In the summer of 1968, Wilt Chamberlain, the NBA's Most Valuable Player, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the perennial all-stars Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in what appeared to be an unbeatable troika of basketball talent.
Four seasons later, the Lakers won an NBA championship. In the summer of 2007, the former MVP Kevin Garnett and the all-star Ray Allen were traded to the Boston Celtics. They joined Paul Pierce in what appeared to be a peerless threesome. Ten months later, they won an NBA championship. Which example will LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh more closely mirror now that they have joined to create another Big Three, this time with the Miami Heat? Will they need four seasons to manage a championship? Or will they be hoisting a trophy next June?
The basketball world is keen to find out. The issue would seem to revolve around three questions. Will one basketball be enough for James, Wade and Bosh? It will have to be; the NBA does not allow two. Or three. But this question is really about teamwork and self-denial, about sharing attention as well as the ball, because each individual is likely to see reductions in his statistics.
In the historical examples above, all six players involved in the new power trios saw declines in their points and rebounds per game. In some cases, significant declines. Chamberlain's scoring average fell from 24.3 points per game to 20.5. Pierce declined from 25.0 ppg to 19.6. Allen plummeted from 26.4 to 17.4. Even in a less-celebrated Big Three, that of Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley, created in 1996 when Barkley joined the Houston Rockets as a free agent, the pattern did not change: all three scored fewer points. Barkley and Olajuwon were down almost 4.0 points per game.
James (29.7 ppg), Wade (26.6) and Bosh (24.0) were second, fifth and ninth in the NBA in scoring last season. History indicates they will lose 10-15 per cent of their points. No scoring championships here. Will these three mesh personally? Chamberlain, Baylor and West never were close, and it showed on the court. In fact, their 1972 championship came half a season after Baylor had retired.
Garnett, Allen and Pierce, however, seemed to bond immediately and establish roles: Garnett as the low-post scorer and defensive rock; Allen as the perimeter scorer; Pierce as a versatile defender and crunch-time scorer. James, Wade and Bosh claim to be close friends, going back to time spent together at the 2006 world championships in Japan. If so, jealousy over who takes the most shots will be minimised.
We are about to find out just how strong their friendships are. That they accepted almost identical contracts is a good sign; Chamberlain made almost three times as much as West, four decades ago. How much help will they have? This is perhaps the least-examined question whenever NBA celebrity threesomes have been assembled; the stars absorb almost all of the payroll and nearly all of the attention.
The Lakers trio from four decades back had solid supporting players in Johnny Egan and Keith Erickson. The Celtics group also had a nice blend of help, from the centre Kendrick Perkins to the point guard Rajon Rondo. The Rockets threesome had minimal help, in Mario Elie and Matt Maloney, which goes far in explain why they never won a championship together. The Heat trio join a roster that was wiped out to create salary-cap space to pay the elite free-agent stars. The Heat have only one player under contract, the guard Mario Chalmers. In the next two months, the club need to round up eight more players. It would be quite helpful if three or four are useful.
This is not the first Big Three. But it is unique in this sense: it is easily the youngest. Chamberlain, Baylor and West were 32, 30 and 34; Garnett, Allen and Pierce 32, 31 and 30. Olajuwon, Barkley and Drexler were 34, 33 and 34. James, Wade and Bosh are only 25, 28 and 26. Each should have his peak seasons ahead of him. If they can deal with surrendering a portion of the shots and attention they have enjoyed throughout their careers, and Heat management can find at least a few competent players to join them, they could be champions. Maybe not as instantly as those Celtics were, but sooner than the Lakers were. And, given their youth, they have a chance for much longer-lasting success than either group. @Email:poberjuerge@thenational.ae
1969 Los Angeles Lakers Adding Wilt Chamberlain to Jerry West and Elgin Baylor led to only slight improvement, from 52-30 to 55-27. The Lakers lost to the Celtics in seven games in the finals. 1983 Philadelphia 76ers Moses Malone joined Julius Erving and James Toney, and the team improved from 58-24 to 65-17 and defeated the Lakers for the title. 1997 Houston Rockets Adding Charles Barkley to Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler helped the club from 48-34 to 57-25. They reached the conference finals; a year before they went out in the semi-finals. 2008 - Boston Celtics Paul Pierce was joined by Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and the Celtics improved markedly from 24-58 to 66-16 and from out of the play-offs to NBA champions.
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- Alistair Burt: Despite Brexit, Britain can remain a world power
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World Mental Health Day
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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James Mustich, Workman
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
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Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
'Midnights'
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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Saudi National Day
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UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
- Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
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- Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
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FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
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Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
LILO & STITCH
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
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The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
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Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
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Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
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The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
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The national orchestra
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
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• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA