NBA basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and for good reason. It has seen many golden eras of basketball which has brought in different strengths and tendencies that have awed its fans. The 1960s had the Celtics dynasty, the 1980s had the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird rivalry, the 1990s had Michael Jordan, and the 2010s have seen the rise of efficiency, analytics, and three-point shooting. However, there is one era that tends to go overlooked and brought fans some great basketball. That era would be the almighty 2000s. It is surprising this era does not get enough credit considering the many moments this decade gave us fans.

The Great 2000s: The Best in Basketball

The NBA in the 2000s

What did the 2000s exactly give us NBA fans? I am glad you asked. Not only did we get to see the rise and fall of the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal Los Angeles Lakers. We also got to see the great Allen Iverson provide great moments and change the culture of the game. One could say that he and Tracy McGrady are two of the most recognizable players of this particular decade. Fans also got one of the best draft classes in recent memory. The 2003 draft class was chock full of talent and future Hall of Famers. LeBron James entered the league along with his other draft peers such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The 2003 NBA Draft class did not just end there. There were other quality players that came out of it such as Kirk Hinrich.

Not only did we witness the Los Angeles Lakers, but fans also got to see one of the first teams in NBA history win a title without any All-Stars. This would be the beginning of a new physical era in the Motor City thanks to the likes of Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace. The San Antonio Spurs would also continue their consistent play as we saw Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli become the first deadly big-three of the decade notching a couple of titles along with way. This would be the prime of the best power forward of all time that fans in the 2000s got to witness. However, it did not end there.

The End of the Decade

At the end of the 2000s, the league would see the emergence of another big three. The Boston Celtics would trade for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce. It would translate into their latest championship. Not only would fans see the Celtics great again, but we would also be gifted a couple of Lakers-Celtics Finals.

Speaking of the Lakers, we would see Kobe Bryant in his prime and win his first titles without Shaq. Seeing Kobe as the best player in the world was a sight to behold, to say the least. Some will say it was the closest they will ever get to see to seeing Jordan play considering the similarities in the two legend’s games. The 2000s are truly one of the best eras of NBA basketball and it is a shame it is as overlooked as it is today.

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Matt Huff, Director of Recruiting and Development

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