Top 10 Best NBA Trios in History
Greatest Trios in NBA History: Number 2
Boston Celtics; Bird, Parish, and McHale (1981, ’84, ’86 NBA Champions)
Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale are often referred to as the greatest frontline in NBA history. Bird won three consecutive MVP awards in the mid-’80s. Parish became a perennial All-Star at the center position during an era when his nightly competition featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing, and Jack Sikma. Kevin McHale was one of the initial winners of the Sixth Man of the Year Award before moving into the starting lineup and becoming an All-Star.
After finally overcoming their rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, in 1981, the Boston Celtics went on to defeat the Moses Malone-led Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. In 1984, they would meet their Western Conference rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1969. Bird and the Celtics emerged victorious in a classic seven-game series that is still talked about to this day.
The 1986 team is considered one of the greatest single-season teams of all time. The team accumulated the most regular season wins in the NBA before marching through the Eastern Conference playoffs. The team would once again be matched up with the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. Houston’s roster was revamped. Moses Malone was gone, and the team now featured Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon. Although the “Twin Towers” were intimidating, they were no match for Bird and the Celtics, who emerged victorious after six hard-fought games.