This past decade featured some of the most impactful changes that the NBA has ever seen in any single decade. Old eras have come to a close while new eras are beginning. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and appreciate the top 10 moments in the NBA during the past decade.
Please note: this article is done in chronological order.
Lakers Repeat as Champions (2010)
The 2010 NBA Finals was Kobe Bryant’s last trip to the Finals in his career. The series featured the Boston Celtics and their “Big 3” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, and pitted them against the defending champion Lakers, notably led by Kobe, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher. Other notable players in the series were Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace for the Celtics, and Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The series still utilized the old 2-3-2 format and the Lakers defended homecourt in games 6 and 7. Kobe was the series MVP for the second straight NBA Finals, further solidifying his ability to lead a team to an NBA title without Shaq.
Dirk Nowitzki Wins his Only Title (2011)
The 2011 Dallas Mavericks may have been the last team to win a title that did not feature multiple superstars on one team. Despite having to face the Miami Heat’s newly created “Big 3” of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the Mavericks used their depth consisting of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Tyson Chanlder and Shawn Marion to hold LeBron to just 17.8 points per game.
Dirk Nowitzki was awarded Finals MVP, as he averaged 26 points and 9.7 rebounds during the six-game series, as Dallas avenged their loss to Miami in the 2006 NBA Finals. The title was the first and only of Nowitzki’s career and is easily one of the most respected championship titles in sports.
Vetoed Chris Paul Trade (2011)
In December of 2011, a historic three-team trade was in place that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets and Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Lamar Odom and Goran Dragic to the New Orleans Hornets. Within an hour of the three teams agreeing to the deal, NBA commissioner David Stern called everything off. Rumors began to swirl that other owners across the league deemed the trade to be unfair, given the Lakers had already won five titles since 2000. Paul was eventually traded to Los Angeles, but to the Clippers where he formed “Lob City” with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, but the trio failed to ever reach the Western Conference Finals.
LeBron James win his First Title (2012)
Continuing the theme of star players winning it all in this decade, LeBron James’ nine-year odyssey of searching for his first NBA title came to an end against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. This moment in NBA history is also significant because it was the only NBA Finals that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden all played in together.
Of course, this move followed LeBron’s infamous “decision,” where he announced to the world he would be signing with the Heat. “The Decision” could have been its own moment on this list, but LeBron’s goal was to win a title, which is why “The Decision” receives its own footnote here.
Ray Allen’s 3-Pointer Against Spurs (2013)
The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs squared off in back-to-back years in the 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals and split the series. The Heat were able to beat the Spurs in seven games in the 2013 NBA Finals, but LeBron James’ second consecutive NBA title would not have been possible if not for veteran sharpshooter Ray Allen hitting one of the most iconic shots of the entire decade.
The shot also featured some of Mike Breen’s finest work. Check it out:
Steph Curry Wins First Ever Unanimous MVP (2016)
Steph Curry was no stranger to winning the NBA MVP in 2015-16. He defended his MVP status by leading the league in both points (30.1) and steals (2.1) in addition to 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. However, what most remember about Curry from 2015-16 was his ridiculous shooting from three-point range. Curry shot 45.4% from long range and averaged 5.2 made threes per game. He made an NBA record made 402 total three-point field goals, a feat yet to be replicated. Curry also led the Warriors to an NBA record 73-9 regular season. When he won the MVP, it was also the first time in NBA history the award was given in unanimous fashion.
Warriors Blow 3-1 Finals Lead to Cavs (2016)
The Golden State Warriors had a historic regular season, as they achieved a 73-9 record. After coming back from being 3-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors looked poised to repeat as NBA champions. However, up 3-1, Draymond Green received a one-game suspension, which allowed for the Cavaliers to find a rhythm and Kyrie Irving and LeBron James caught absolute fire. LeBron was named Finals MVP. after averaging 29.3 point, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists. Irving was the perfect Robin to LeBron’s Batman, putting up 27.1 points, 3.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game, including the dagger to win the series in Oracle Arena. The Cavaliers are the only team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
Kevin Durant Joins the Warriors (2016)
2016 was a busy year in the NBA and featured a historic regular season by the Warriors and a historic performance by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. But the 2016 free agency period proved to be just as historic as the previous season. After losing to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, Kevin Durant elected to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join the team that bounced him from the playoffs just a few months ago. Perhaps the most scrutinized move in the NBA did pay off for Durant, who went on to win his first two championships and was the Finals MVP in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
End of an Era
This decade saw numerous beloved players retire. Kobe Bryant ended his last game with 60 points and a win at the Staples Center. Other notable retirements include Ray Allen (2014), Tim Duncan (2016), Kevin Garnett (2016), Paul Pierce (2017), Manu Ginóbili (2018), Tony Parker (2019), Dirk Nowitzki (2019) and Dwayne Wade (2019). The only remaining player from the late 1990s-mid 2000s era is the ageless wonder Vince Carter, who will be the first NBA player to play in three different decades in 2020. While these players will all be missed and remembered by fans of all teams, there is a bright future ahead in the NBA.
International Players are More Prevalent than Ever (2019)
Ever since the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” inspired the world with the sport of basketball, the number international players in the NBA has continuously grown. Marc and Paul Gasol, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Luol Deng, Dikembe Mutombo, and Dominique Wilkins highlight some of the trail blazers of international stars to grace the NBA.
In 2019, the prevalence of international players proved to be more so than ever before. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) won the NBA MVP award, Luka Dončić (Slovenia) won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, Rudy Gobert (France) won the MVP Defensive Player of the Year Award and Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Other notable international players in the NBA today include Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, Steven Adams, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Vučević, Nikola Jokić and Goran Dragić.
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