- Kevin Durant is the only player from the 2010s to win four NBA scoring titles in his career
- LeBron James is the winner of four NBA championships, four Finals MVP awards, and four MVP awards from this list
- Stephen Curry is the only player in NBA history to make 400 three-pointers in a season
Just as we did with the 1990s and 2000s, we have embarked on a new journey to create the best NBA player from the 2010s. Using 11 different attributes from players who played from 2010-19, we have combined these attributes to create yet another NBA legend who could be considered the greatest player in NBA history.Â
- Scoring – Kevin Durant
- Passing – Chris Paul
- Handles – Kyrie Irving
- Hustle – Russell Westbrook
- Mentality – LeBron James
- Basketball IQ – LeBron James
- Shooting – Stephen Curry
- Defense – Kawhi Leonard
- Finishing – LeBron James
- Athleticism – LeBron James
- Clutch – LeBron James
- How Well Would This Player Perform On The Court?
These 11 attributes are essential for any NBA player to have to be considered among the best in the world. This combination of the best players from the 2010s era will prove to be a massive challenge for any of our other competitors from the previous decades we did this with. The 2010s gave us some of the greatest moments in NBA history provided by some of the greatest players who have ever stepped out on the hardwood.
We believe that this combination of players from the 2010s and their best basketball attributes has created a player who can compete with any NBA player past, present, or future. After showcasing our 11 attributes and the players whom we are taking them from, we will provide a scouting report on just how dominant this 2010s player will be.
This is the building of the greatest NBA player from the 2010s.
Scoring – Kevin Durant
The first attribute that we will be focusing on today is scoring. When it comes to scoring the basketball during the 20910s, there is no player we would rather have than Kevin Durant. During the 2010s with the Thunder and Warriors, Durant would have a historic stretch when it came to scoring the basketball.
From 2010 through 2014 with the Thunder, Durant would win four scoring titles in five seasons averaging 29.3 points per game while shooting 48.9% from the field, 38.1% from three, and 88.6% from the foul line. In 2013, he had a historically efficient season when he averaged 28.1 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting splits.
For the rest of the decade with the Thunder and Warriors, Durant would average 26.3 points per game on 51.8% shooting overall, 38.6% from three, and 88.4% from the foul line. He would also average a total of 29.1 points per game in the NBA playoffs while helping the Warriors win back-to-back NBA championships in 2017 and 2018 while claiming Finals MVP honors in both series. As a scorer, no player was more efficient or prolific than Kevin Durant during the 2010s.
Passing – Chris Paul
The 2010s was a great decade for some of the best passers in league history as well. From this great pool of playmakers, only one would stand out above the rest as the player we would steal their passing skills from to make the best player in the decade. Even before the 2010s arrived, Chris Paul had entered his name into the conversation for best passer in the league with back-to-back assists titles with the Hornets in 2008 and 2009.
Paul would spend the 2010s playing two seasons in New Orleans, six seasons with the Clippers, and two seasons with the Rockets. Paul would win two more assists titles in 2014 and 2015, with the Clippers averaging over 10.0 assists per game each season, something he would do two more times during the 2010s as well. As a whole, during the decade, Paul averaged 9.6 assists per game over the course of 650 games played compared to 2.4 turnovers which is an incredible assists-to-turnover ratio.
Paul’s intelligence and execution as a passer helped centers like DeAndre Jordan and Clint Caoela have the best seasons of their careers with him at the point guard position. Although it has never amounted to an NBA championship, one thing that has never been under scrutiny for Paul is his ability to lead and make passes to teammates for the easiest execution possible.
Handles – Kyrie Irving
When it comes to ball-handling, no player in the 2010s was right for this selection more than Kyrie Irving. There is a case to be made for Kyrie as the greatest ball-handler ever, and just one glimpse into his highlight reel will give you a much broader understanding of that statement. Over time, Irving has become the most unpredictable ball-handler in the game due to his body control, speed, and understanding of what he is going to do even before the play has had a chance to fully develop.
Irving operates like he has the ball on a string attached to his hands with every flawless step he takes. His change of pace and direction simultaneously has put him on the same levels as ball-handling legends such as Allen Iverson and James Harden, and in many ways, much superior to them as well. Irving’s handles give our player a unique edge in his offensive game, especially given they already have the scoring ability of Durant and the passing skills of Chris Paul.
Hustle – Russell Westbrook
When trying to create the greatest player of any sort, hustle will always be one of the most important attributes that a player can have. A player can possess all the skills in the world, but if they don’t have the drive to compete on every single possession, those skills will not translate to success on the basketball court.
Out of any player during the 2010s, I do not believe that any player displayed more hustle or more heart on the basketball court than Russell Westbrook. During this decade, Westbrook’s hustle and sacrifice were evident on every single possession during every single game. Combined with his basketball IQ, freak athleticism, and feel for the game overall, Westbrook made an impact that very few players have as a point guard in NBA history.
It is what enabled him to become both an MVP and the first player to average a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson in 1962. His hustle and passion for the game also enabled him to do it three more times after that. Once again, this didn’t amount to NBA championships for Westbrook, but it certainly wasn’t from a lack of effort on his part.
Mentality – LeBron James
Cue the jokes about LeBron James somehow being mentally weak because of how often he switched teams. However, if you are an unbiased basketball fan, then you know that LeBron James is one of the best leaders and hardest workers in NBA history. If we are being serious for one minute, it takes a special kind of mentality to lead different teams to eight straight NBA Finals during an eight-year stretch.
It takes a different breed of human being to be able to take subpar rosters to the promised land time and time again. It also takes a legendary mentality to win championships with three different franchises while being the best player on the court almost every single time. You can have any other player’s mentality that you so choose but for our player, and for building the greatest player of the 2010s, the selection is LeBron James, and it isn’t remotely close.
Basketball IQ – LeBron James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wZyzGgKe40
It is no secret that when it comes to one’s IQ on the basketball court, LeBron James is among the smartest to ever play the game. The stories of him calling out the opposing team’s plays before they even run them are legendary in itself as are the times in which coaches have had to completely change their gameplan due to James’ understanding of their offense.
James has made an entire career of picking apart defenses and grasping a complete understanding of his opponents’ entire plan heading into a matchup. When he is in attack mode, he isn’t just looking to score but also directing his teammates where to be and when to be there. Having the IQ of LeBron James will make our player the smartest of any player we have built in decades past which makes him just as dangerous as LeBron James himself on the basketball court.
Shooting – Stephen Curry
Of any attribute and selection we have had to make on our list, taking Stephen Curry’s shooting has to be the easiest. During the 2010s, we watched as Curry went from a relatively unknown college player at Davidson to the greatest three-point shooter in the history of the NBA. During this time, Curry’s unbelievable range, volume, and efficiency took the world by storm and inspired a generation of players to work on their games from the perimeter.
During the 2010s, Curry would become a two-time MVP and a three-time NBA champion on the backbone of his ability to shoot the ball from deep. From 2010 through 2019, Curry would average 23.5 points per game on 47.7% shooting overall and 43.6% shooting from three. He averaged 8.2 threes per game over the course of that decade with three seasons in which he attempted over 10.0 threes per game. Curry shot over 40.0% from three every season of the 2010s as well.
Curry would also lead the NBA in three-pointers made every season from 2013 through 2017 while setting the single-season record with 402 in 2016. If a three-pointer or any shot is needed to be taken at any point during an NBA contest, Stephen Curry is the one we want taking that shot every single time.
Defense – Kawhi Leonard
As far as the defensive side of the ball, we decided to go with a bit of an untraditional selection. Instead of taking a dominant big man, we decided on a player whose defense directly led to an NBA championship. As a young man in the San Antonio Spurs organization, Kawhi Leonard became a household name due to the way he defended some of the game’s best players in the biggest moments.
Leonard would win a Finals MVP in 2014 due to his smothering defense on a prime LeBron James. Over the course of the following two seasons, Leonard would take home back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards as well. Leonard would even cash in on another championship run in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors by dominating on both sides of the court. With his impeccable footwork, large hands, and agility, Kawhi Leonard is easily our pick for the defensive attributes we wish to be given to our player.
Finishing – LeBron James
As the game in the NBA began to move further and further away from the basket on offense, long gone became the days of big men dominating the post. When it comes to finishing around the basket, through contact or otherwise, there was no player during the decade who did it better than LeBron James.
When LeBron James got it in his mind to attack the rim downhill and got into a rhythm, there was simply no one better on the court. James delivered some of the most ferocious dunks and acrobatic layups you will ever see during the 2010s, and he did it with incredible efficiency. During the 2010s alone, LeBron James finished a remarkable 75.7% of his shots from 0-3 feet from the basket which is where he took more shots from than any other spot on the court.
When it comes to getting through contact and shedding defenders like they were annoying mosquitoes in his ear, LeBron James does it better than anybody. Let’s not fail to mention that he is also built like a freight train at 6’9’’, 250 pounds, either.
Athleticism – LeBron James
During the 2010s, there was no other basketball player I would rather watch from a pure athleticism standpoint than LeBron James. From his speed on fast breaks on both offense and defense to his leaping ability and stamina, LeBron James almost redefined what a world-class athlete looks like.
One look at the highlight reel above should tell you all you need to know from the countless poster dunks on top-tier defenders to the incredible defensive plays he made chasing down the opposition. For a player his size to be able to run, leap, and remain on the court is something we have rarely seen, if ever, on a basketball court. I cannot think of any other 2010s player whose athletic abilities we would rather steal than LeBron James’.
Clutch – LeBron James
LeBron James has the most game-winners in NBA history between the playoffs and regular season combined. It isn’t just his shooting and scoring that makes him the easy selection for the most clutch player of the decade, but the trust he puts in his teammates as well in big situations. More than once, James has found teammates to deliver the big shot rather than being selfish and forcing a less efficient one up there himself.
Again, LeBron’s clutch abilities are not limited to what he does on offense. Heck, his most clutch play of the decade occurred during Game 7 of the 2016 Finals when he chased down Andre Iguodala and blocked his layup from out of nowhere. This led to a game-sealing shot by Kyrie Irving and delivered Cleveland their first title in team history. With the game on the line and hanging in the balance, there is no other player from the 2010s I am looking at to deliver for the better other than LeBron Raymone James.
How Well Would This Player Perform On The Court?
As previously stated, we truly believe that this player can compete with any of the GOATs in NBA history. On offense, this player is as lethal as any player that ever existed, and perhaps even more so. With the overall scoring ability of Kevin Durant, the shooting ability of Stephen Curry, the ball-handling skills of Kyrie Irving, and the athleticism/IQ/clutch ability of LeBron James, this player is looking at being the first player to average 50.0 points per game in a season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Not to mention the fact that he will likely dish out somewhere between 10 and 15 assists as well.
On defense, this player is just as lethal with the overall defensive capabilities of the best version of Kawhi Leonard and the hustle of Russell Westbrook. All of the league’s best scorers are looking at a night in jail when standing across from this built player, no matter what their skill sets or abilities are themselves.
Overall, this player is likely to be the greatest player that ever walked the planet and the only one to enter the GOAT conversation alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant. In total, this player could be looking at a record-setting amount of hardware in his NBA career, including those elusive 11 NBA championships won by Celtics legend Bills Russell. Is this player the most dominant player that we have built yet?
