Have we forgotten about the '04 Lakers ?

[AngelEyes]

I'll give you the '06 Pistons and the Heatles, but I don't remember any talk about those other teams breaking that record. Also, only the Heat triggered that debate before the season even began.

That's not even close to being true. Maybe the Shaq/Kobe era was so long ago that people forget what it was like but that kind of talk was always around them. Before the season, during the season. . . it was always being mentioned.

[VIP2000]

20 point per game guys on teams that had little to zero chance for competing for anything of any significance. There have been plenty of guys who have average 20+ ppg on average to slightly above average teams. Malone was ancient by 2004 and Payton was very old. Both guys were role players and nothing more by that point and time.

They were still All-Star caliber players at that point, hence averaging 20ppg on average/above average teams and had HOF pedigrees by then. So them two joining a Shaq/Kobe duo that had already won 3 championships together, most people had the Lakers pegged as the favorites.

But obviously, it's a lot different than 4 All-Star players (and last 2 MVPs) in their prime playing together.