The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2010s, ranked
By Cal Durrett
The NBA, more than any other sport, has a younger fanbase. As a result, more than a few of their fans started watching the league in the 2010s and became familiar with their stars and there were a lot of them. Unlike previous generations, which saw many of their best players play until the mid-30s, the 2010s saw several top players from the 2000s continue to play well into the decade.
That mix of holdover stars from the previous decade and stars coming into their own made the 2010s. As a result, let's go through and take a look at the 75 greatest players of the era and see who ranks as the best of the best.
Honorable Mention
76) JJ Redick
Former NBA sharpshooter turned analyst JJ Redick was a valuable player on several playoff teams during the 2010s, with him playing for the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, L.A. Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers in that span. Reddick got his start with the Magic, who selected him 11th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, and while he was a college star, he initially struggled to earn playing time.
He eventually managed to carve out a key role on the Dwight Howard-led Magic before Redick was dealt to the Bucks. He played just half a season there before signing with the Clippers and being a key part of the Lob-City-era teams that featured Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and Deandre Jordan
Playing off-ball while two stars drew attention allowed him to get plenty of open looks and it resulted in the best stretch of Redick's career in which he averaged at least 15 points a game for all four of his seasons in LA. However, he opted to sign with the Sixers to finish out the decade.
That turned out to be the best decision of his career. He posting back-to-back career seasons despite being in his 30s, averaging 17.1 points and 18.1 points, respectively, in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In total, Redick tallied 14.4 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting a red-hot 41.5% from distance in 696 games. As far as role players are concerned, he was among the best of the best during the 2010s.