Stephen A. Smith Names Top-5 Players In The NBA
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The NBA season is officially over, which means now is a good time to take a look up and down the league and determine who is the best of the best.
Speaking on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith shared his opinion and listed his top-five NBA players.
His list, according to ClutchPoints, started with Stephen Curry at number five, followed by LeBron James at four, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in third.
Then it was Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in second place, and Nikola Jokic in the top spot.
Those top two choices look awfully familiar to anyone who has been paying attention to the league recently.
The top 5 players in the NBA right now, according to Stephen A. Smith 🧐
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. LeBron James
5. Steph Curry
Thoughts?
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 25, 2025
The race for this season’s MVP came down to Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander, with the Oklahoma City Thunder star coming out as the victor.
Smith’s list confirms that these two names could be appearing on many lists, neck-and-neck for years to come.
Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander are easily two of the most talked-about and admired stars in the NBA, and it may be that way for a while.
The rest of this list is also filled with superstars, all looking to have a good summer break and come back stronger than ever.
They all have something to prove, too, with James and Curry attempting to push their teams forward as they draw closer to retirement, and Antetokounmpo trying to remind the world why he was a champion only a few years ago.
How will Smith’s list look a year from now?
Will it still be Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander at the top, and will the rest of the lineup change?