LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry Are Greatest NBA Players Since Michael Jordan Retired

ESPN reminded the sports world that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time with “The Last Dance.” The 10-part docuseries has reignited the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate and sparked discussions about the top stars in league history.

There is no arguing that James is the best player to enter the NBA since Jordan retired for good as a member of the Washington Wizards in 2003. Who else is near the top of that list?

Here are the five best players since Jordan called it a career. The likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are ineligible because they were drafted while Jordan was still an active player.

1) LeBron James

James has established himself as the second-greatest player of all time with an outside shot of eventually catching Jordan. With eight straight trips to the NBA Finals (2011-2018) and 11 consecutive All-NBA First-Team selections (2008-2018), the three-time champion had an unprecedented run of dominance. At 35 years old, James is arguably still the league’s best player and likely to finish second in the 2020 MVP race.

2) Kevin Durant

Durant is easily one of the five-best scorers to ever play in the NBA, winning four scoring titles with the Oklahoma City Thunder and averaging 27.0 points per game through the first 12 years of his career. The forward sacrificed some numbers when he joined the Golden State Warriors and proved to be the best player on perhaps the greatest team ever by winning two straight NBA Finals MVP awards.

3) Stephen Curry

Curry revolutionized basketball as the greatest shooter of all time. He led the NBA in three-pointers made in five straight seasons, won two MVP awards (one unanimous) and reached the Finals in five consecutive years (three titles). Curry is the best point guard in the best era of point guards in league history.

4) Dwyane Wade

James was the best player of the star-studded 2003 draft, but Wade was first in that class to become the star of a championship team. Wade was the 2006 NBA Finals MVP and the second-best player on the Miami Heat’s four-year run from 2011-2015. Wade was a 13-time All-Star and a seven-time top-10 MVP vote-getter.

5) Kawhi Leonard

Leonard has only made four All-Star teams, but he’s done some things that many of the all-time greats have never accomplished. Leonard has been the NBA Finals MVP with two franchises, doing so by dethroning two of the great teams (James’ Heat, Curry’s Warriors) in recent history. He’s also won two Defensive Player of the Year awards.