Who’s the Best Player in the NBA?
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We take a look at the top players in the NBA and try to answer the question: who’s the best player in the league?
LeBron James
LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. He’s a physical specimen with superhuman athleticism, and he’s got the skills and basketball IQ to match. He’s been the best player in the league for the better part of a decade, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
His stats
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 in NBA history, and has been frequently compared to Michael Jordan in debates over who is the greatest player of all time. LeBron has won four NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. He has also been selected to fifteen NBA All-Star teams, thirteen All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams.
His impact
LeBron James is often considered the best basketball player in the world and has been praised for his athleticism, shooting, and ability to pass the ball. He has won three NBA championships, four MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. In addition, he is the only player in NBA history to have won the Finals MVP award four times.
Kawhi Leonard
Leonard has quietly been one of the best players in the NBA for a few years now. Asked to do more than ever before with the Spurs this season, Leonard has responded with career-highs in points (25.5), assists (3.5) and steals (1.8) per game while shooting a scorching 48.6 percent from three-point range. Oh, and he’s also developed into one of the league’s best defensive players.
His stats
In his first season with the Raptors, Leonard averaged a career-high 26.6 points to go along with 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range. He was named to the All-NBA First Team and was also named Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career.
His impact
In just his seventh season, Leonard has already established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. He has won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, been named to three All-NBA Teams, and was the Finals MVP when he led the Toronto Raptors to their first championship in 2019. At just 28 years old, Leonard has already cemented his place as one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history.
Offensively, Leonard is no slouch either. He is a two-time All-Star and has averaged over 20 points per game in four different seasons. He is also a very efficient scorer, shooting over 50% from the field in three different seasons. In addition to being a great scorer, Leonard is also an excellent three-point shooter and is a very good playmaker. He has averaged over four assists per game in each of the last two seasons.
There is no doubt that Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA. He is an excellent two-way player that can impact the game on both ends of the court.
Kevin Durant
His stats
In his 11 seasons in the NBA, Kevin Durant has been one of the league’s most consistent and best players. A nine-time All-Star, he has averaged 27.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocked shots per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three-point range, and 88.2 percent from the foul line. He is a two-time NBA scoring champion (2010 and 2011) and was named NBA MVP in 2014.
His impact
In Kevin Durant’s first season with the Warriors, he averaged 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He helped lead the Warriors to an NBA-best 67–15 record and was awarded the NBA Finals MVP after the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games.
Steph Curry
Steph Curry is the best player in the NBA. He is a two-time MVP and has led the Golden State Warriors to two NBA championships. Curry is a great shooter and an amazing playmaker. He is also a good defender.
His stats
In 2014–15, Curry improved his shooting numbers across the board. He scored 23.8 points per game while shooting a league-leading 53.5% from the field, 44.3% from three-point range, and 91.4% from the foul line, becoming the first player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club (a shooting percentage of at least 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the foul line) for a season.[68] His effective field goal percentage of 63.2 was second in the league behind only Steve Novak.[69] His scoring average increased to 24.0 points per game in 2015–16 as he continued to lead the NBA in three-point shooting (45.4%) while also setting an NBA regular season record with 402 three-pointers made.[70][71]
His impact
Curry’s impact can be seen in the way the game is played today. More and more teams are looking for players who can shoot from long range, and the importance of the three-point shot has never been higher. Curry himself has revolutionized the way the game is played, with his ability to score from seemingly anywhere on the court.
James Harden
When it comes to the best player in the NBA, there is really only one name that comes to mind, and that is James Harden. Harden is a superstar player for the Houston Rockets, and he has been dominating the league for the past few years. He is an incredible scorer, and he always seems to come up big in the clutch. If you are looking for the best player in the NBA, look no further than James Harden.
His stats
In his eighth NBA season, James Harden is averaging career highs in points (29.1), assists (11.2) and rebounds (8.1) while shooting a league-best 36.7 percent from three-point range. He’s also averaging 2.7 steals, which is second in the NBA behind Indiana’s Paul George.
His impact
In his eighth NBA season, James Harden has solidified himself as one of the best players in the league. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is averaging 29.2 points, 11.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range. He’s also getting to the free throw line 10 times per game and converting 86 percent of his foul shots.
