When it comes to talent, the NBA has rarely been in such a good spot.

The league is filled with talent from top to bottom, with a few all-time greats still performing at elite levels and several up-and-coming superstars.

Any listing of its top ten players will certainly enrage at least a few fanbases who believe their favorite player belongs on the list.

Even with a winning name that is as close to unanimity as we’ve been in a few years, completing this ranking will be difficult. How much weight should recent performances have in comparison to overall career achievements?

This ranking tends toward the former, but there is still opportunity for a player’s track record to shine.

10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

SGA, a 24-year-old Canadian guard who has taken the game by storm, is the newest addition to the NBA’s list of true superstars. He averaged more than 30 points per game in 2022-23, finishing fifth in MVP voting, and was perhaps the finest overall player in this summer’s FIBA World Cup. Gilgeous-Alexander has his own cadence, a buzzing blend of limbs and dribble moves that have proven tough to defend – and capped by great shooting from all over the floor. He’ll be a fixture on lists like these for many years to come.

9. Jimmy Butler

Based solely on his regular-season statistics, Butler’s inclusion in any league-wide top 10 is debatable. But when it comes to the playoffs, he’s just a force – the type of big-game player who constantly raises the Heat to post-season runs no one predicted. He makes enormous shots, defends opposing stars, and appears to single-handedly will his side to victory on a regular basis. Even if he never wins a championship, he will be remembered as one of this generation’s most clutch players.

8. LeBron James

It may appear preposterous for a near-39-year-old to rank among the NBA’s top ten players in his 21st season, and it is. Every year, James defies Father Time, and he does so at an insanely high level: he still averages approximately 25 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists each game, despite being the league’s oldest player. Within a year or two, James may be playing in the NBA with his eldest kid – and he could still be on this list. What a fantastic career.

7. Luka Dončić

Some may consider this placement to be demeaning to Doni, who has amassed some of the most amazing numbers of any player in recent seasons, including over 32 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per night last season. Doncic is a one-man offense, an orchestra conductor who has perfect command of every piece on the floor. However, his defensive commitment is uneven, to put it nicely, and his Dallas Mavericks have struggled at times to locate perfect supporting players owing to his peculiar play style. But he’s only 24 years old and can only become better from here.

6. Jayson Tatum

Tatum, the NBA’s finest young guard today, with four All-Star appearances, three All-NBA choices, and a fourth-place finish in MVP at the age of 25. He’s the most complete young winger in the league, capable of becoming both an excellent offensive creator and a top-tier defender. Tatum is also exceptionally durable, missing never more than 10 games in a single season despite frequently playing large minutes. A title is the next big step for this rising star, and at least one appears to be on the horizon in the coming years.

5. Joel Embiid
After three consecutive runner-up finishes, Embiid finally received his long-awaited MVP title, and he is undoubtedly one of the game’s most dominant regular-season players. His skill set for such a huge individual is astounding, ranging from exquisite footwork to long-distance shooting – all backed up by physical might. However, with a developing track record of being less efficient and productive in the playoffs, Embiid can only ascend to fifth on this list.

4. Kevin Durant
At 35, one of the best scorers in NBA history is still going strong, averaging more over 30 points per game in his 17th season. He can play any position, including dominating the ball, spotting up around Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, and distributing. He has one of the game’s best jumpers and can get it off over any defender. Durant’s comeback from an Achilles tear that cost him a full season is nothing short of incredible, and he’ll go down as an all-time great.

3. Stephen Curry

Curry is another legend who is still telling his narrative as the greatest shooter basketball has ever seen – and probably its most distinctive offensive player ever. Despite the toughest diet of shots of any player in the game, the four-time champion and nine-time All-Star seems to mature like fine wine, averaging 30 and tearing the nets from deep. Few people have ever changed the game as much as Curry, and he’s still going strong.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo may have been manufactured in a lab in a league that increasingly values two-way domination. Despite his weak shot, he’s an offensive wrecking ball and the league’s deadliest force on the open floor; he’s also a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, a guard-all-five-spots threat who also happens to be the NBA’s finest help defender. He’s lived up to every promise the Bucks saw in him when they drafted him in the middle of the first round in 2013.

1. Nikola Jokić

If two consecutive MVPs weren’t enough, Jokic pulled together one of the most dominant play-off runs in recent memory on his way to the 2023 NBA title: 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game, and one of the easiest Finals MVP calls ever. There is absolutely no match for his offensive game, which is flawless in every way. He’s the best playmaker in the NBA, an unstoppable post scorer, an outstanding jump shooter, and an elite offensive rebounder. While critics sometimes criticize his defense, he is so far ahead of the pack offensively that no one else could conceivably hold the top rank.