Best NBA players of the 2000s

LeBron James▲ Rising

He entered the decade as a Sports Illustrated cover boy straight out of high school and left it as a two-time MVP who'd already dragged a threadbare Cavaliers roster to the 2007 Finals almost single-handedly. The 2009 unanimous MVP season and that iconic chasedown-block era of dominance announced the King's arrival, even before the ring-chasing began. His case here is pure ceiling: no one in the 2000s combined that level of individual brilliance with the terrifying sense that the best was still coming.

Titles: 4PPG: 27.1

added by IJRin 12 rankingsLeBron James

Tim Duncan▲ Rising

The Big Fundamental opened the decade with a 2003 Finals MVP and closed it with another championship in 2007, quietly stacking three titles in between years everyone else got the headlines. His unshakeable bank-shot consistency and defensive anchor play turned San Antonio into the model franchise of the era, all without a single off-court scandal or ego trip. Duncan's case is the boring-genius argument: he simply won more consistently than anyone not named Shaq or Kobe, and did it his way.

Titles: 5PPG: 19

added by IJRin 9 rankings

Shaquille O'Neal▲ Rising

Shaq began the 2000s by demolishing the league with three straight Finals MVPs from 2000-2002, a physical force so dominant the NBA basically rewrote hand-check rules to slow him down. Even after the Lakers dynasty fractured, he added a fourth ring in Miami in 2006, proving his prime still towered over the field. His case for the top spot is simple: for the first half of the decade, he was the single most unstoppable force basketball had ever seen.

Titles: 4PPG: 23.7

added by IJRin 6 rankingsShaquille O'Neal

Dirk Nowitzki▲ Rising

Dirk redefined what a 7-footer could be, stretching defenses with a fadeaway jumper that broke basketball convention and carrying Dallas to the 2006 Finals and a 2007 MVP award. Though that Finals loss to Miami stung, his consistent excellence and unique skill set made him the most influential offensive big man of the decade, a blueprint every stretch-four since has copied. His case rests on pure innovation: he changed how the game was played, even if his signature championship came just after the decade's close.

Titles: 1PPG: 20.7

added by IJRin 5 rankingsDirk Nowitzki

Kobe Bryant▼ Falling

Kobe spent the early 2000s as Shaq's ferocious co-star in three straight titles, then reinvented himself as a solo apex predator, dropping 81 points on the Raptors in 2006 in a performance that still feels mythical. He closed the decade with back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, capturing Finals MVP honors and silencing doubters who said he needed Shaq to win. His argument here is the Mamba Mentality itself: the most obsessive, clutch, fundamentally assassin-like scorer of his generation.

Titles: 5PPG: 25

added by IJRin 10 rankingsKobe Bryant

Allen Iverson▼ Falling

At 6-foot generously, Iverson willed an undersized Sixers roster to the 2001 Finals, capturing MVP honors and famously stepping over Tyronn Lue in a moment of pure defiant swagger. His crossover on Michael Jordan became iconic, and his relentless, fearless scoring style — cornrows, tattoos, and all — reshaped the NBA's cultural identity as much as its highlight reels. His case here is about heart and influence: no player of the decade meant more to the league's soul while doing more with less talent around him.

Titles: 0PPG: 26.7

added by IJRin 4 rankingsAllen Iverson