In the 90’s everyone wanted to be “Like Mike.” Since then, a new era of players have evolved. Actually, alot of them modeled their game after the greatest, Michael Jordan.
Today’s topic is, “The 10 best players since 2010.” The criteria for this topic is, they must have played in at least five seasons since 2010. Let’s get started!
Today’s Topic:
Coming in at #10 is James Harden of the Houston Rockets. The 6’5, lefty shooting guard has won the 6th man of the year award in the 2011-12 season. After this season, he was traded from OKC to the Rockets. He has led the Rockets to consecutive playoff appearances. Harden won the MVP award in the 2017-18 season. He is a two time scoring champ and considered one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. With no titles won just yet, Harden has high hopes of achieving this soon with the help of Russell Westbrook joining the Rockets.
Coming in at #9 is Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a 7 foot power forward/center. Before joining the Lakers in the 2019 offseason, AD played for New Orleans for all of his career. The big man averages a triple double and had a total of 11 in the 2017-18 season. He is a six time all star, three time all defensive team player, and one of the best big men in the NBA. With his height, he is a very versatile player who can play from the inside/out. Joining forces next to Lebron was a great next move for AD and his future in the NBA.
Coming in at #8 is Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets. He is a 6’3 point guard who is considered one of the most athletic, explosive players in the league. He is a 2 time scoring champ and won MVP for the 2016-2017 season. Westbrook is a triple double machine, who did the impossible and averaged a triple-double for two seasons straight. Before getting traded to Houston, Westbrook played his career in OKC alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden. He is now reunited with his old teammate Harden on the Rockets, which makes his job a little easier with his help.
Coming in at #7 is Kobe Bryant, who played his whole 20 year career for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe, aka the “Black Mamba,” stood tall at 6’7 as a shooting guard and entered the league straight from High School. Previous to 2010, he was an MVP, won 2 finals MVP awards, and 5 NBA titles. He scored 81 points as his career high in 2006, and fell 2nd on the list of the most points scored in a game. In his last game before retirement in 2016, Kobe scored 60 points, and he was the first player to ever have two jerseys retired. He has been in comparison talks with MJ, because he is considered one of the best to play the game. He is #7 on this list because he only had two great seasons since 2010 due to injuries, but he was still considered better than 95% of the league.
Coming in at #6 is Dwayne Wade, who retired from the Miami Heat. He was a 6’4 shooting guard who recently retired in 2019. Previous to 2010, Dwade led the Heat to their first NBA title in franchise history. He was the finals MVP in 2006. After 2010, Wade led the heat to four consecutive NBA finals from 2011-14, alongside Lebron James and Chris Bosh. The Heat won back to back titles in 2012 and 2013. Wade played two years with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavs and came back to Miami to play before retiring. Dwade is considered a future hall of famer.
Coming in at #5 is Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka the “Greek Freak.” He is a 6’11 forward who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis started drawing more attention to himself starting in 2016 with his great handles, scoring abilities and speed as a big man. He is the first player to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five stat categories. Giannis has taken the Bucks consistently to the playoffs starting in 2017. He received top votes alongside Lebron James for the all star game, making him the eastern conference captain in 2020. The young star also won his first MVP award in 2019.
Coming in at #4 is Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers. He is a 6’7 small forward who was recently traded to the Clippers in the 2019 offseason. In the 2018-19 season, Kawhi led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title and also won the Finals MVP award. Before joining the Raptors, he started his career with the San Antonio Spurs and also received a title with them, along with his first Finals MVP award. Kawhi is a four time all star, plus many more accolades, and is considered one of the best players in the game.
Coming in at #3 is Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. He is a 6’3 point guard who is considered one of the best shooters ever. Curry is a 2 time consecutive MVP winner and has won three NBA titles. He currently holds the record for making 402 three pointers in a season. He has changed the game of basketball with his great range, making the three pointer a more important shot. Curry led the Warriors to their first title in 1975, and won back to back titles in 2017-18. He helped change the culture of the Warriors to a winning franchise team.
Coming in at #2 is Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets. He is a 6’10 small forward/power forward, who can play any position. KD is a four time scoring champ, two time NBA finals MVP, two time NBA champion, and one time MVP winner. KD has been the header for many topics because of his decisions. Going from OKC, to joining Golden state, he finally won his rings that he patiently waited for. After winning his second, he decided to leave Golden State and join the Nets. Due to an injury in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals, he has been sidelined and expected to be back in the 2020 season. Coming in at #1 is LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a 6’9 small forward/power forward, but at this point LeBron can play anywhere. Since 2011, James had led his teams to eight consecutive Finals. LeBron currently has three titles, and has won MVP four times in his career. In LeBron’s Cleveland days, he fought back from a 3-1 lead and won his third title, ending the 52 year sports title drought for Ohio. He is third on the all time points scored list. Even at 35 years old, LeBron is still in his prime, which is why he is considered one of the all time greatest to ever play the game of basketball.
