COLUMBUS, Ohio — On the day the first NBA superteam was created, LeBron James let his ego get the best of him. “Not two (championships), not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven,” James said on a Miami stage alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. “And when I say that, I truly believe it.”
Sunday marks the 11th anniversary of the outrageous prediction. James and the Heat won two titles and made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances before the group splintered and James returned to Cleveland. What LeBron and countless other sports stars are learning in the era of salary caps is that dynasties — at least what once constituted them — are a dying breed. Nick Saban can still build them in the college ranks, but not in the pro leagues, where keeping great teams together is growing increasingly difficult.
The next would-be dynasty to test itself against the reality of financial limitations will be the Lightning, which is on the verge of a second straight Stanley Cup. Without cap constraints, Tampa Bay could raise two or three more banners in the next few years. The Lightning have just three core players (Ryan McDonagh, Alex Killorn, Pat Maroon) who are 31 and older. None of their offensive standouts are over 30.
Yes, Tampa Bay played the controversial long-term injured-reserve card with Nikita Kucherov to exceed the cap this season and add players at the trade deadline. But cap compliance beckons as do extension offers for Brayden Point and Ondrej Palet after next season. Translation: The Lightning will be forced to make hard decisions as the Penguins did in watching Nick Bonino walk in free agency after two consecutive Cups and the Blackhawks did with several key depth players during their run of three championships.
The last major sports league to produce a three-peat is the NBA with the Lakers (2000-02). To me, that qualifies as a dynasty as does the Steelers four Super Bowls over six years.
Beyond the financial hurdles, there's also the grind associated with so many extended seasons in a row. It caught up with the Penguins in the spring of 2018.
The days of the Canadiens and the Islanders winning four consecutive Cups are long gone. So, do we need to start grading potential dynasties on a curve? Do three titles in a five-year span for the Patriots and six-year span for the Blackhawks cut it? I don’t think it does. What about the Warriors winning three in four seasons, and going to five straight Finals? I say yes. What about you?
YOUR TURN: What is your definition of a dynasty in the salary cap era?
