Whether you are looking to play in the NBA or are interested in following it, you may be wondering which are the best NBA players. You will learn about some names: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant. While it’s true that these players have played in the league for a very long time, there are other players you should look out for.
Kobe Byrant
During his time in the NBA, Kobe Bryant won five championships and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the game. He is also one of the best defenders in the game, averaging 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons. He was also a member of the Lakers’ gold medal-winning team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Kobe Bryant played in two NBA Finals. He averaged 30 points and five rebounds in the Finals. Kobe was also named the NBA Finals MVP in both seasons. He led the Lakers to a 17-2 start and was named Western Conference Player of the Month for December.
In the 2000 playoffs, Kobe exploded for 30-plus points three times against the Sacramento Kings. He also scored 60 points six times.
LeBron James
During his 20-year career, LeBron James has become one of the best players in the NBA. He has won four championships and earned four regular-season MVP awards. He is also a four-time Finals MVP and is two titles away from tying Michael Jordan’s record of seven.
LeBron James grew up in Akron, Ohio. An ex-convict father and a 16-year-old mother raised him. He attended the University of Akron. He was first-team all-state in his sophomore year of high school.
In 2003, LeBron James entered the NBA. He played seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He became a two-time All-Star and led the Cavaliers to two of the best records in the NBA. He was also named NBA rookie of the year.
He also won the 2007-08 scoring title. In the playoffs, he scored more than 40 points in seven of the 18 Eastern Conference playoff games. He was also the youngest player in NBA history to get a triple-double in the playoffs.
Kobe Bryant
Known as the “Black Mamba,” Kobe Bryant is among the best NBA players. He led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships and two Olympic gold medals in his 20 years in the league. His career stats are impressive, but he also had some inefficiencies.
Bryant was named Western Conference Player of the Month for December. He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team for his performance in the second half of the season.
He also led the Lakers to a 17-2 start. He averaged 26.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in the Finals. He was named NBA Finals MVP. Bryant was the only player to win multiple Finals MVPs without a teammate.
Kobe became the face of the Lakers. He was a relentless worker. He was known for his aggressive defense. He was also known for his ability to score winning baskets. He played with Shaquille O’Neal when they were teammates.
Stephen Curry
During his 13-year career in the NBA, Stephen Curry has impacted the game and beyond. He is considered one of the best offensive players of all time.
His ability to create plays for himself and move off the ball makes him a dynamic player. As a result, he has accumulated two MVPs, two All-Star appearances, and three NBA championships. His ability to shoot from deep makes him one of the best shooters in NBA history. He also can apply constant pressure to the defense.
Curry has scored over 50 points in five games in a playoff series, and he has flirted with a double-double in every game. One other player only accomplishes this feat.
In addition to his incredible three-point shooting, Stephen Curry is a great ballhandler. He averages 5.7 assists per game. He also has 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
Kevin Durant
Whether he is dribbling down the court, draining jumpers from 30 feet, or passing the ball around the paint, Kevin Durant is one of the best NBA players of all time. He is a two-time NBA MVP and has been on twelve All-Star teams. He has won four scoring titles and is one of the league’s most efficient scorers.
Kevin Durant is the youngest player to win the NBA scoring title and has done so at 22 years old. In his rookie season, he averaged 20 points per game and was considered the second-best player in his class.
After his rookie season, he played his second year in Oklahoma City. He averaged 32 points per game and finished second in the league in scoring average. His third season saw him increase his average to 30.1 points per game, and he set career highs in assists per game and rebounds per game. He also finished fourth in scoring average in the playoffs.
Kevin Sabonis
Despite being a little undersized, Sabonis is one of the best NBA players in the world. Sabonis is a five-year veteran and a versatile player on both ends of the floor. His court vision and passing ability are among his strengths.
Sabonis has been a part of two NBA All-Star games and will take the place of injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant at the All-Star Game on March 7.
Sabonis has averaged 21.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.9 steals in his first nine games this season. He scored at least 20 points in five of his last six games.
Sabonis is averaging a career-high 5.7 assists per game and has three straight triple-doubles. He’s also shooting 28.4 percent from 3-point range this season, which is second-best in the NBA.
Sabonis’ playmaking could be valuable for any team looking to make a playoff push. He’s also second in the NBA in double-doubles with 24.
Jayson Tatum
Originally selected third overall in the 2017 NBA draft, Jayson Tatum has become one of the best NBA players in the league. He has been a two-time All-Star, has earned MVP votes, and has been voted the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. His progression from a promising rookie to a dominant scoring star has been impressive, and he is a player who will have a significant role on the Boston Celtics for years to come.
A strong two-way player, Tatum averaged 26.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during the regular season. He shot 40.3% from the floater range, and his slashing ability made him an excellent fit for the Boston Celtics’ offense.
He has also led the Celtics to the NBA Finals twice. Tatum has averaged 7.3 assists and seven assists in the Finals. He has also been named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Tatum’s scoring has also been impressive, averaging 33.2 points in the series’ final four games.
Derrick Rose
During his time in the NBA, Derrick Rose has been one of the best players. He won the MVP in the 2011-2012 season, led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals, and was selected as the Rookie of the Year. He has also been chosen as an All-Star team member and won the November Rookie of the Month award.
He is known for his incredible leaping ability. He has been known to dunk. He has also shown the ability to make straight up and down shots. He is also known for his acrobatic layups.
He has also been known to hit game-winning shots in the last 10 seconds of a game. He has also been known to score 30 points in a game. He has also shown excellent ball-handling skills and is known to use hesitation moves to get to the basket.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Even though the game has changed immensely since the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he remains one of the greatest NBA players ever.
His career spanned two decades, and his accomplishments are impressive. He scored 38,387 points in his career and remained the NBA’s all-time leader in scoring. He is also one of only six players to win the NBA MVP award in six seasons.
Abdul-Jabbar played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. He led his teams to three consecutive championships and was a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Abdul-Jabbar was an all-around player, and he had an excellent shooting touch. He averaged a double-double with 13.6 rebounds and 33.4 points per game. He also had tremendous passing contact and was a master of the skyhook shot.
Chris Paul
Despite being a 37-year-old point guard, Chris Paul is among the best players in the NBA. This is because of his incredible vision, pick-and-roll skills, and ability to attack any defense. He also has had an excellent shooting touch in recent seasons.
The Los Angeles Clippers traded Paul to the Houston Rockets in November 2020. The team’s record in his first season was 65 wins. The Rockets then lost to the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals. Despite this, Paul remained in Houston for two more seasons, and the two teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
Paul has led four teams to the playoffs in the past four seasons. He has a career record of four playoff losses. However, he has led the league in assists and steals in two straight seasons. He has been named to the All-Star team nine times. He has also been named to the All-Defensive team three times.
