The NBA is home to the greatest basketball players in the world, with fans around the world witnessing historic records being broken left, right and centre. The game has evolved to the extent where scoring averages have gone through the roof, and the three-point shot has never been as valuable.
Whether it's 7-foot centers stretching the floor, or more position-less basketball than ever, the NBA landscape has changed significantly since the days of Michael Jordan and even Kobe Bryant. But just who can claim to be the greatest basketball player in the world today?
Below is a ranking of the 10 best players in the NBA right now, and there are some very big names to miss the cut.
Ranking Factors
Recent individual and team performances (play-offs included)
Individual awards like MVPs, DPOYs, All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections
Team achievements like NBA titles
Stats including points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals
Impact on their team and how important they are
10 Victor Wembanyama
It is a measure of Victor Wembanyama's incredible impact on the league since his arrival, that he is already considered one of the best players in the league. Aged just 21, the Frenchman was very much the favourite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in just his second season in the NBA - this after finishing as the runner-up in his rookie season - until a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder cut his campaign short.
Standing at 7 foot 4, Wembanyama belies his height with extraordinary footwork, while his natural feel and touch for the ball marks him out already too. Able to launch jumpers from beyond the three-point line, and be the roll-man for his point guard, he could well emerge as the definitive MVP of the league as soon as next season.
Victor Wembanyama's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats
Stat
Points per game
Assists per game
Rebounds per game
Steals per game
Blocks per game
Career awards
NBA titles
9 Jalen Brunson
Has there even been a more rapid, or even unexpected rise, to stardom in recent years than Jalen Brunson? His time with the Dallas Mavericks was fine enough, but moving away from the shadow of Luka Doncic and into the limelight of being the main man himself in New York, has catapulted Brunson's game to new levels.
A relentless scorer, Brunson has added to his game significantly since playing at Madison Square Garden. He has been instrumental in leading the offence of the Knicks, and has been one of the biggest reasons why New York find themselves in the Eastern Conference finals after such a long time away. His tenacity and constant drives into the paint make him a nightmare to defend against, and is among the best scorers in the league now.
|Jalen Brunson's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|26.0|
|Assists per game|7.3|
|Rebounds per game|2.9|
|Steals per game|0.9|
|Blocks per game|0.1|
|Career awards|2x All-Star, 1 x All-NBA Second Team|
|NBA titles|0|
|---|
8 LeBron James
What more is there to say about LeBron James that hasn't already been said before? One of the greatest NBA players of all-time, King James' powers have yet to really wane, and despite now being in his 40s, continues to capture eyes unlike anyone else. While naturally, the explosiveness isn't the same as it once was, his reading of the game has become second-to-none, while he can always fall back on his physicality and strength when he needs to get to the cup.
The Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Luka Doncic in the middle of the season has opened up a world of possibilities for James going forward, not least in the knowledge that he can genuinely feel comfortable as the team's second option. While even James' superhuman powers weren't enough to guide the Lakers into a deep post-season run, there's no questioning he remains one of the best in the business.
|LeBron James' 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|24.4|
|Assists per game|8.2|
|Rebounds per game|7.8|
|Steals per game|1.0|
|Blocks per game|0.6|
|Career awards|4x MVP, 4x NBA Finals MVP, 21x All-Star, 13x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 4x All-NBA Third Team, 1x ROTY|
|NBA titles|4|
|---|
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7 Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all-time, Steph Curry finds himself in the conversation of the best point guard in NBA history. The sheer ability and longevity with which Curry has played makes for mind-boggling reading, and he remains the Golden State Warriors' cornerstone. Even in the exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-offs this season, it was Curry's injury that arguably turned the tide.
Given all the talk about LeBron James' age, it is easy to forget that Curry, at 37, is winding down his career too. Even despite that, he remains a virtual guarantee of at least 20 to 25 points a night on very efficient shooting, and why the Warriors have continued to try and eke out every last possible trade and free agent signing to maximise their championship window.
|Stephen Curry's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|24.5|
|Assists per game|6.0|
|Rebounds per game|4.4|
|Steals per game|1.1|
|Blocks per game|0.4|
|Career awards|2x MVP, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 11x All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 4x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|4|
|---|
6 Anthony Edwards
One of the NBA's most electrifying players, Anthony Edwards is simply must-watch televison. Whether it's ferocious dunks or a much-improved three-point shot, Edwards is quickly becoming one of the faces of the league. In just a few years, he has transformed the Minnesota Timberwolves into a genuine title contender, even despite the loss of Karl-Anthony Towns and having to contend with rebuilding an entire offence.
His highlight plays are seemingly week-in and week-out, and even despite the Wolves not yet building the most complete roster around him - or at least to maximise his strengths - Edwards' sheer will power is dragging his team into contention. A Western Conference finals match-up against the Oklahoma City Thunder presents a new challenge for him, and if he can somehow find a way of making it past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co, then there's a serious case for Edwards to move even higher up on this list.
|Anthony Edwards' 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|27.6|
|Assists per game|4.5|
|Rebounds per game|5.7|
|Steals per game|1.2|
|Blocks per game|0.6|
|Career awards|3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Second Team|
|NBA titles|0|
|---|
5 Jayson Tatum
The key piece behind Boston Celtics' championship-winning run last year, news of Jayson Tatum's ACL injury sent shockwaves around the league. Not only did Joe Mazzulla's side suffer an early exit from the Eastern Conference play-offs this time around, but it has already cast doubt over what their roster will look like come next season, and the kind of significant cost-cutting moves that might need to be made now that contention for the title might be out of the window.
Before his injury, Tatum was once again rounding out his game even further, polishing his passing skills and reading of the game. While he may not get the same kind of media attention and hype as some of the other players on this list, Tatum is undeniably one of the most complete stars of the NBA right now in terms of his overall game.
|Jayson Tatum's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|26.8|
|Assists per game|6.0|
|Rebounds per game|8.7|
|Steals per game|1.1|
|Blocks per game|0.5|
|Career awards|6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|1|
|---|
4 Luka Doncic
When the NBA world woke up to the news that the Dallas Mavericks had traded Luka Doncic, there was a mixture of disbelief and ridicule. Just what had possessed Nico Harrison to let go of the franchise's cornerstone and one of the best players in the league? The Los Angeles Lakers went from concerns over their post-Lebron future to continued championship contention virtually overnight.
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While Doncic didn't quite play his best basketball as a Laker, he showed more than enough to suggest they will be a contender year-in and year-out in the West Conference. His vision, scoring and genuine showmanship make him the perfect fit for LA, and depending on how the off-season goes, Doncic and LeBron could be lifting the NBA title this time next year.
|Luka Doncic's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|28.2|
|Assists per game|7.7|
|Rebounds per game|8.2|
|Steals per game|1.8|
|Blocks per game|0.4|
|Career awards|5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 1x ROTY|
|NBA titles|0|
|---|
3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Arguably the best two-player in the league right now, Giannis Antetokounmpo's long-term future with the Milwaukee Bucks is uncertain heading into the summer. Damian Lillard's injury that is set to rule him out for the majority - if not all - of the next season means the Bucks are unlikely to be genuine contenders for the NBA title, and it remains to be seen whether Antetokounmpo finally decides it is time to move on to pastures new.
Aged just 30, the Greek Freak is posting the kind of numbers that are historic to say the least, and is surely already in the conversation alongside the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as one of the most dominant players in NBA history. If it weren't for the presence of Nikola Jokic, then Giannis may very well have secured one or two more MVP awards to add to the couple he already has.
|Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|30.4|
|Assists per game|6.5|
|Rebounds per game|11.9|
|Steals per game|0.9|
|Blocks per game|1.2|
|Career awards|2x MVP, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 9x All-Star, 6x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 1x DPOY, 1x MIP|
|NBA titles|1|
|---|
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2 Nikola Jokic
A three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic is already a Hall of Fame talent who is in the conversation of the greatest big man of all-time. The big Serb is a stats-stuffing machine, racking up an obscene amount of points, assists and rebounds, while all doing it with remarkable efficiency. He is the greatest indictment on judging players by the eye test, with Jokic's frame and languid style as non-athletic as you can get. But scratch beyond the surface, and Jokic's hard-nosed grit, determination and sheer skill is otherworldly.
The 2024/2025 season was another historic one for Jokic on a personal level, but the Denver Nuggets' relative lack of success and consistency means that his spot as the number one player in the world right now might just be in question.
|Nikola Jokic's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|29.6|
|Assists per game|10.2|
|Rebounds per game|12.7|
|Steals per game|1.8|
|Blocks per game|0.6|
|Career awards|3x MVP, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team|
|NBA titles|1|
|---|
1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
One of the most closely-fought MVP races in recent years, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's performances in leading the Oklahoma City Thunder this season might well have just tipped the award in his favour. The Canadian-born star has spearheaded the Thunder not just from an offensive point of view, but also defensively too.
Averaging over 30 points per game, SGA's combination of speed, three-point shooting and almost machine-like tendency to repeatedly get to the free-throw line makes him one of the most dangerous scorers in the NBA. His role and contribution to the Thunder's defence has been critical, and in their match-up in the Western Conference semi-finals with the Jokic-led Nuggets, it was OKC who prevailed behind Gilgeous-Alexander's superb display. With Denver now dispatched, Shai and co will really fancy their chances of lifting their first NBA crown.
|Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 2024/2025 Regular Season Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|32.7|
|Assists per game|6.4|
|Rebounds per game|5.0|
|Steals per game|1.7|
|Blocks per game|1.0|
|Career awards|3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team|
|NBA titles|0|
|---|
Stats correct as of 21/05/2025 and sourced from NBA.com