This week, ESPN has been revealing their top 100 pro athletes of the 21st century. Voters were told to only consider what the athlete has done from 2000 on. They revealed 25 athletes per day with the top 25 being named on Thursday. Here are the 16 NBA players that found their way onto the list.
NBA Players On ESPN’s Top 100 Pro Athletes Of The 21st Century
85. Kawhi Leonard
Selected with the 15th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Kawhi Leonard is 12 seasons deep into his career (missed all of 2021-22 with torn ACL). The six-foot-seven forward has won a championship with both the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors, and he was Finals MVP both times. Leonard won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
83. Chris Paul
Chris Paul is getting ready for his 20th season in the NBA after he was taken fourth overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. The six-foot point guard has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The 12-time All-Star ranks third all-time in both career assists (11,894) and steals (2,614).
69. Jason Kidd
Drafted second overall in 1994, Jason Kidd’s first five seasons came before 2000. He still played an additional 14 seasons from 1999-00 to 2012-13, accomplishing enough to make the list. Kidd led the league in assists four times from 2000 on, made four All-NBA First Teams, and was runner-up for MVP in 2001-02. He was a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 when they took home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
67. James Harden
James Harden will be entering his 16th NBA season after he was chosen third overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. The six-foot-five guard won three-straight scoring titles from 2017-18 until 2019-20, and he was named MVP for the first of those seasons. Harden has also been runner-up for MVP three times and the league leader in assists twice.
51. Steve Nash
Steve Nash’s first three seasons were prior to 2000 after he was taken with the 15th overall pick in the famed 1996 NBA Draft. Those three years paled in comparison though to what he accomplished the rest of his career. The six-foot-three point guard won back-to-back MVPs in 2004-05 and 2005-06. He led the league in assists five times and had incredible shooting splits from 1999-00 until 2013-14 of .496/.431/.908.
42. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Still just 29 years old (turns 30 on December 6), Giannis Antetokounmpo can surely surge further up the list when done in the future. In 2019-20, he was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year (also won MVP in 2018-19). He was named Finals MVP in 2021 when the Milwaukee Bucks first championship in five decades.
41. Dirk Nowitzki
Arguably the best seven-foot outsider shooter, Dirk Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year career with the Mavericks. He was named MVP in 2006-07 and Finals MVP in 2011 for Dallas’ first-ever NBA championship. Nowitzki’s career-scoring total of 31,560 points is the sixth-most in NBA history.
39. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is one of the game’s all-time great scorers. He is a four-time scoring champ and has averaged at least 25 points in each of his last 15 seasons. The 35-year-old was named MVP in 2013-14 and won back-to-back Finals MVPs with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
35. Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade won three championships with the Miami Heat. He was named an All-Star for 12 straight seasons (2004-05 to 2015-16) and won a scoring title in 2008-09. Wade played a total of 16 seasons after he was taken fifth overall in the stacked 2003 NBA Draft.
28. Nikola Jokic
Not only is Nikola Jokic the reigning MVP, he’s won the award three of the last four seasons. The one year he didn’t, he was runner-up, and he instead won Finals MVP for the 2023 championship Denver Nuggets team. Also just 29 years old, Jokic has already totaled 130 triple-doubles.
23. Kevin Garnett
Drafted in 1995, Kevin Garnett played 17 NBA seasons from 1999-00 on. The six-foot-11 power forward was named MVP in 2003-04 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2007-08. In that 2007-08 season, Garnett was an NBA champion as a member of the Boston Celtics.
17. Shaquille O’Neal
While Shaquille O’Neal was drafted well before 2000 (first pick in 1992), he played until 2010-11. The dominant big man won four championships and was named MVP in 1999-00. He averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds every season from 1999-00 to 2004-05.
16. Tim Duncan
The first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Tim Duncan played 19 seasons in the league. From 2000 on, he won back-to-back MVPs in 2001-02 as well as 2002-03. Duncan won four championships in the years 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. He also made 13 All-NBA and 13 All-Defensive teams since the turn of the century.
14. Stephen Curry
Very few players can say they changed the game quite like Stephen Curry. He’s the all-time leader in three-pointers made in his career (3,747) and in a single season (402 in 2015-16). The transcendent guard won back-to-back MVPs in 2014-15 and 2015-16 as well as four championships.
10. Kobe Bryant
Selected 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, Kobe Bryant played 17 more seasons starting with 1999-00. He three-peated with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02 and again won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. The legendary shooting guard won two scoring titles and was league MVP in 2007-08.
4. Lebron James
Very few, if any came into the league with more hype than LeBron James after he was taken with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. It’s safe to say he hasn’t disappointed as he’s the league’s all-time leading scorer with 40,474 points. He has won four championships, and four MVPs while making an All-NBA team for 20 straight seasons.
