The 10 Best NBA Players of Each Decade: 2020s

Superstars have grown to define the NBA over the past three decades, but the 2020s have seen a different type of evolution through its flagbearers.

The 2019-2020 season would change the sport forever, with the NBA combatting the COVID-19 pandemic through a unique “bubble” environment that ultimately humanized some of its players in a way the sports world has never seen before. The NBA would come out of this experiment with new stars who would alter the game for an entire generation, with this decade serving as a clean slate for new opportunities.

1. Nikola Jokic 

Few players in NBA history have changed the way basketball is played in the league more than Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.

There is a fair argument to be made that at 6-foot-11, Jokić is the most versatile player in NBA history. His prolific passing abilities, shooting prowess, and post presence have made for a perfect player combination that has earned him three NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. The 41st overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft earned the Denver Nuggets their first NBA Championship in 2023, collecting NBA Finals MVP in the process. He has averaged 25.5 points, 8.3 assists, and nearly 12 rebounds per game over the last four years, has three league MVPs, and will go down as one of the most decorated centers to play the game.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is another stealth superstar who has emerged as a face of the NBA.

Giannis was a mid-first-round draft pick in 2013, but cemented his greatness in the last several years as a future Hall of Famer. “The Greek Freak” piggybacked a 2019 NBA MVP honor into an NBA Championship in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks, the second in franchise history. This feat was headlined by a 50-point outing in Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns, helping him snag the NBA Finals MVP as well. He’s an eight-time All-Star, added another league MVP in 2020, and is viewed by many as one of the best big man defenders to ever play basketball.

3. Luka Dončić

The Atlanta Hawks initially drafted Luka Dončić third overall in the 2018 NBA Draft before trading him to the Dallas Mavericks. They got a great player in Trae Young in return, but Dončić may end up being an all-time great.

The 2018-2019 NBA Rookie of the Year became the first European player to lead the league in scoring in 2023-2024, a year in which he helped the Mavs reach the NBA Finals. He is a five-time NBA All-Star dating to 2020, and has been named All-NBA First Team each of those seasons. Dončić has averaged nearly 30 points per game over the last five seasons, and has Dallas on the brink of another championship in the near future.

4. Steph Curry

While the majority of Steph Curry’s dominance took place in the 2010s, he has remained a key figure in the NBA the last four years.

Many had thought the Golden State Warriors dynasty was dead after losing Kevin Durant and other figures, but Curry wasn’t going to let that be the case. He willed the Warriors to a 4-2 NBA Finals series win over the Boston Celtics in 2022, earning NBA Finals MVP in the process by averaging 31.2 points per game. He broke the NBA’s all-time 3-point shooting record in 2021, and will go down as the most dynamic shooter in NBA history.

5. LeBron James

If the 2010s ensured LeBron James would go down as one of the greatest players ever, this decade has only reinforced he may be the very best to ever step on the court.

The 20-time All-Star added one of the most improbable rings of his career, winning the 2020 NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers on the heels of a months-long stoppage due to COVID-19. He also helped lead the Lakers to a win in the inaugural NBA Cup in the 2023-2024 season. LeBron’s continued elite standard of play, even at age 40, keeps him in the conversation for best players in the league.

6. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant will go down as the greatest pure scorer to ever play, and he has remained a top-tier player in the NBA this decade.

Durant looked poised to bring an NBA Championship to the Nets upon arriving to Brooklyn in 2019 (despite missing the entire year due to an Achilles injury), and he was one centimeter away from them knocking off the eventual NBA Champion Bucks in 2021. Though the Brooklyn experiment didn’t work out, he still averaged 29 points per game with the franchise, and 27 points per game in his first full season with Phoenix.

7. Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid’s physicality, versatility, and personality have made him one of the most exciting players in the NBA this decade.

Embiid won his first NBA MVP Award for the 2022-2023 season, where he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Philadelphia 76ers, and was looking like a potential repeat-winner before getting injured the following season. He has won two scoring titles since 2020, while also holding firm as one of the best defenders in the league. There have been few big men like Embiid, and he is well on his way to the Hall of Fame.

8. Jayson Tatum

For years, Celtics star Jayson Tatum battled with critics over his inability to finally win when it mattered most. He no longer has to do that.

The Boston Celtics mopped the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, delivering Tatum his first ring, just one of his many accolades. He’s a five-time All-Star who has emerged as one of the great scoring threats in the NBA, averaging more than 30 points per game in 2022-2023. He has taken Boston to the finals twice, and it’s hard to imagine there won’t be more appearances on the horizon.

9. Kawhi Leonard

Though Kawhi Leonard’s greatest moment came with the Toronto Raptors, he has still been one of the best players in the NBA since 2020.

Leonard left for the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of the 2019-2020 season, and has been an effective scorer and defender despite missing an entire year due to injury. He’s averaged 24.8 points per game with Los Angeles, and was named to the All-NBA First Team in his second season there. The Leonard experiment hasn’t produced a championship to date, but he’ll remain with the Clippers as they open up a new arena and begin a new era.

10. Ja Morant

If Ja Morant can stay on the court, he has a chance to be a special player for the rest of the decade.

The Memphis Grizzlies point guard dazzled early with his pure athleticism, earning NBA Rookie of the Year honors for the 2019-2020 season. He’s a two-time All-Star, was named Most Improved Player for the 2021-2022 campaign when he averaged 27.4 points per game, put up a triple-double in his NBA Playoffs debut, and has wowed the league with his dunking abilities. Off-the-court issues have put his future in question, as he played just nine games last season, but there is still time for Morant to prove he’s a mainstay for years to come.