Warriors' Big Three best in NBA history, Gilbert Arenas confidently claims
Arenas claims Steph, Klay, Dray best Big Three in NBA history originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Gilbert Arenas raised a little bit of controversy throughout the NBA world after his recent comments about who is the best Big Three in league history took social media by storm.
The former Warriors guard looked no further than the team that drafted him in 2001. On a recent episode of his “No Chill” podcast, Arenas declared Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as the greatest Big Three to ever exist in basketball.
“This is a Big Three,” he said. “And this Big Three can really challenge any other Big Three and say, ‘We are the best Big Three ever,’ and it's going to be hard for another Big Three to say, ‘Nah, you're not as dominant as us.’
“Because even though we're looking at Draymond's production, how he produces does not factor into points and rebounds -- it doesn't. You can't calculate what Draymond does. So when you add this three and you say alright who's going to compete in the best Big Three ever? I mean now you're going all the way back to a Boston Big Three.”
NBA Hall of Famers Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Larry Bird brought dominance to Boston in the 1980s.
But with the way the game has changed so much since then, Arenas believes the Warriors' dynasty has dethroned Boston’s.
“Nobody is going to say it, but I’m going to say it,” Arenas continued. “This is probably the best Big Three that has ever been put together.”
Curry, 35, was drafted by Golden State as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Two years later, the Warriors selected Thompson with the 11th overall pick and in the very next draft selected Green in 2012.
Since then, Curry, Thompson and Green have continued their Warriors tenure together, making nine playoff appearances, six NBA Finals appearances -- five consecutively -- while winning four championships.
While their united success certainly can’t be questioned, many wondered about the other elite Big Threes in the league.
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
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Other than the Spurs' Big Three, none of those above have won as many titles as the Warriors' trio, and that alone makes Golden State's triad the greatest to Arenas.
"I'm not saying this is the most talented Big Three that's ever been [put together]," Arenas continued. "But winning, the only other team is the Spurs really. Or someone back in 63 that no one knows or remembers or cares."
What the future holds for the Warriors' Big Three is unclear as Golden State enters a busy offseason, but Arenas weighed in on the unknown.
“They need to realize that Steph, Klay and Draymond are winding down," he said. "Steph and Klay probably have two more good years. … and I’m talking about dominant [years]. I’m not talking about 23 and 6; I mean Steph is probably going to average that until he decides to retire.
"I’m talking about that real dominant performance. You’ve got about two good, strong years left out of Steph.”
