{"id":160303,"date":"2025-09-25T11:24:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T15:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=160303"},"modified":"2025-09-25T11:24:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T15:24:22","slug":"lebron-8th-curry-7th-nbas-top-10-players-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/25\/lebron-8th-curry-7th-nbas-top-10-players-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"LeBron 8th, Curry 7th: NBA\u2019s Top 10 Players Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 ESPN revealed<\/a> its top 10 NBA players list, and the debate is already raging. The rankings, compiled from insider opinions, placed Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a> first, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> and Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>. Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, Victor Wembanyama<\/a>, and Anthony Edwards<\/a> filled out the top six. Stephen Curry<\/a> ranked seventh, with LeBron James<\/a> at eighth, Kevin Durant<\/a> at ninth, and Jalen Brunson<\/a> at tenth. The list arrives in a season clouded by injuries. Jayson Tatum<\/a>, who would have landed in this tier, is absent after his season-ending setback. That omission only sharpened focus on the names included.<\/p>\n

LeBron 8th, Curry 7th: NBA\u2019s Top 10 Players Ranked<\/h2>\n

Joki\u0107 Leads Without Doubt<\/h3>\n
\"Nikola
May 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives to the net against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) as guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends in the third quarter during game six of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joki\u0107 remains the game\u2019s ultimate problem. The Serbian big man has a Hall of Fame r\u00e9sum\u00e9 yet keeps adding layers to his dominance. Denver\u2019s front office acknowledged that fact by reshaping its roster this summer, moving Michael Porter Jr.<\/a> to create flexibility.<\/p>\n

A disappointing EuroBasket campaign with Serbia could further fuel Joki\u0107\u2019s fire. For the Nuggets, the belief is simple: their best player is still the best in basketball.<\/p>\n

Shai and Luka Push the Envelope<\/h3>\n

Reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander finished second. Many consider him the only player within reach of Joki\u0107\u2019s level. His Thunder will chase a repeat championship, a feat unseen since Golden State\u2019s 2017\u201318 squad. Jalen Williams<\/a>, just outside the NBA’s top 10 players at No. 11, gives Oklahoma City even more upside.<\/p>\n

Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s third-place ranking over Giannis does raise eyebrows. Giannis led Milwaukee through another strong season, yet Doncic\u2019s EuroBasket showing impressed scouts more. His two-way flashes hint at a new ceiling. If he sustains that, his long-awaited MVP case could finally crystallize.<\/p>\n

Legends Nearing the Finish<\/h3>\n

Curry and LeBron both sit inside the top eight, their greatness undimmed but not eternal. Curry continues to warp defenses, drilling over 300 threes last season for the sixth time in his career. At 38 this spring, he knows the championship window is narrowing.<\/p>\n

LeBron, entering season 23, landed eighth after an All-NBA second-team year. He and Doncic share one vision: keeping the Lakers in championship contention.<\/a> Age looms, but focus has sharpened.<\/p>\n

Rising Stars and Steady Icons<\/h3>\n

Wembanyama, ranked fifth, overcame last year\u2019s blood clot scare and looks stronger entering this season. His Defensive Player of the Year impact remains a centerpiece for San Antonio\u2019s rebuild. Edwards, ranked sixth, now stands firmly among the elite. At 24, he faces the question: will his touted post-game<\/a> finally appear in real competition?<\/p>\n

Durant\u2019s ninth-place finish highlights his durability and skill at 37. The Rockets will depend heavily on him after Fred VanVleet\u2019s<\/a> devastating injury.<\/a> Brunson, ranked tenth, underscores his ascension. As captain of the Knicks, his challenge is clear: turn potential into a championship push.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n

This year\u2019s list of top 10 players in the NBA blends established legends with a new guard of talent. Joki\u0107 holds the crown, but Shai, Luka, and Giannis are pushing. Curry and LeBron remain present, though their reign nears its twilight. Edwards and Wemby symbolize what\u2019s next, leaving fans wondering how this hierarchy will shift by season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 ESPN revealed its top 10 NBA players list, and the debate is already raging. The rankings, compiled from insider opinions, placed Nikola Joki\u0107 first, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Don\u010di\u0107. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and Anthony Edwards filled out the top six. Stephen Curry ranked seventh, with LeBron James at eighth, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":132707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,1248,3],"tags":[50244,2109,306,1417,69,38,1133,72,1489,48,4669],"class_list":["post-160303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-nba-season-previews","category-news","tag-2025-26-nba-season","tag-anthony-edwards","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-jalen-brunson","tag-kevin-durant","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","tag-stephen-curry","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160303"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160314,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160303\/revisions\/160314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}