Every contending team in this day and age seems to have a "Big Three" to provide the backbone to their organization.
The terms "Big Three" and "winning" have become almost synonymous, with the league's best teams each featuring a standout trio that separates itself from the rest of the organization.
Miami recently put together the James, Wade and Bosh trio, following the footsteps of Boston's Pierce, Allen and Garnett (and Rondo).Â
The Oklahoma City Thunder have reshaped their franchise, drafting a Big Three of their own in the past five yearsâ€"Durant, Westbrook and Harden.
Andrew Bynum has certainly filled the final spot in LA, making a Pau, Kobe, Bynum trio available to provide the Lakers with talent.
However, none of these trios can match the efforts put up by San Antonio's Big Three. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have helped to shape San Antonio in to one of the most successful franchises in the history of sports.
With another title on the horizon, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have suddenly propelled their names onto lists featuring greats like Magic, Bird and Jordan.
With their 2012 title run reaching its final stages, it's time to compare San Antonio's stars with the NBA's best of all time.Â
Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor
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Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor arguably make up the most complete Big Three in NBA history, with each member making their fair share of contributions.
Each player will go down in history as one of the best of all time, and paired up, this trio should have been unstoppable.
However, despite this mixture of diverse talent, the trio never won a title together within the span of their short career.
While it is true that they did not have a lengthy career together, they accomplished quite a lot in the span of three yearsâ€"that is, everything but win a title.
Twice they appeared in the Finals, but faced defeat at the hands of the Celtics and the Knicks.
If knee injuries had not forced Elgin Baylor into early retirement, then the three would have reached that goal collectively, but Baylor was forced to hang up his sneakers and watch his former team win the title without him.
Still, despite never winning any rings together, the three are loaded with talent, making them one of the best Big Threes in NBA history.
Moses Malone, Julius Erving and Andrew Toney
Fo' fo' fo'. The three short words spoken by Moses Malone ended up translating into one of the most impressive title runs in the history of the NBA.
While they did drop a game in the second round, the trio composed of Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Andrew Toney still finished as champions, earning themselves a place on this list.
Malone, the Finals MVP, outperformed everyone else on the court. His worst game in the 1983 Finals was when he was held to only 24 points and 12 rebounds.
However, the others contributed their fair share as well. Erving displayed one of his best seasons, while Andrew Toney helped to distribute.
However, the '83 title stands alone in their trophy case as the team never again went on to win the NBA title.Â
Despite only winning one, their fo' fi' fo' 1983 title run is enough to earn them a position on this list as one of the best Big Threes of all time.
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish
When the Boston Celtics traded for Parish and McHale, they fused together what may be the greatest frontcourt ever. With Bird's unstoppable shooting efforts, Parish's defensive talents and McHale helping on all sides of the court, the Celtics could beat you on either side of the court.
Well, that is exactly what they did. The trio went on to appear in five NBA Finals together, three times finishing on top.Â
In 1986, the Celtics went all the way, and many credit this to be one of the greatest teams of all time.
Each member of this Big Three was selected into the NBA Hall of Fame, an honor which can only be said of a certain number of teams.
If they had added a few more rings to their collection, then perhaps they would be higher, but with three to show, as well as perhaps the greatest team of all time, the Bird/Parish/McHale trio ranks in the top five.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili
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The San Antonio Spurs' Big Three have already accomplished great things. Together, they have won three titles, with Duncan having one alone to add to his legacy.
However, while the others' dreams of winning a title are long gone, this trio is still active and currently on pace for what may very well be another championship.
Duncan is a lock for the Hall of Fame and strong cases can be made for Parker and Ginobili. Parker has one Finals MVP, and if the Spurs win this year, he may very well take home that title again.
Duncan has three Finals MVP, as well as two league MVP trophies to fill his case.
He will go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time, and another title would cement his spot in the top 10.
While other Big Threes nowadays may be younger and more athletic, few are quite as talented and experienced as Duncan, Ginobili and Parker.
The most impressive aspect of this team is the fact that not one player found their way onto the roster in a way other than through the draft.
Duncan was the first pick in 1997, but Parker was a late first-round pick, and Ginobili almost fell out of the draft before being selected towards the very end of the second round.
Both Parker and Ginobili developed around Duncan, and the three have formed the best Big Three of this era, as well as one of the best in league history.Â
Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn
The Bird/McHale/Parish trio wasn't even the best in Boston history. That title belongs to the collective efforts of Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn and, of course, Bill Russell.
Together they won six championships and have a combined 27 rings to show for their talents. While Heinsohn was the only player to lack an MVP award, his six All-Star appearances and his retired No. 15 jersey prove his contributions to the team.
While they may not have a trio composed of all Hall of Famers, nor did each player have individual successâ€"other than Russellâ€"they were certainly the most unstoppable trio, winning more than any other Big Three in history.
If Cousy and Heinsohn had lasted as long as Russell, then they probably would have an even greater legacy. Still, their six titles is already a lot, making them one of the best Big Threes in history.
Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were getting it done before Worthy even made it to the NBA. They won two titles together, and Abdul-Jabbar won one with Oscar Robertson in Milwaukee.
When Worthy was added to the lineup, the team became virtually unstoppable. Big Game James helped the Lakers win an additional three championships with his unique offensive ability.
Despite Abdul-Jabbar growing older, Johnson and Worthy carried the "Showtime" Lakers who not only brought wins to the city of Los Angelesâ€"but excitement as well.
They were the sole reason that Bird, McHale and Parish did not win more rings, as the overall dominance of the Lakers' Big Three helped them be one of the best trios in the history of the league.
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman
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The Big Three known as Superman, Batman and Rodman certainly performed their fair share of heroic acts. The city of Chicago never saw so many wins, and eventually, they seemingly forgot what its like to lose.
Together, they won three championships, with Jordan and Pippen having three more to add to their collection and Rodman showcasing another two. They also set many records, the most impressive being their regular season record of 72-10.
Led by Michael Jordan's offense, Pippen's defense and Rodman's rebounding, they are the most well-rounded team of all time and the best trio in NBA history.
If only they had played together for longer, then they might have won more titles collectively. But their overall dominance in those seasons that they did play together is enough to earn them the top spot in a list of the best NBA Big Threes.
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