The good news for Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant? That they remain, according to our annual Top 100 NBA player rankings, among the 10 best players in the NBA.
The bad news?
Their grip on those spots is slipping, a reminder that their hold on the game they’ve long dominated may also soon give way — to younger players, to a slow but sure decline, to time’s inevitable victory.
These three have long owned the NBA: They have owned its awards and accolades, its championships and trophies, its tendency to reward greatness, that sense of surety of the very few who are its very best and most important.
And despite their spot near the top of our list, for the first time in more than a decade not one of this era’s dominating triumvirate are seen as a top-three player — or even worthy of a top-five slot. Not this time.
Steph, who was No. 3 last season, falls to sixth. Durant fell from No. 5 to No. 9. LeBron James came in at eighth, back in the top 10 after playing 71 regular-season games last season.
Yes, their top-10 rankings are a nod to the greatness still lurking in those aging, sometimes fragile bodies. All three of them shone brightly during this summer’s Olympics: Durant’s return from injury instantly changed the USA roster. LeBron won the tournament’s MVP award. And Steph’s heroics in the semifinals and gold medal game — with his iconic golden dagger — were unforgettable.
Those heroics also included one of the lasting images of the 2024 Paris Olympics: Steph launching a 3-pointer over the incredibly long outstretched arm of VIctor Wembanyama. That 3-point shot was not exactly a passing of the torch — Steph, after all, torched Wemby in that moment. Yet the picture of Steph shooting over an impossibly sized would-be NBA superstar very well looks like a last, if successful, stand — for Steph and his fellow and aging all-time greats.
Getty Images
This could well be the last year all, or any, of Steph, LeBron and K.D. remain among the NBA’s top 10 players.
There is their age, of course. Steph is 36. Kevin Durant turns 36 later this month. And LeBron James, still fighting back Father Time, will be 40 in December. Age comes for all of us, athletes often earliest of all.
The cracks have already started to show. Last season was the first time since 2005 that neither Steph, LeBron or Durant played in the second round of the NBA playoffs — years before Steph and K.D. were even in the league.
It was a turning of the tide — a hint that their time, extraordinary though it has been, is waning. The exclamation point behind that fact was that LeBron’s Lakers and Durant’s Suns combined for a single playoff win before being ushered out of the playoffs in the first round. Steph’s Warriors didn’t make the playoffs at all.
They’re still great players, of course. It’s why we ranked all three of them in the top 10, despite their downward trajectory.
We saw that in the Olympics. We saw it last NBA season, too.
LeBron was still good for 26-7-8, and the 71 games played were his most in six years. Curry remained a scoring machine, and, for good measure, won last year’s Clutch Player of the Year Award. He was good for 74 games. And K.D. was the most durable of all, playing in 75 games for an underachieving Suns team and averaging more than 27 points per game — the fifth-highest mark in the league.
Looking for more analysis of CBS Sports’ Top 100 list? Listen and subscribe to the Beyond the Arc podcast for breakdowns, debates and more.
But their age is not the only threat to their reign among the game’s elite. Other names are coming, too. Which is why Steph’s shot over Wemby might be as much a final hurrah as anything else.
There are several younger players who, a year from now, could make big enough leaps to successfully pass over Steph, LeBron and Durant as surely as that shot did over Wembanyama.
Wemby is the most likely candidate to help nudge these names from their spots in next year’s top 10. He came in at No. 12 this time around, but don’t be shocked if next season he goes to the top five — or higher.
Anthony Edwards (10) and Jalen Brunson (13) should not be overlooked as faces of the game’s future — a future barreling toward us perhaps quicker than we realize.
Deven Booker (14) is widely regarded as the future of the Phoenix Suns, overshadowing his older teammate. On the other hand, Ja Morant (16) has the potential to reach MVP-level status, but concerns about his health and off-court issues need to be addressed. Prior to his injury in January, Tyrese Haliburton was performing at a top-five player level, showcasing his offensive prowess and MVP candidacy. Zion Williamson (21) and Chet Holmgren (30) are also poised to make significant improvements in their game.
Meanwhile, seasoned veterans like Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant continue to dominate as top-10 players this season. However, their age, coupled with the emergence of young stars in the league, suggest that their reign at the top may soon come to an end. Enjoy watching these all-time greats perform at their peak while you still can, as the next generation of NBA stars is ready to take over the mantle.
This content has been carefully rewritten to maintain the essence of the original article while presenting it in a fresh and engaging manner suitable for a WordPress platform.