, I justdon’t like it,”Paul said.
“In this NBA, you might,”Kellerman replied.
“In no NBA,”Paul said.
“Once upon a time, it was pretty good,”Kellerman said.
“Yeah, but again, I like a big two and depth,”Paul said. “Here is the other thing, before you can even get into personnel. I think you need to focus on two things. Culture and development. Because when you have culture and development,you’re able to build consistency within the organization.”
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In addition to the Heat, Paul was there when LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2015/2016. That year, alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, theCavs won the NBA championship as a Big 3. In 2020, LeBron and Anthony Davis won the title with the Lakers while in the COVID bubble. However, thatdidn't fit in with the theme.
Paul is the founder of Klutch Sports, a prominent sports agency that has clients ranging from LeBron to Jalen Hurts to Draymond Green.
The other Big 3 Superteams that defined the NBA
Obviously, the second ChicagoBulls' three-peat team, 1996-1998, consisted of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. Before that, the Los Angeles Lakers' 1980s dynasty featured Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and James Worthy.
Before that, the BostonCeltics' 11 championship run in the 1960s featured Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn.
In 2008, the Celtics, led by Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, won the NBA championship.