This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
.jpg){kind=link}
Who are the top NBA players of the 2010s? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Carmelo Anthony: an offensive force in his prime, Anthony won a scoring title and averaged 23+ points per game during the decade, earning eight All-Star and three All-NBA selections in the process.
9. Anthony Davis: drafted #1 overall in 2012, Davis has been a 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA, and 3x All-Defensive selection who has led the league in blocks 3x while averaging 23+ points and 10+ rebounds per game for his career.
8. Dwyane Wade: the face of the Miami Heat for virtually his entire career, Wade averaged 20+ points, 4+ rebounds, and 4+ assists per game during the 2010s while making eight All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams, and one All-Defensive team, and leading Miami to two NBA championships.
7. Chris Paul: a force on both ends of the floor, Paul was a 7x All-Star, 7x All-Defensive, and 6x All-NBA selection in the 2010s who averaged 18+ points and 9+ assists per game while leading the league in assists 2x and steals 4x.
6. Kawhi Leonard: though his overall numbers for the decade lag behind some of his peers, Leonard has been a force at his peak – a 3x All-Star, 3x All-NBA selection, 5x All-Defensive pick, and 2x Defensive Player of the Year, he moreover is just the third player in NBA history to win Finals MVP with two different teams (San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors).
5. Russell Westbrook: an 8x All-Star and All-NBA selection, Westbrook averaged 23+ points, 7+ rebounds, and 8+ assists per game in the 2010s; the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season, the 2016-2017 MVP actually did it for three straight years and also won a pair of scoring and assists titles.
4. James Harden: the Sixth Man of the Year with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011-2012, Harden truly blossomed into an offensive force after being traded to the Houston Rockets – a 7x All-Star and 6x All-NBA selection, the 2017-2018 MVP is a 2x scoring champion and also won an assist title while averaging 24+ points and 6+ assists per game for the decade.
3. Stephen Curry: arguably the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, Curry not only set the single-season three-pointers record during the 2010s, but averaged 23+ points and 6+ assists per game en route to six All-Star and All-NBA selections, back-to-back MVP awards, a scoring title, and three NBA titles.
2. Kevin Durant: one of the elite scorers of the decade, Durant was an All-Star every season and a 9x All-NBA pick who averaged 28+ points per game with four scoring titles, the 2013-2014 MVP award, and two NBA titles (Finals MVP honors both times).
1. LeBron James: an All-Star and All-NBA selection every year, LeBron cemented his place in the GOAT conversation during the 2010s – a 3x MVP and 5x All-Defensive pick who averaged 26+ points, 7+ rebounds, and 7+ assists per game during the decade, he led both the Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA titles, earning Finals MVP during all three championship runs.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
More Good Stuff
- Watch: Get tickets to see your favorite NBA team(s) in action
- Wear: Buy sports apparel for your favorite NBA player(s) or team(s)
- Collect: Buy unique sports memorabilia for your favorite NBA player(s) or team(s)
- Play: Show off your basketball knowledge by playing daily fantasy basketball
- Build: Start your own sports website/blog
Previous
Countdown 48: Top 10 MLB Players of the 2010s