The NBA regular season is coming to a close on Sunday. The 20 teams participating in this year’s playoffs (including the Play-In Tournament) are already known.
Here are the best players 30 and older looking for their first NBA championship. These players are on one of the 20 teams that will see their season go on after the regular season ends. These rankings are not how they would currently rank, but a ranking of their entire NBA career.
The toughest two players to leave off were CJ McCollum of the New Orleans Pelicans and Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Will any of these ten players find their way off this list by winning the 2024 NBA Championship?
Best NBA Players 30 And Older Looking For First Championship
10. Al Horford, Boston Celtics (Age: 37)
Al Horford has been named to five All-Star teams, four of which as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged double figures in scoring each of his first 15 seasons.
9. Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns (Age: 30)
A three-time All-Star, Bradley Beal has career averages of 21.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. The shooting guard had back-to-back seasons averaging over 30 points in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
8. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls (Age: 34)
DeMar DeRozan currently ranks 31st in NBA history with 23,552 points. Now in his 15th season, he leads the league in 2023-24 averaging 37.7 minutes per outing.
7. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (Age: 31)
Rudy Gobert is the heavy favorite to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award which would tie him for the most all time (with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace). He has averaged a double-double in points and rebounds each of the last eight seasons.
6. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers (Age: 33)
Turning 34 on May 2, Paul George has a laundry list of awards and honors. The 2012-13 Most Improved Player also is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, and four-time All-Defensive member.
5. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls (Age: 34)
Another former Most Improved Player (2014-15), Jimmy Butler has averaged over 20 points in four straight seasons and eight of the last ten. Known as ‘Playoff Jimmy’, Butler has seen many of his career averages rise in the postseason.
4. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks (Age: 33)
The 2012-13 Rookie of the Year, Damian Lillard has proven to be one of the best scoring point guards of all-time. In his 12 NBA seasons, he has averaged 25.1 points and 6.7 assists while connecting on 2,607 threes (fourth all-time).
3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (Age: 30)
The runner-up for MVP in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, Joel Embiid finally broke through and won the award in 2022-23. He has won two scoring titles as well as been named to three All-Defensive teams.
2. Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers (Age: 35)
The 2016-17 MVP, Russell Westbrook has averaged a triple-double in three different seasons. Now in his 17th NBA season, he has led the league in scoring twice and in assists three times.
Westbrook’s first triple-double as a Clipper:
16 PTS
15 REB
15 ASTOne triple-double away from 200 in his career. https://t.co/syncrCyZGj
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 10, 2024
1. James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers (Age: 34)
James Harden has six top-five MVP finishes including winning the award in 2017-18. That season was the first of three straight that he won a scoring title, and Harden also led the league in assists twice.
