Since the 2010s, with the player empowerment era taking center stage, the NBA has seen more and more superteams. Whether it be the 2011 Miami Heat, the 2017 Golden State Warriors, or even the 2021 Brooklyn Nets, a superteam with several superstar players is a reality. But where do players get the idea of teaming up?
According to NBA analyst Brian Windhorst, Team USA, when players represent the country is when they get the chance to play with each other.
He noted that Damian Lillard and Bam Adebayo, who may be teammates in the future, got their chance to get to know each other in Tokyo, much like other players. Windhorst believes Team USA became the staging ground for potential superteams after LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh teamed up together,
“Team USA has regularly created bonds that have led to things. It’s happening. Lillard befriended or at least deepened his relationship with Bam Adebayo in the month they were together in Japan in 2021. And in that particular case, during COVID. Nobody was allowed to leave the hotel. Those guys were literally all they could do is be with each other”.
“You go back and look at all these transactions. So many of them happen with Team USA. They’re announcing today, the Team USA and they’re mostly young guys. And I don’t know what it’s gonna be but like, I promise you, there’s gonna be guys who play with each other for the six weeks this summer, love their personality, love the way games go together…”
“I’m not saying they’re gonna leave the plane when they get home and go ‘Okay, 2027, me and you!’. It’s gonna be in their heads ‘I’d love to play with him someday’. Team USA is the real recruitment zone. It really turned up with LeBron, Bosh, and Wade. That’s where it happened”.
We have seen players who have played together on Team USA come together later in the years and team up. The most notable example is of course LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, who formed the plan to enter free agency and team up together during their time at the 2008 Olympic games.
What Will Be The Next Superteam To Come From Team USA?
The latest superteam to emerge from Team USA is currently in Phoenix, as Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal have all become Suns players after their time together in Tokyo representing the United States at the 2020 Olympic games.
And it appears the next superteam could be that of Damian Lillard, Bam Adebayo, and Jimmy Butler in the Miami Heat. Adebayo and Lillard teamed up together in Tokyo and will enjoy being able to play together in Miami.
But that deal looks complicated because of the Blazers’ desire in terms of a package. Whether that deal goes through remains to be seen.
With Team USA having young players heading into the 2023 FIBA World Cup, one has to imagine whether players from that team will try and team up in the future.
