Charging out on the break, Allen Iverson threw an underhanded pass toward the rim and Carmelo Anthony swooped in, snaring the ball from behind his head and sending it down with a thunderous dunk.

One of the most anticipated pairings in NBA history came to fruition Monday night, when Melo and A.I. took the court together for the Denver Nuggets for the first time. The game was a resounding success for them, with the Nuggets routing the Memphis Grizzlies by 17 points.

But will the success last, giving them a shot at becoming one of the greatest pairings in NBA history? Or could they fizzle out the way other star pairings have?

Only time can answer those questions, but in the meantime we've got a list of some pairings that worked out and a few that didn't.

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DYNAMIC DUOS

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Showtime

The players: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

The team: Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s.

The result: The Showtime Lakers run by Magic and centered around Kareem were one of the all-time great teams in NBA history. Magic was the motor that made the fast-paced Lakers run with his unmatched vision and leadership abilities, while Abdul-Jabbar had the most unstoppable shot in basketball history with that Sky Hook. Five titles is hard to argue with.

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Air and Pip

The players: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

The team: Chicago Bulls of the 1990s.

The result: Jordan has been called the best player in NBA history, but he probably wouldn't have won all those championships without Pippen at his side. The lanky forward was a superb defender and a second option on offense, creating room for His Airness to do his thing. They won six titles together and could have had more if Pippen had talked Jordan out of that baseball thing.

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Inside-Outside

The players: Bob Cousy and Bill Russell.

The team: Boston Celtics of the 1950s and 1960s.

The result: This pair anchored one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, winning six titles together. Cousy was the master ball-handler and had a knack for the imaginative, setting up teammates who didn't even know they were open. Russell was the consummate team player, putting aside individual glory to concentrate on defense and rebounding.

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DISASTROUS DUOS

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Selfish Time

The players: Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

The team: Los Angeles Lakers of the 1990s.

The result: This one could have been dynamic — and it's hard to call three straight NBA championships disastrous — but the childish way these two stars acted is enough to make the loser list. Shaq didn't like Kobe's attitude or need to be The Man, Kobe didn't like that Shaq was The Man. They barely spoke, tolerating each other just as long as they were on the court. What could have been one of the all-time great dynasties turned into a hissy fit and the Big Diesel ended up in Miami, where he won a title last year.

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A.I. and C-Webb

The players: Allen Iverson and Chris Webber.

The team: Philadelphia 76ers, 2005-06.

The result: The two All-Stars were supposed to turn around what had become a woeful franchise. Iverson was league MVP and took the 76ers to the finals in 2001, while Webber was a five-time All-Star when he arrived in Philly, so it made sense. The only problem was that C-Webb was turning toward the downside of his career and A.I. was, well, acting like A.I. Iverson ended up forcing a trade to the Nuggets and Webber was unceremoniously dumped earlier this month.

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K.G. and Starbury

The players: Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury

The team: Minnesota Timberwolves, 1996-99.

The result: Garnett was one of the first high schoolers to have an impact in the NBA and Marbury was the playground legend who jumped to the NBA after his freshman season at Georgia Tech, so there was little doubting their talent. Problem was, they just couldn't get along. Sure, they went to the playoffs twice, but Marbury couldn't handle being second fiddle to K.G. and was shipped to New Jersey in 1999.

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John Marshall is asap's sports writer, based in Denver.

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