Who is Number 10 in the NBA?

We all know that LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. But who is the second best player? Many would say it’s Steph Curry, but there is a case to be made for Kawhi Leonard.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving, born March 23, 1992, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Irving was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He was named an NBA All-Star in 2014 and 2015. Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia, to American parents.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-2017)

Kyrie Andrew Irving (/ˈkaɪri/; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. A six-time NBA All-Star, Irving was named the NBA Rookie of the Year after his debut season and has played for the United States national team, winning gold medals at both the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, to American parents, Irving grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. He played college basketball for Duke University before being selected with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by Cleveland. He won his first major title when he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in 2016, earning him Finals MVP honors. Kyrie Irving was born on March 23, 1992, in Melbourne, Australia to American parents Drederick and Elizabeth Irving.[1][2] He has a younger sister, Asia,[3] and an older sister, Raquel.[4] His father played collegiate basketball at Boston University before playing professionally overseas.[5][6] His mother’s family is African-American,[7][8][9] while his father is African-American descent.[10][11] Growing up, Irving spent time playing AAU basketball with future NBA players Troy Williams[12] and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.[13]

Boston Celtics (2017-present)

In 2017, Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics in a deal that sent Thomas and Jae Crowder to the Cavaliers, Ante Žižić and two draft picks to the Jazz, and an unprotected 2020 first-round pick to the Nets. He made his debut for the Celtics in their season opener against the Cavaliers, scoring 22 points in a 102–99 win. On October 24, he scored 29 points against his former team in a 113–100 victory. On December 12, he had season-high 44 points and 11 assists in a 109–102 win over the Chicago Bulls. Injury limited Irving to just 60 games during his first season with the Celtics. He averaged 24.4 points (second on the team behind Tatum), 5.1 assists (third on the team) and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range as he helped lead Boston to an Eastern Conference-best record of 55–27. In Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Irving scored 30 points en route to a 120–106 victory that evened their series at 1–1

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time NBA All-Star, he has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice and won three NBA championships with the Warriors.

Golden State Warriors (2009-present)

Stephen Curry was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He became the Warriors’ starting point guard in 2010, and he helped lead the team to the playoffs that year. In 2012, Curry was named the NBA Most Valuable Player, becoming the first Warrior to win the award since 1975. He has won two NBA championships with the Warriors, in 2015 and 2017, and he was named the Finals MVP in both years.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a nine-time NBA All-Star, and earned the All-Star MVP award in 2015. He is also a two-time NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, winning back-to-back honors in 2015 and 2016. Westbrook has led the league in scoring three times and is the league’s reigning scoring champion.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-present)

In 2008, Westbrook was selected with the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma City shortly afterward. He donated $1 million to the Seattle Children’s Hospital in memory of his late brother Ray Naman. Westbrook has appeared in nine NBA All-Star Games, earned All-NBA First Team honors five times, and won back-to-back NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards in 2015 and 2016. He is one of two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, along with Oscar Robertson in 1962. He also set a record for the most triple-doubles in a season with 42. In 2016–17, he became one of only two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season and is currently the only player to average a triple-double over multiple seasons.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is a professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has won two NBA championships, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, four NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, two Olympic gold medals, and numerous other awards and accolades. Durant has also been named to nine NBA All-Star teams and seven All-NBA teams.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-2016)

In 2007, Durant was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second overall pick. After his rookie season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, where they became the Thunder. In Durant’s first season with his new team, he helped lead them to the first seed in the Western Conference. He averaged 25.3 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game during his first season with the Thunder. The next season, Durant was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 30.1 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game. He continued to play at a high level for the Thunder, leading them to the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2014. However, they were unable to win a championship during Durant’s time with the team.

In 2016, Durant became a free agent and decided to leave Oklahoma City to join forces with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. He won his first NBA championship with Golden State in 2017 while also being named Finals MVP. The following season, Durant helped lead Golden State to their second straight championship while again being named Finals MVP.

Golden State Warriors (2016-present)

Durant joined the Warriors in 2016, signing a two-year, $54.3 million contract with Golden State. In his first season with the team, he helped the Warriors win their second NBA championship in three years, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. He was named the Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. The following season, Durant helped the Warriors win their third NBA championship in four years as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four-game sweep. He was named the Finals MVP for a second straight year after averaging 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game

James Harden

James Harden is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Arizona State, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-2012)

Harden was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. In his first professional season, he helped the Thunder reach the playoffs. He also won an Olympic gold medal as a member of Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets in October 2012. He immediately became one of the league’s best players, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2013. The following season, he was named to his first All-Star team and won his first NBA MVP Award. He has continued to be one of the league’s best players, earning All-Star and All-NBA honors in every season since 2014.

Houston Rockets (2012-present)

On October 27, 2012, the Houston Rockets acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round draft picks and a second-round draft pick.

In his first game with the Rockets, Harden scored 37 points in a 122–119 win over the Detroit Pistons. He became only the second player in franchise history to score 37 or more points in his debut with the team, after Clyde Drexler. Harden subsequently helped the Rockets win a franchise-record 12 consecutive games. The streak was eventually ended by the San Antonio Spurs on November 28.

On December 31, 2012, Harden scored a then career-high 45 points along with eight assists and seven rebounds in a 139–134 double-overtime win over the Phoenix Suns. On January 10, 2013, he had 44 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a 113–102 win over the Sacramento Kings; he became only the fifth player in NBA history to have at least 40 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a game since Rajon Rondo did so against New York Knicks on February 2, 2009.

Damian Lillard

As of the 2019-2020 season, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is the 10th best player in the NBA. He is a 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA selection, and the 2012-2013 Rookie of the Year. In the 2017-2018 season, he led the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals.

Portland Trail Blazers (2012-present)

Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats, where he was named a consensus All-American and the Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year twice. After being selected by Portland with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Lillard was unanimously voted the NBA Rookie of the Year.

In his second season, he was named an NBA All-Star and led the Blazers to their first playoff appearance in 14 years. He has been selected to three All-Star teams and has earned four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards, becoming one of only two players in history to do so. Lillard has also been named twice to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Defensive Team.

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a six-time NBA All-Star and has been named to five All-NBA First Teams and three NBA All-Defensive Teams. Davis was the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year, is a two-time recipient of the NBA All-Star Game MVP award, and has led the league in blocks three times.

New Orleans Pelicans (2012-present)

In 2012, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Davis with the first overall pick in the NBA draft. He was later named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In his second season, Davis led the Pelicans to their first ever playoff appearance. The following year, he was voted an All-Star starter and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player.Davis has been selected to four All-NBA teams and four NBA All-Defensive teams. He has also represented the United States national team twice, winning gold medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 FIBA World Cup.

DeMar DeRozan

When thinking about the Toronto Raptors, the first name that probably comes to mind is Kawhi Leonard. He was the Finals MVP when they won the NBA Championship in 2019. However, there is another player on the team that is just as important, if not more important and that is DeMar DeRozan.

Toronto Raptors (2009-2018)

The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian-based team in the NBA.

The Raptors originally played their home games at the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre), before moving eastward along Bremner Boulevard to the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in 1999. Following reports that BCE Inc., parent company ofBell Canada and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), would acquire a controlling interest in MLSE from Rogers Communications, which also owned rival broadcaster TSN, several potential moves were speculated about by reporters and fans, one that would have seen MLSE move all its teams out of Scotiabank Arena and split them between other arenas within Ontario, including those owned by Rogers.

LeBron James

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. LeBron has played in fifteen NBA seasons, winning four championships with the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010, 2014-2018)

LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. James became the Cavaliers’ franchise player and led them to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007. He ultimately led them to their first NBA Championship in 2016. However, after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals, James chose to leave the Cavaliers in free agency and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Miami Heat (2010-2014)

In 2010, LeBron James made one of the most controversial decisions in NBA history when he decided to leave his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. The move was seen as a betrayal by many Cavs fans, but it paid off for James, who won two NBA championships with the Heat.

James’s time in Miami was marked by some incredible individual and team accomplishments. He was named MVP of the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2013, and he led the Heat to four consecutive appearances in the Finals from 2011 to 2014. In 2012, James became just the fifth player in NBA history to win both an MVP award and an NBA championship in the same season.

When James returned to the Cavaliers in 2014, he did so with a mission: to end Cleveland’s long championship drought. And he did just that, leading the Cavs to their first ever NBA title in 2016. Along the way, James cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.

Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)

In the summer of 2018, James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He chose to wear number 23 for his Lakers debut, rather than number 6 which he had worn with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, in respect to Michael Jordan. On October 29, 2018, he scored a career-high 51 points in a 125–100 win over the Denver Nuggets. On November 14, 2018, James passed Jerry West (25,192 points) for 19th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list during a 108–105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard is a professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Leonard played two seasons of college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs, and was named a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, but was later traded to the Spurs on draft night.

San Antonio Spurs (2011-2018)

Kawhi Leonard played for the San Antonio Spurs from 2011 to 2018. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, but was then traded to the Spurs on draft night.

Leonard quickly became one of the best players on the Spurs, and helped them win an NBA championship in 2014. He was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2014, and was also named to the All-NBA First Team in 2016 and 2017.

In 2018, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors. He helped lead the Raptors to their first ever NBA championship in 2019, and was again named Finals MVP.

Toronto Raptors (2018-present)

In July 2018, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a four-player deal that sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick to the Spurs. On December 11, he scored 35 points against his former team, the Spurs, in a131–128 Raptors overtime victory. Two days later, he had 37 points and 11 rebounds in a 113–102 win over the Indiana Pacers. On December 18, he scored 31 points in a 115–109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. On Christmas Day, he had 21 points and eight assists in a 113–101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. On January 1, 2019, he scored 23 points to help the Raptors defeat the New York Knicks 125–115.[68] On January 12, Leonard was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played January 7–13. He averaged 34.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game that week.[69] On January 16, he scored 35 points and matched his career high with eight 3-pointers made in a 123–114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[70]

On February 22, Leonard recorded his sixth career 30-point/10-rebound game with 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 113–99 win over the Detroit Pistons.[71] Three days later, he scored 31 points again in a 108–72 victory over the Orlando Magic.[72] In doing so, Leonard became just the ninth player since 1983 to post multiple 30-point games against one opponent within one calendar month.[73] He subsequently earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors for February after averaging 28.2 points on 52.7 percent shooting from 3-point range while adding 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game during 12 February contests as Toronto went 11–1 during that stretch.]

##Heading: LA Clippers (2019-present)
##Expansion:
On July 6, 2019, Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for $103 million over three years after meeting with several teams during free agency including former teammate Danny Green’s Los Angeles Lakers,[80][81] Kawhi’s hometown Toronto Raptors,[82][83] as well as other suitors such as the Brooklyn Nets,[84][85][86] Philadelphia 76ers,[87][88] New York Knicks[89], and even returning to his former team, the San Antonio Spurs.[90][91][92].

In his Clippers debut on October 22 against his former team – now led by Kawhi’s close friend Pascal Siakam – Leonard recorded 24 points (on 9-of-17 shooting), 12 rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes en route to a 122–111 victory,[93] maintaining perfect 5–0 all-time record vs Siakam which includes two playoff series victories (both while teammates on Toronto).