The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2000s, ranked

The 2000s were an important decade for the NBA, with new stars emerging to carry the league into a new era. But which players were the best of the decade?
Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal
Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal / Jed Jacobsohn/GettyImages
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42) Antawn Jamison

Antawn Jamison has not made the Basketball Hall of Fame yet but quietly has a strong case to get in, largely due to his play during the 2000s. In Jamison's second season in the NBA and the first in the 2000s, Jameson saw his scoring increase by 10 points, upping his average to 19.6 per game.

He then increased his scoring to 24.6 points per game in his third season and would keep that type of production up over his final two years with the Warriors. Over five seasons in Golden State, he put up an outstanding 20.2 points and 7.5 boards per game before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he won Sixth Man of the Year in his sole season there.

He was then dealt to the Washington Wizards, where he found a home. He spent six total seasons in Washington, with the first five counting in these rankings. During that time, Jameson made two all-star appearances, making up for the two or three that he probably should have made.

Unfortunately, he played in the stacked Western Conference during some of his best seasons before moving east and being rewarded. Jamison ultimately averaged 20.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 751 games during the decade, making him a surprisingly prolific offensive player.