In the NBA more than in any other sports league, a single star can help elevate a team from bottom-dweller to perennial playoff contender due to their just being five players from each squad on the court at all times.
As such, in the past, some franchises have seen huge boosts to their winning percentages merely by adding one superstar to their lineup from one-year to the next.
For our list, we picked stars and teams they were heavily associated with.
Of course, it’s not all about a single player, as some teams were lucky to pair their stars with other studs. For example, the Los Angeles Clippers added Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan at the same time as Chris Paul… but still. It’s clear the team was elevated most by the future Hall-of-Fame point guard’s addition.
Below, NBA stars who elevated their teams’ winning percentages the most… followed by others who did not as much.
Chris Paul with Clippers: +30.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 68.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 37.9 percent
LeBron James with Cavaliers: +22.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 64.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 41.5 percent
Wilt Chamberlain with 76ers: +22.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 73.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 50.4 percent
Michael Jordan with Bulls: +22.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 68.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 46.3 percent
Kevin Garnett with Timberwolves: +21.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 52.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 31.0 percent
Stephen Curry with Warriors: +20.5
Franchise winning percentage with him: 66.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 45.7percent
Dirk Nowitzki with Mavericks: +19.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 60.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 41.1 percent
Julius Erving with 76ers: +18.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 67.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 48.8 percent
Larry Bird with Celtics: +17.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 73.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 56.5 percent
Magic Johnson with Lakers: +17.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 74.0 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 56.8 percent
Wes Unseld with Bullets: +16.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 58.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 41.7 percent
Tim Duncan with Spurs: +16.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 71.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 55.3 percent
Karl Malone with Jazz: +16.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 64.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.8 percent
Elvin Hayes with Bullets: +15.6%
Franchise winning percentage with him: 58.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 42.8 percent
John Stockton with Jazz: +15.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 63.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.8 percent
Shaquille O'Neal with Lakers: +15.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 73.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 58.2 percent
Bill Russell with Celtics: +15.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 71.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 56.6 percent
Dwight Howard with Magic: +14.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 58.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 44.4 percent
Moses Malone with 76ers: +13.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 64.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 50.7 percent
Steve Nash with Suns: +13.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 63.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 50.3 percent
James Harden with Rockets: +13.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 64.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 51.0 percent
Chris Paul with Hornets: +12.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 55.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 42.8 percent
Patrick Ewing with Knicks: +11.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 57.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 46.3 percent
Isiah Thomas with Pistons: +11.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 57.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 46.5 percent
Gary Payton with SuperSonics: +10.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 62.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 51.8 percent
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Lakers: +10.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 68.0 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 57.6 percent
Dwyane Wade with Heat: +10.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 58.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 48.4 percent
Oscar Robertson with Royals: +10.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 54.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 44.3 percent
Clyde Drexler with Trail Blazers: +9.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 61.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 51.5 percent
Hakeem Olajuwon with Rockets: +8.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 59.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 50.5 percent
David Robinson with Spurs: +8.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 68.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 59.4 percent
Dominique Wilkins with Hawks: +8.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 56.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.9 percent
Rick Barry with Warriors: +8.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 55.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.2 percent
Russell Westbrook with Thunder: +8.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 61.0 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 52.7 percent
Reggie Miller with Pacers: +8.0 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 55.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.2 percent
John Havlicek with Celtics: +7.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 64.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 57.5 percent
Charles Barkley with 76ers: +6.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 57.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 50.8 percent
Wilt Chamberlain with Warriors: +6.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 53.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.7 percent
Jerry West with Lakers: +5.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 63.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 58.7 percent
Kevin Durant with Thunder: +4.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 58.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 53.6 percent
Kobe Bryant with Lakers: +3.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 62.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 58.8 percent
Vince Carter with Raptors: +2.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 49.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 47.2 percent
Damian Lillard with Trail Blazers: +2.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 55.7 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 53.2 percent
Giannis Antetokounmpo with Bucks: +0.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 52.1 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 51.9 percent
Anthony Davis with Pelicans: -0.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 46.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 46.6 percent
Tracy McGrady with Magic: -0.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 47.5 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 48.0 percent
Moses Malone with Rockets: -0.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 52.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 53.0 percent
Allen Iverson with 76ers: -1.2 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 50.6 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 51.7 percent
Paul Pierce with Celtics: -4.0 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 55.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 59.9 percent
Elgin Baylor with Lakers: -4.3 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 55.9 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 60.2 percent
George Gervin with Spurs: -6.8 percent
Franchise winning percentage with him: 56.4 percent
Franchise winning percentage without him: 63.2 percent
