‘Jump shooting teams will never win a title’

When the Golden State Warriors started their ascent, many experts, like notably Charles Barkley, said that a jump shooting team would never win an NBA title. People said that this becomes a problem when the game slows down in the playoffs.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Dubs proved every single one of them wrong and won three titles in five straight trips to the finals. They ran roughshod over the entire NBA and became the world’s most-watched team.

Curry also changed the way the world viewed the jumpshot, and the culture around the NBA. He single-handedly made it cool to be a strong shooter, and his baby-faced smile provided a great cover for the ruthless killer that he was inside.

His greatness, along with the Warriors’ entertaining brand of basketball, helped the league’s already high popularity explode worldwide. Curry and Thompson also grew to be one of the most lethal one-two punches in the league.

Shooters who are getting seven or eight-figure contracts, like Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, should be paying royalties to Curry for the rest of their careers.

The Decision

This won’t be the last entry that involves LeBron James on this list, because he’s simply been the most impactful player in the NBA over the entire decade.

However, his move from Cleveland to Miami is probably the most important, because it completely changed the culture of free agency.

By teaming up with friends Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, ‘King James’ sent a message to the entire league that players had more control of their destiny than ever before.

His move, widely lambasted by old school players who felt team loyalty was important, created a more free-flowing structure of player movement around the league. Cleveland

James may have looked like the bad guy when he made the move, but that was mainly due to the way he did it. Having a TV special to announce that you’re breaking the hearts of your loyal fans wasn’t the brightest idea. Neither was that parade where he and his new teammates strutted around a stage and uttered the infamous “Not one, not two…” quote.

But the truth is, players deserve to be able to move where they want. They’re the ones generating billions of dollars for the league, and if they want to compete, so be it. James featured in eight straight finals series in the decade, so no one can say that he only moved for money. He wanted to win, and always willed his team to the Finals.

The return of the prodigal son

He made a lot of noise during his departure, and he did the same thing when he went home.

After four years with the Miami Heat, which led to two titles, LeBron James went back to his home state of Ohio.

The San Antonio Spurs and their rising star Kawhi Leonard probably a big part of his decision, as they completely dismantled the Heat in the finals by a 4-1 margin.

James found a new foil during his second stint in Cleveland, as well, because his return co-incided with the rise of the Warriors, who lay waste to everyone they faced. Even against such a seemingly insurmountable foe, LeBron managed to make history.

His leadership in bringing back the Cavs from a 3-1 series deficit in the 2016 NBA Finals is a seminal moment in NBA history. That Warriors team set a new regular season wins record (73-9) and looked destined to win the title.

LeBron came back home and finally brought the Cavs an NBA title. He could not have done any more than that. Which is also probably why his second departure didn’t generate much animosity.

Dirk Nowitzki gets his revenge on the Heat

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks were the perfect enemy for the brand-new ‘Heatles’. They were a rag-tag group of veterans, many of whom were nearing the end of their careers.

The Heat were the villain, spearheaded by three of the best players in the league, and the hate train was huge leading up to the finals.

The Mavs were a huge underdog in the series, but somehow managed to pull off the title victory. It was sweet revenge for Dirk Nowitzki, who had suffered a stinging defeat to the Heat in 2006 when they were led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.

It was a great validation for Nowitzki, who was one of the league’s most respected players. It was a just reward for the German, who transformed the power forward position.

Kevin Durant takes the ‘hard road’

The Oklahoma City Thunder had all the makings of the dynasty. They had three players who would become MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

In one of NBA history’s greatest what-ifs, people will always wonder what it would have been like if they kept that core together. Instead, they moved James Harden to the Houston Rockets in what was essentially a money-saving move.

Then, after blowing a 3-1 lead against the Warriors in 2016, Durant got up and joined the enemy. There was a great sense of irony in the fact that the Durantula went to a team that also fumbled a 3-1 lead in the NBA finals but was still the consensus best squad in the league.

But guess what, he won two rings and two Finals MVPs. While he clearly cares about what people say to him online, he’s still not going to complain about the results that he got.

Russell Westbrook becomes Mr. Triple-Double

Some may call it stat-hogging, and there’s certainly a case for that. Some may also say that Russell Westbrook may have picked up his stats without leading his team to any NBA titles.

What is undoubted, though, is that Westbrook’s averaging a triple-double for three straight seasons is a feat that will probably never accomplished again.

He also won an MVP award during that stretch and cemented himself as an NBA legend. Now he’s got an opportunity to try to compete for titles with former teammate James Harden on the Rockets, but the question is if he can transition to become less ball-dominant. The results have been mixed so far.

Westbrook is an easy lock for the Hall of Fame, that much is certain.

James Harden sets the NBA on fire

James Harden did not take kindly to the Oklahoma City Thunder thinking they were better off saving some money instead of keeping him on the team.

He started his Rockets career by putting up 37 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, one block, and has never looked behind.

He won his own MVP award in 2018 and molded himself into one of the most effective offensive threats in league history. He averaged a career-high 36.1 points in the 2018-19 season and is still tearing it up as we close out the decade. It’s come to the point where a 50-point game from James Harden isn’t even a shocking event anymore.

Harden may have had the unfortunate luck of starting his peak years during the Warriors’ romp through the NBA. From the 2014-15 to the 2018-19 NBA seasons, Harden found himself being knocked out of the playoffs by the Dubs.

If you’re not keeping count, Harden is the third Oklahoma City draftee to win an MVP award. You really have to wonder what the Thunder could have done if he, Westbrook, and Durant managed to stay together for another 3 or 4 years.

Kobe outdoes Shaq

‘KOBE HOW MY ASS TASTE???’ was one of the funniest quotes of the 2000s.

After getting his fourth ring with the Miami Heat, Shaquille O’Neal freestyled at a club making fun of Kobe Bryant for falling behind in the rings count.

Bryant ended up having the last laugh, though. He led the Lakers to back-to-back titles that closed out the 2000s and opened up the 2010s, cementing himself as one of the greatest shooting guards in history.

Shaq, to his credit, eventually gave Kobe credit and showed him love. The big man admitted that he hated it when Kobe got that that fifth ring, but said he deserved it.

The Greek Freak rises and becomes MVP

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a force of nature, and his winning the league MVP award for the 2018-19 NBA season was a great way to close out the decade.

He is a uniquely talented physical specimen who backs up his skills with an iron will and has been leading his Bucks as the best team in the east this year.

The Greek Freak is poised to become the scariest player of the next decade, and his loyalty to his small-market team is a great story for the NBA, too.

In a time where it feels like everyone’s loading up and joining forces, Antetokounmpo continues plugging away with a Bucks team that is built to perfect accentuate his strengths.

It’s a time for a changing of the guard, with LeBron James and other superstars starting to age. Giannis is the perfect one to pick up the torch.

Los Angeles loads up on superstars

It seems fitting that this list ends with something connected to LeBron James. Last year, in what seemed to be a move to secure the twilight of his career, the decade’s most polarizing player signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

What was different this time is that LeBron agreed to a four-year contract with a player option for the final year, quite unlike the one plus one deals he signed with the Cavaliers.

This meant that the King had committed himself long-term to the Lakers. While his first season in Hollywood was rather forgettable, the second campaign has started off hot thanks to the Anthony Davis trade. The Lakers have led the west since then, but also have a huge adversary in their hometown rivals.

The Los Angeles Clippers also loaded up this year by adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to their roster. This gives the Clippers scary depth, considering that they also have players like Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell who are capable of big production on a nightly basis.

The Clippers have also taken the first two games against the Lakers, setting up a huge rivalry and likely the biggest threat to James’ attempt to reach the finals again.

That gives the city of LA two legitimate shots at making the finals, making them the center of the basketball universe. At least for the next year or two.