The Top NBA Players of the 2010s: A Decade of Dominance and Transformation

Moving into the 2010s, the NBA was way past Michael Jordan's era, and Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers started to fade away. LeBron James would soon take full control of the league, especially following his infamous "Decision" to join the Miami Heat. The King certainly ruled the decade, but a couple of other players created reputations as among the best in the league. So, in this article, we will rank and analyze the top NBA players of the 2010s based on accolades, impact, and influence.

LeBron James: The Player of the Decade

After seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James shocked the basketball world by deciding to join the Miami Heat in the 2010 free agency. With Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on board, we all thought that this team would be unbeatable, didn’t we?

That wasn’t particularly the case but James led the team to two NBA championships in his four years in Miami, winning back-to-back MVPs in 2012 and 2013.

Many still wonder how can someone leave the Florida coast for the North, but James kept his promise and returned home to Cleveland aiming to win the first NBA championship in franchise history. He was able to make that happen in 2016 when the Cavs defeated the Golden State Warriors after a 3-1 deficit in the finals series. No experts saw that happening in basketball matches today, but the King did it.

“That one right there made me the greatest player of all time” said James following the win.

Timing again wasn't an issue as he came into town for Los Angeles in 2018. Though not then counted as the best NBA teams, the way this turned things out got it with a championship in 2020. This was his fourth title, the first player to have won championships with three different teams. The argument about whether he is the best ever will be there, but surely he was the best player of this decade. He made the All-Star team every year and was usually on the All-NBA First Team.

Most importantly, James won four NBA championships and the MVP Finals award in each of those series and won three regular-season MVPs. He scored 19,950 points in the decade, more than any other player.

Kevin Durant: The Scoring Maestro

Wondering if anyone could have challenged James for the best player in the league, it was Kevin Durant. KD was the NBA's leading scorer at the age of 22 and was a scoring champion four times in a five-year stretch, and only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain have won more scoring titles than him.

Durant reached his peak in the 2013-14 season, averaging 32 points per game on the way to winning the MVP award. However, he could not win the NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder and decided to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

Although many NBA fans did not like that decision, KD could not care less and won two NBA championships and NBA Finals MVP awards in his three seasons on the Bay. The Warriors would have probably won the one in 2019 as well, but Durant injured his Achilles.

The following offseason, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets, who agreed to pay him over $37 million for the upcoming season even though they were aware that he would not be able to play. Despite that, Durant had the highest point average of the decade with 28 points per game.

Stephen Curry: Revolutionizing the Game

James and Durant were the top two players of the decade but none of them made an impact on the game as Steph Curry. Not that long ago, coaching strategies were not based on three-point shooting, but once Curry joined the league, things dramatically changed.

Curry became the face of the Warriors and led the team to three championships in the decade. On that way, he won back-to-back MVP awards and became the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously. He became the all-time three-point leader, the first man to make over 400 three-pointers in a season, and most importantly, a global icon for young players.

James Harden: The Scoring Machine

There's another player, James Harden, who was, during the 2010s, a real scoring machine who would make it rain on any given night: from being the sixth man in OKC to being the main man in Houston, it seems that the Rockets have relied on him alone, something that has kept them from going to the NBA Finals.

Harden has led the league in scoring over a span of three straight seasons, won the 2018 league MVP, and the following year averaged a career-high 36.1 points per game. He totaled 18 50+ point games in the decade.

Kawhi Leonard: The Silent Superstar

While all the above-mentioned players were hyped to a great extent, it was not the case with Kawhi Leonard. The silent superstar joined a team full of All-Stars in San Antonio and stole the show, winning the NBA Finals award in 2014.

Things did not go well in San Antonio later in the decade and Leonard was traded to Toronto. Even though he didn’t want to play for the Raptors, he led the team to the first NBA championship in franchise history in his only season in Canada. Leonard won two Defensive Players of the Year awards and was known for playing the best when it mattered the most, in the playoffs.

Honorable Mentions

Others who made their presence felt during the decade include what many regard as the best point guard Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook became the second player to average a triple-double in NBA history and did it three times, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who emerged to superstardom toward the latter part of the decade.

It is a fact that it was a decade that thrilled all of the fans in the league. We saw brilliant LeBron James-who, for many of those, is perceived and considered as the GOAT. Besides the King, Durant, and Curry could stamp their signature among others where people would think forever.