NBA: The 30 best trios in league history

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The New Jersey Nets (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /

Best trios in NBA history: 25. Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Kenyon Martin

Martin: 16.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg,
Kidd: 16.3 ppg, 9.3 apg, 6.6 rpg
Jefferson: 14.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Finals record: 0-2
Time together: 2002-2004

In the early 2000s, the New Jersey Nets were all about fast breaks, layups, passes off the backboard and highlight reel-level dunks.

For three years, the Nets were the most popular team in the NBA. No matter if you rooted for them or couldn’t stand them, you had no choice but to sit down and watch. The leader and orchestrator of it all was Jason Kidd. In two of his first three seasons with the Nets, Kidd led the league in assists. He was also an underrated scorer, averaging 16.3 points a night. Crashing the glass was something Kidd did efficiently and effectively, racking up just under seven a night during those three seasons.

With Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin filling the lanes, the pair had the time of their lives scoring easy buckets. Martin became an All-Star next to Kidd, his lone appearance. And Jefferson saw an increase in his scoring averages every year, going from: 9.4 to 15.5 before settling in at 18.5. Jefferson would eventually score over 22 points a night in two separate seasons but that was well after Martin left town.

As a group, the three led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals. Unfortunately for them, they ran into Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 before meeting Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, both resulted in losses.

While we know it was unlikely, imagine how high up the rankings this team would have been if they captured consecutive titles.