"Best 'Big 3' in the NBA ever" - Arenas says Lakers trio of LeBron, Luka, and Reaves is best in NBA history

What do you get when you take the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and one of the best players to ever play the game in LeBron James and put him alongside two of the most talented and dynamic young players in the league today in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves?

You have, what former NBA star Gilbert Arenas calls, the best trio in the history of the NBA.

“I’ma go out on a limb here, and I’ma say it, this is probably the best ‘Big 3’ in the regular season…ever,” Arenas said on an episode of “Gil’s Arena”. “I think this three is better than [Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson].” 

Obviously, Arenas’ co-hosts weren’t too keen on the statement, especially Nick Young, who played alongside Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson in Golden State.

Arenas later on admitted that he was just trying to push the narrative, but did highlight that the Los Angeles Lakers trio is indeed a force to be reckoned with. Gil likened the Lakers’ Big 3 to that of the Warriors in the sense that they could all play well without necessarily being detrimental to the play of their other star teammates.

“With this three, it’s kind of like the same, you have scorers, playmakers, shooters, right? You got dive, duck-in guys, you got fastbreak guys. If Luka’s playing the point and he wants to do a pick-and-roll, LeBron can spot-up, go backdoor and slash, you’ve got all the elements,” Arenas explained in detail.

“I think the three is gonna be dangerous once they get in sync,” Gilbert concluded.

Tuesday night, against their cross-town rivals, the Lakers trio looked very in sync, as they throttled the L.A. Clippers, 135-118. Doncic led the way with 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds, while Reaves had 31 points and nine rebounds, and James added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Currently, the Lakers are second in the Western Conference with a 13-4 record, and have won five straight games. If James, Doncic, and Reaves can lead the Purple & Gold to a title this season, then the talk of being the best "Big 3" ever may start to be warranted.

James has been part of multiple “Big 3s”

If fans and experts are finally acknowledging the Lakers’ three-headed dragon as a legitimate “Big 3”, then that would be the third time that James has been part of a trio of stars with high expectations.

James’ first real “Big 3” was back when he teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play for the Miami Heat. Obviously, that trio led to success, as it helped the Heat win back-to-back titles and secure four consecutive Finals appearances.

Bron would move on and form another “Big 3” at home with the Cleveland Cavaliers, alongside younger stars in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. As he did in Miami, James helped this trio bring a title to Cleveland in 2016.

Now, being the legit elder statesman in the NBA, James has found himself alongside another pair of stars to form yet another “Big 3”. This time around, however, James won’t need to be the focal point, and he can become the best third option ever, behind Doncic and Reaves.

Related: Steve Kerr heaves sigh of relief after Steph Curry injury update

Other Notable Big 3s

Over the years, there have been a number of notable superstar trios in the league that have struck fear in the hearts of their opponents.

Take, for example, the Celtics’ “Big 3” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. May consider this union to be the catalyst for players teaming up in the hopes of chasing a ring. This trio won the title in 2008, denying James the opportunity to achieve his own title dreams and forcing “The King” to take his talents to South Beach and form his own super team.

There was also the up-and-coming Big 3 of Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This collection of young stars took the league by storm and went to the 2012 Finals, only to lose to the Heat’s more experienced trio. KD, Russ, and The Beard were supposed to rule the NBA for the foreseeable future, that is, until the Thunder decided to ship Harden off to the Houston Rockets.

Speaking of Durant, he has been part of several “Big 3s” as well. After falling short numerous times with OKC, Durant decided to join the Warriors to form a superteam alongside Curry and Thompson. This group went on to win back-to-back titles and would have captured a third straight had it not been for injuries to KD and Klay.

Durant also went on to become part of an offensively elite “Big 3” alongside Irving and Harden on the Brooklyn Nets, but that ultimately proved to be a failed experiment, as the three only got to play together for 16 regular-season games. Injuries and other factors seemed to always keep this trio apart, ultimately leading to them parting ways. He then went on to play alongside Devin Booker and Chris Paul, and later Bradley Beal, on the Phoenix Suns, but that obviously didn’t go well either.

While the concept of putting together three of the best players in the league sounds like a sure-fire way to win a title, history will show that it doesn’t always work out for the better.

Related: LeBron James cherishes his on-court chemistry with Austin Reaves: "At times, we're not even looking"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.