Photo Credit: John McCoy/Getty Images

Ranking the Best Basketball Players Of Last 20 Years

The world of sport is filled with thousands of talented and iconic athletes that will forever market sports history. One of the most popular sports on the planet, basketball, has had the chance to introduce us to some of the planet’s most valuable sportsmen. Take a look at the list of top basketball layers of the last ten years:

1. Kobe Bryant

Late American professional basketball player and one of the world’s most influential athletes, Kobe Bryant, definitely deserves the number one spot on this list. Kobe was an 18-time All-Star and also a 15-time All-NBA. Besides, he managed to get All-Defensive 12 times and was names a Scoring Champion in the NBA league two times. In addition, Kobe Bryant was a five-time NBA Champion and also one time MVP.

2. LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t have been more fortunate than to get players such as LeBron James. This American professional basketball player is a 17-time All-Star and also 13-time All-NBA. But that is not all. LeBron is also a five-times All-Defensive, four-time MVP and he has a Scoring Champion title as well. 

3. Tim Duncan

This three-time NBA Champion is a former professional basketball player and coach known as “the Big Fundamental.” He spent his 19-year long playing career playing for the San Antonio Spurs. Tim Duncan is a 15-time All-Star and a five-time NBA Champion. Besides, in his career, he managed to be an All-NBA and also All-Defensive 13 times. Not to forget to mention, another reason why Tim Duncan is third on this list is that he was a two-time MVP.

4. Kevin Garnett

Garnett is a 15-time All-Star, one-time MVP, 12-time All-Defensive, and nine-time All-NBA to get straight to the point. This former professional American player played for the NBA for 21 seasons, and he is a one-time Defensive Player of the Year and one-time NBA Champion. KG was known for scoring over 20 points per game during his playing career that lasted from 1995 to 2016.

5. Shaquille O’Neal

Currently working as a sports analyst on the TV program Inside the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal is number five on this list. He is deserving of this post because he is a four-time NBA Champion, a 14-time All-NBA, a three-time All-Defensive, and a 15-time All-Star. He Shaq played for six different teams during his 19-year-long career in the NBA. 

6. Steve Nash

Steve Nash was probably one of the top point guards of the past decade. Apart from that, he has had some incredible accomplishments during his career. Steve Nash managed to be a two-time MVP and also an eight-time All-Star player in his career. Add to that his achievement as a seven-time All-NBA, and you will see why he is at number six on this list. 

7. Dirk Nowitzki

This German player is probably one of the top non-native NBA players of all time. During his successful career, he managed to be an All-Star player 14 times and an All-NBA player 12 times. Additionally, Nowitzki was a one-time MVP and one-time NBA Champion.

8. Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is another non-native basketball player currently playing for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. Jokic is currently the hot topic in the world of basketball, and he is already a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team. People who like to bet on basketball and NBA, in particular, will probably see this name pop up at any new online casino 2021 that is in English or Dutch. Nicknamed “the Joker,” this athlete was named an NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016.

9. Dwyane Wade

Dwayne Wade is another former American professional player with 16 years of playing career behind him. Wade spent most of these 16 years playing for Miami Heat and was a 13-time NBA All-Star. His thirst for success and talent led him to become an eight-time member of the All-NBA Team and three-time member of the All-Defensive Team.

10. Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd is a 10-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, and also a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. Kidd managed to get into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and he brought two-time Olympic gold medals to the US as a part of the U.S. national team.