With each passing NBA season, the pursuit of basketball immortality becomes increasingly intense in terms of superstar players going after NBA championships. As we look ahead to 2024, a select few players find themselves under an immense spotlight, tasked with delivering the ultimate prize to their respective franchises.
The NBA has always been a stage where superstars shine and legends are born. From the unparalleled dominance of Michael Jordan to the recent reign of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the league’s history is replete with names etched in the annals of greatness. But for a handful of current players, the 2023-24 NBA season represents a pivotal moment—an opportunity to elevate their careers, etch their names alongside the all-time greats, and silence the doubters who question their ability to deliver in the clutch.
As the pressure mounts over the coming season, these individuals face a unique blend of internal and external expectations. Their journey toward a championship not only tests their physical prowess but also demands mental fortitude, resilience, and leadership. It is truly amazing how, as the months progress into the 2023-24 NBA playoffs, every dribble, every shot, and every decision carries monumental significance.
It is time to go through the list of superstar players who have the most pressure to win the NBA championship next year. While very few of these players are already NBA champions, there are other stars who have yet to play in a single NBA Finals and need to prove they can get the job done to be considered all-time greats. Even for those players that have won a title, there is a heavy expectation for them to prove they can win in a new setting with new teammates. Without further ado, here are the NBA players under the most pressure to win a championship in 2024.
Honorable Mention
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic, the young Slovenian phenom, has rapidly emerged as one of the most captivating players in the NBA as a top-10 talent in the world. With his exceptional skill set, basketball IQ, and uncanny ability to deliver in clutch situations, Doncic has already achieved remarkable success in his young career with four All-Star and four All-NBA Team appearances. However, as the 2024 NBA season approaches, the pressure on Doncic to secure his first NBA championship is palpable, because at just 24 years old, Luka Doncic has already established himself as one of the league’s brightest stars.
While Doncic’s youth grants him time, there is an understanding that championship windows in the NBA can be fleeting. The league is rife with talented teams, and the landscape can change rapidly. Doncic finds himself surrounded by a talented supporting cast, including potentially the returning Kyrie Irving, giving the Dallas Mavericks a foundation for success. Doncic’s game has also drawn comparisons to some of the greatest players in NBA history, such as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. These comparisons, while flattering, also intensify the pressure on him to live up to the lofty expectations they entail. As a result, Doncic is an honorable mention heading into the 2023-24 season as a superstar player with pressure to win.
10. Devin Booker
Devin Booker, the electrifying shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns, finds himself under mounting pressure to secure his first NBA championship. Despite his young age, Booker has already established himself as one of the league’s premier scorers and a bonafide star. His exceptional scoring ability, smooth shooting stroke, and clutch performances have garnered admiration from fans and peers alike. After all, the shooting guard averaged 27.8 PPG in the regular season followed by 33.7 PPG in the playoffs.
Booker has been at the forefront of the Phoenix Suns’ resurgence in recent years. The team’s remarkable run to the NBA Finals in the 2021 season showcased their potential for greatness. However, falling short of a championship victory intensified the pressure on Booker. The team’s success and their ability to consistently compete at a high level place a spotlight on Booker’s ability to lead the Suns to the ultimate prize. With Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal by his side, there are zero excuses for Booker to get over the hump and if he underperforms, it won’t look good for him next year.
9. Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum’s rapid development has propelled him into the upper echelons of NBA stardom. With his scoring prowess, versatile skill set, and ability to lead a team to the NBA Finals, he has earned multiple All-Star selections and garnered respect from peers and fans alike. As expectations continue to rise, there is growing pressure for Tatum to translate his individual brilliance into team success. Even if Tatum made the Finals last year, his performances weren’t particularly impressive as he only averaged 21.5 PPG on 36.7% from the field.
Not to mention, Jayson Tatum, wearing the Celtics’ green and white, inherits the weight of this history and the expectations that come with representing one of the league’s most storied franchises. The pressure to add another championship banner to Boston’s rafters and to etch his name alongside the Celtics’ greats is a constant presence in Tatum’s quest for greatness. Failing to lead the Celtics past the underdog Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals this season was another black mark on Tatum’s young career as the superstar player tries to win his first title alongside Jaylen Brown and the recently added Kristaps Porzingis.
8. Paul George
Paul George is one of the best two-way players in the world, and he will end up in the Hall of Fame one day, but failing to make a single Finals appearance will hurt the 8-time All-Star’s legacy. An elite wing defender and all-around player, George is too good to not be getting close to winning championships year after year. While his injury struggles with the Clippers are well documented, the player needs to find a way to have continuity with the Clippers or risk not taking advantage of some special teammates.
George had Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger for some time in Indiana, but it was reasonable to accept the player wouldn’t win. In Oklahoma City, George had a prime Russell Westbrook and still couldn’t get over the hump. With Kawhi Leonard, George has another elite teammate, and making the Western Conference Finals isn’t good enough. Time is running out on George because he only has a player option for the 2024-25 season, meaning the time to win is now and there might not be any more excuses.
7. Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard has been one of the best point guards in the NBA for a long time now, ever since his first All-Star season in Portland in 2014. Since then, Lillard has failed to make the NBA Finals with only a Western Conference Finals berth coming in 2019 with the Trail Blazers. No surprise, fans and media members are clamoring for Lillard to leave Portland and try to find a way to win a championship elsewhere. If he does leave, Lillard needs to prove that he is a championship point guard and not simply an offensive superstar.
If he stays, Lillard places a target on his back for not wanting to win badly enough. In fact, it seems the point guard can live with that due to his recent comments about not understanding the reason behind ring culture. It also seems Lillard is not the type of player to want to form a superteam either, meaning he might be willing to stay. Regardless, considering Lillard is a top-75 player of all time and one of the best offensive stars in the game, making a Finals appearance is the minimum goal because the same pressure was on every other top-75 player of all time.
6. Kawhi Leonard
How can a player who has won two NBA championships and Finals MVPs with two different franchises have pressure to win a third one? Because Kahwi Leonard is that great. Also, he placed the target on his back when he joined forces with Paul George in Los Angeles with the Clippers. Leonard knew what joining a franchise devoid of a single Finals appearance would mean, but he made the decision in the summer of 2019 and never looked back.
Despite having Paul George beside him under an elite head coach in Doc Rivers, Leonard failed to get the job done in 2020 during the “bubble” as the Clippers choked a 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets in the second round and robbed us of a LeBron James-Kawhi Leonard showdown. Since then, Leonard has failed to stay healthy and even renowned analysts are claiming that the player might be the worst superstar of all time.
Unfortunately, Leonard and the words “load management” have been synonymous with one another which can all be erased with a championship.
5. Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook has been one of the greatest stat sheet stuffers and dominant athletes of all time. The triple-double machine has shattered records due to his triple-double ability and other than a prime Derrick Rose, we haven’t seen a more explosive point guard play the game. There is no doubt that the 2016-17 MVP is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but like many other stars on this list, a championship evades him. In fact, Westbrook’s legacy is sorely missing that.
If Westbrook retires without a championship to his name, the criticism of his inability to be a championship player who makes others around him better will stand forever. Westbrook is an incredible individual talent, but he has been sorely lacking winning intangibles including taking care of the ball, shooting a high percentage, and making smart decisions with the basketball. Westbrook has many teams vying for his signature this summer, and he must choose wisely to get a chance to win his first ring.
4. Chris Paul
Chris Paul has been traded again, this time to the Golden State Warriors. Once again, Paul has players who will take the reins of the team and allow the “Point God” to just be himself. Interestingly, it seems the Warriors want to keep CP3 and make a deep playoff run with him next season. How Paul fits with Stephen Curry in the backcourt remains to be seen, but there is no doubt the future Hall of Famer likes his chances in Golden State far more than in Phoenix who don’t have a championship culture yet.
Paul is not only one of the NBA’s best playmakers, still at age 38, but he is a leader who will be a no-nonsense player, unlike the departed Jordan Poole. Paul desperately wants the chance to return to the NBA Finals and if he gets a ring, his legacy would benefit tremendously as talks of being a top-5 point guard of all time would be going strong. As of right now, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Stephen Curry, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Steve Nash, and even Jason Kidd are all battling for the top-5 spots. A championship would certainly leapfrog Paul over a few of those names.
3. Joel Embiid
The league’s reigning MVP had a fantastic regular season, posting 33.1 PPG and 10.2 RPG while winning the scoring title. However, Embiid was a no-show in the pivotal game against the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs. The center posted 15 points on only 5-18 shooting from the field in the close-out game and for the league’s reigning MVP, that was an unacceptable performance. As a result, the big man heads into next season under the pressure of Philadelphia Nation and NBA Universe who just watched Nikola Jokic win the 2023 NBA championship.
Joel Embiid needs to be better in the postseason because his skills, accolades, and two-way dominance are evident whenever he plays the game. The big man must find a way to at least play in the NBA Finals next season because, at age 29, he still has time but is certainly getting older. Considering the big man has dealt with so many injuries over his career, Embiid can’t afford to not take advantage of his abilities because outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, there isn’t a more dominant physical specimen in the Eastern Conference.
2. James Harden
James Harden had some massive games for the Philadelphia 76ers in last season’s playoffs, but he flamed out yet again when the Boston Celtics came roaring back from a 3-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Beard was putrid in Game 6, scoring 13 points on 4-16 shooting. In Game 7, Harden was nonexistent as he scored only 9 points on 3-11 shooting from the field. As great as Harden is as a ball-handler, scorer, and passer, the player has clearly underwhelmed when it has mattered most.
The Beard was criticized for his poor Finals performances in the 2012 NBA Finals as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he never got over the hump in Houston despite having players such as Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Russell Westbrook alongside him. His recent failures in Philly don’t look good on the shooting guard’s resume, and Harden needs a championship desperately to finally be recognized as truly an all-time great player and winner. So far, Harden’s label of being a choke artist is becoming permanent.
1. Kevin Durant
Can Kevin Durant win a championship outside of Golden State? That is the major question that has been asked about the 4-time scoring champion over the past few years. Despite being one of the most talented players of all time and an elite scorer, Durant has faced constant criticism for his inability to get over the hump since leaving Golden State. In fact, many still criticize Durant for forming superteams again and again with the hopes of short-cutting his way to an NBA championship. It seems Durant did it again in Phoenix, recruiting Bradley Beal.
Regardless, Durant can silence most of his critics if he gets the job done next season with the Phoenix Suns. Even if he still had a superteam with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal beside him, Durant can win a championship and silence doubters by capturing a ring with a second franchise. It will be hard to argue against the superstar forward if he becomes a 3-time NBA champion and 3-time Finals MVP. His talent is never in question because he ranks top-15 all time in that regard, but getting it done outside of Golden State remains the player’s biggest hurdle.
