It’s not a secret that basketball is an American game. While international competition is rising, a handful of American NBA players still reign supreme. International players may claim the next face of the league, but there are still a handful of young American players looking to claim the top spot after the old heads retire. With the old generation still dominating and the younger players beginning to take over, this list is a fine mix of fresh and vintage. In ascending order, here are the top five American players in the league right now.
This may come as a surprise, but it shouldn’t be. It’s no secret that Jalen Brunson has become a star in today’s game. Since arriving in New York, the Knicks have begun taking steps to ensure they can remain competitive for years to come. Brunson is a two-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection. He certainly will continue to add to his resume in the coming seasons, and may find himself in the top five soon enough as well.
This season, Brunson led the Knicks to the conference finals and managed to knock out the defending champion Celtics in six games. With the current roster and ever-weakening Eastern Conference, the Knicks could find themselves at the top come playoff time next season. Brunson averaged 26 points, a career high in assists at 7.3, and 2.9 rebounds this season.
While Brunson is on the fence of the top five, he isn’t quite up to par with the players inside the top five. However, if he and the Knicks can build off of a solid 2024-25 campaign, he will no doubt climb higher and higher.
Starting off the top five of the American NBA players list, Stephen Curry. Not only is he the greatest point guard of this generation, but arguably the greatest of all time. He completely shifted the foundation of the league and changed the way the game is played forever.
Curry is an 11-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, a two-time scoring champion, four-time NBA champion with a finals MVP, and the 2021-22 Western Conference Finals MVP. He was also the steal champion in the 2015-16 season, and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary team.
Curry is one of the most decorated players in the NBA, and remains a top-three point guard in a league dominated by the position. At 37, Curry averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and six assists. Even in his old age, he still shoots over 40% from the field and almost 40% from three-point range. With the resurgence of Draymond Green late in the season and the addition of Jimmy Butler, the Warriors could be scarier than ever next year.
Why is Curry at five and not the top three? To put it simply, his numbers have slipped. It’s fairly typical for a player over 35 to see their numbers begin to decline. However, Curry is still the mold of the position, and is the Warriors’ number one option every single night. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer undoubtedly deserves to be on the list; however, he can’t be placed any higher.
Coming in at number four, Kevin Durant narrowly passes Curry. The Suns handled Durant, and everyone, for that matter, very poorly. However, Durant remains one of the best and elite scorers in the league, even in his advanced age. Durant is a 15-time NBA All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion with two finals MVPs, a four-time scoring champ, and the 2013-14 MVP. Durant was also selected for the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.
While Durant will always have his career tainted after his untimely departure from the Thunder to the Warriors, his skill level is undeniable. Durant is still one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA, shooting over 52% from the field and averaging 26.6 points per game this season. Along with six rebounds and 4.2 assists, his performance was overshadowed by the team’s poor season.
With his trade to the Rockets this offseason, Durant has a real chance to compete with some rising stars and a very well-built roster. While the West is becoming increasingly competitive, the Rockets have boosted themselves into real contender status.
While Durant is entering the later stages of his career, with retirement three to five years away, he will be alongside Curry as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Durant has been atop the league practically since the Sonics moved to OKC.
However, his career will always be marked by that little red flag, having joined the Warriors after being one game shy of making the finals. The majority of the league’s fans will always use that against him. However, Durant has put his name up with the greats.
While most top-fives are subjective, some require a little objectivity. Jayson Tatum deserves to be recognized as one of the top five to ten players in the league currently, regardless of nationality. Tatum led one of the most dominant teams of the century to a title last season, and could’ve done it again without the injury.
Tatum is a six-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, the 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and, as mentioned, a one-time NBA champion.
Without the injury, Tatum could easily be higher on this list. An ACL tear is no joke, and it usually results in a significant loss of performance in a player’s game. For Tatum, it could be his explosiveness or his quick first step, and those are some of the biggest parts of his game.
However, losing the pessimism, Tatum’s career has been solid, and if he can return to a similar version of himself, the Celtics are primed for another finals run. Tatum, this season, averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and a career-high in assists with six a game.
Tatum, no doubt, will come back as a slightly different player. If the injury bug lingers, Tatum will fall from grace as one of the newer faces of the league. However, looking at this season, Tatum certainly deserves a spot on the top American NBA players list.
What can be said about LeBron James that hasn’t been said already? The 40-year-old is still balling, even if it won’t be for much longer. It would be easier to mention the awards James hasn’t claimed in his over two decades of experience.
James is a 21-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA selectee, the 2007-08 scoring champion, the assist champion in the 2019-20 season, a four-time NBA MVP, a four-time NBA champion with four Finals MVPs, a six-time selectee to the All-Defensive teams, and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary team.
James’s numbers have finally seen the decline experts were saying would hit three or four years ago. However, James remains one of the most dominant players in the NBA today. James averaged 24.4 points per game this season, the lowest on this list.
Additionally, it’s his first season averaging under 25 since his rookie campaign. However, James is still shooting over 50% from the field, and Durant is the only player shooting better than him on this list. Now, add in the fact that James almost averaged a triple-double again this season, and the picture is clear why he is so far up this list.
James, now being paired with Luka Doncic, has a real shot to compete in the West, and that’s something he needs to push his name past Michael Jordan in the G.O.A.T. debate. Doncic will take a bigger role in the offense than James, now having half a season and the offseason to learn how Los Angeles operates, which will boost James and hopefully keep him healthy.
With the young superstar pairing, James can now play backseat to the offensive beast that is Doncic. While the Lakers will have a tough road back to the playoffs, this squad is built to handle the pressure. James may not have many miles left, but he’ll use all of his gas if that means another ring.
Anthony Edwards (Ant) is on pace to become the greatest Timberwolves player ever. He’s young with more room to be a more efficient scorer, and the front office in Minnesota is 100% behind him. However, in the ultra-competitive West, it’ll be interesting to see if the Tims can give Ant enough support to overcome the rising dynasty in OKC.
Ant is a three-time NBA All-Star with two selections to All-NBA teams. While not having the best resume, Ant’s stats speak for themselves.
Ant’s shooting ability is still a slight work in progress. His shooting splits from the field have stagnated; however, he is still shooting solidly at 44.7% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range. This season, Ant hit the most threes in the entire league (320), and his win share jumped from 7.5 to 8.4. Along with this, Ant averaged an impressive 27.6 points per game, with 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists on the way to a tough series loss to the Thunder in the Conference Finals.
Ant takes the number one spot on this list for two reasons. Number one: He is simply a juggernaut on the court. On offense, he is capable of giving you 40 points, taking and making tough shots while also attacking the rim with insane aggressiveness. On defense, he is a more than capable and aggressive defender and is extremely energetic. Number two: He is the only one capable of stopping a complete Shai-Gilegous Alexander takeover.
It will undoubtedly be a challenge, as the Thunder are poised to compete for multiple titles and have a promising future. However, Ant can stop this, and the front office must put the correct pieces around him to do so.
Simply put, these are the best American NBA players right now. A mix of old and new alike, but all five players dominate the court. International players currently have a strong grip on the league; however, with the most recent draft, we could easily see the scene shift heading into the next decade. For now, these guys are right up there with those from foreign countries, and will look to jump them heading into next season.
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