Going Through the NBA 2010’s: All Decade First Team!
As the decade comes to a close, I will be naming some of the best players, moments and all things that have happened during this amazing decade of basketball.
Today, I will be reliving the best 5 players of this past decade. These players were great in their own way. They were great scorers and defenders, they were champions, they were All-Stars, but most of all, they were the best.
All Decade 1st Team:
Stephen Curry: Golden State Warriors
Curry appeared in 6 All-Stars, and 6 All NBA Teams. He averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists for Golden State. He won 2 MVP’s back to back in 2015 and 2016, with the MVP in 2016 being the first ever unanimous MVP in NBA History. Curry won 3 NBA Titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He led the Warriors to a 73-9 record in 2016, the greatest single season of basketball ever played. And most importantly, Curry changed the way the game was played. He singlehandedly changed the league into shooting 3’s at will, and he could be remembered as the greatest shooter and the most impactful player of all time.
James Harden: Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets
Harden appeared in 7 All-Stars, and 6 All NBA Teams. Harden averaged 24.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. Harden was a 6th Man on the Thunder with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. But, in 2012, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Here is where Harden became a star. He quickly became one of the best scorers in the NBA. He won one MVP in 2018. Although Harden does not have hardware like other guys on this list, make it be known, he is one of the greatest scorers in NBA History.
Lebron James: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers
Perhaps the GOAT, but certainly the GOAT of the era, Lebron appeared in all 10 All Stars and all 10 All NBA Teams possible during the stretch. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. James won 3 Championships, 2 back to back in 2012 and 2013 with the Heat, and the incredible comeback against the greatest team of all time, the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in 2016 as they came back down from 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, giving the Cavaliers their first championship in 52 years. James won Finals MVP in all 3 championships. This was the decade when Lebron asserted his dominance as the King. He won his rings, his MVP’s and all that, but as a kid growing up in the 2010’s, Lebron James was unstoppable.
Kevin Durant: Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant appeared in 10 All Stars, and 9 All NBA Teams. Durant averaged 28 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists during the decade. Durant won the 2014 MVP when he was with Oklahoma City. After many unsuccessful playoff trips with the Thunder, Durant left for Golden State in the 2016 free agency. Here, Durant was finally on a good playoff team he won 2 championships in 2017 and 2018 and he won Finals MVP in both of those years. Durant left Golden State this past summer to go to Brooklyn and team up with Kyrie Irving, where he will spend most of the 2020’s. Durant was the most prolific scorer of the decade, and he could become one of the greatest scorers of all time.
Kawhi Leonard: San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, LA Clippers
Kawhi Leonard appeared in 3 All Stars and 3 All NBA Teams. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. His regular season numbers are not that great because for the start of his career in San Antonio, he was not a scorer. But, Leonard showed up in the playoffs. He locked down Lebron James in the 2014 NBA Finals, and he won Finals MVP. When he left for Toronto, he won another ring and a Finals MVP. Leonard left for LA this year, and he will chase down another ring with Paul George. Leonard also had 2 defensive player of the year awards. Leonard has lots of hardware, and even if the numbers don’t show it, I would want Kawhi Leonard on my team.
I hope you have enjoyed this edition of the NBA 2010’s, please leave a comment on who your team would have been, and why were their no big guys included on this list?
