Why Superteams Collapse: The Crushing Pressure Behind Sports' Biggest Stars

Kawhi Leonard recently had a scandal with the LA Clippers. There's been a huge scandal about him not doing anything for endorsements, the legality around salary caps, and, to quote Stephen A., "one of the worst superstars ever."

Kawhi is a perfect example of being a superstar but never delivering. He missed almost 50% of regular season games for the Clippers due to injury and never looked like he was on an NBA Finals-contending team.

A lot of athletes have huge expectations placed on them after a couple of good seasons or even a couple of good games. The media hypes players really easily and makes average players look like prime Brady. The players aren't necessarily bad. It's just that they fail to meet expectations, especially in soccer, when players are being sold for £120 million and, at best, they are elite players, not one of the best players in the world.

Whenever you spend that much money on a player, you expect someone like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, or Harry Kane, one of the best players in the world. Someone like Boubaddi, Elliot Anderson, or even Morgan Rogers isn't considered a top 10 player in the world. It's not that they aren't world-class or don't have the potential to be world-class. It's that it's almost impossible to meet those expectations when you are simply not that caliber of player.

With players, it's not just expectations from fans and the media. It's injuries. Someone like Neymar is almost always injured, and even when he isn't injured, he displays small moments of class that make everyone remember why he's so special. People get so attached to players that every time they fail, they still have hope they can return to their prime selves.

The more interesting thing is why superteams fail. On paper, the Philadelphia 76ers look like they can stop Ultron and Thanos. Having LeBron, Maxey, Brown, Embiid, and VJ is the genuine definition of a superteam. Some other examples of superteams include when PSG had Messi, Mbappé, and Neymar, and when the Brooklyn Nets had Harden, KD, and Kyrie. There are many examples of superteams. But they don't always work, because having the best players in the world means nothing if constant injuries happen, if teamwork isn't there, if the squad depth is limited because you invested in those superstars, or if the superstars have massive egos.

Superteams will always seem intimidating and will always be talked about because they sell jerseys and attention. People who don't watch basketball care about the 76ers because it just seems like it would be a fun basketball team to watch.

The massive downside of a superteam is that if you don't win, you are a failure.

It's harsh but true.

If you have LeBron and JB and don't win a chip or get close to a chip, it's a failure because you have some of the best players in the world.

A slightly different example is Real Madrid. Real Madrid will always have amazing players. They will always have a star. However, as soon as they have one bad season, they are in crisis mode. Most teams will have a reset and move forward. For Real Madrid, it's time for massive changes, because if you wear that Real Madrid badge and don't perform consistently, you will leave. This is a superteam because they have Vini Jr., Mbappé, Bellingham, and many other stars. But if they don't win, they will get a new manager and sell their stars for better stars. I'm not sure how that's possible, but it is. They got rid of Ancelotti, even though he won Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.

I'm assuming the stars want the pressure and like proving themselves to the fans and the world, but it's also crazy that if you have one or two bad games, or a slightly underperforming season, you can get sacked, transferred, or traded. Because, not to be cliché, but the superstars are human, and they will fail. It's inevitable. I don't think it's possible to escape the hype, the pressure, or the opinions because that's how these teams make money: the media.

For example, a lot of Real Madrid fans aren't happy with Kylian Mbappé because they didn't win La Liga or the Champions League, even though he was the top goal scorer for La Liga, the Champions League, and even the World Cup. I mean, what do you want from him? People will say, "Oh, he doesn't help in defense," or blah, but he's a striker. A striker scores goals.

Superteams have a high ceiling and a high floor. There's no middle ground. You either win or lose. Lastly, going back to the 76ers, if they don't finish top five in the East or potentially win the ECF, they could be seen as a bust. There's no time to gel, no time to figure it out, only time to win.