The NBA has blown up with unique talent over the last five years. The league has seen a shift in the rise of top players reminiscent of the ‘80s and ‘90s eras. MVP races are getting tighter, and players are turning fringe franchises into championship contenders and even winners.
An icon in Portland, Damian Lillard , now the point guard of the Milwaukee Bucks, is one name that is entrenched in modern-day basketball allure. From his breathtaking stepback shots from the hashmark to challenging Michael Jordan in postseason clutch shooting stats, he’s one of your favorite players’ favorite players. Recently, the All-NBA guard rattled off a few names that he loves watching.
“I’ll say right now… because there’s a lot of people I can’t leave off the list,” Lillard said on “Club 520 Podcast.” “So, right now, I’ma go, Anthony Edwards. I think everybody is super high on him right now. But I like him because his energy level is… authentic… I’ma go, Ja Morant… Luka [Doncic]… Joker [Nikola Jokic] and Giannis [Antetokounmpo].”
Formidable players
Anthony Edwards , a player who is fast-tracking to become the face of the NBA, just won his first Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But before then, he had back-to-back All-Star seasons, averaging a career-high 25.9 points and 5.1 assists in 2023–24, lifting the Minnesota Timberwolves as far as the conference finals.
Ja Morant, before off-the-court adversity struck, was one of the biggest rising stars in the NBA. His striking athleticism and video game cover-worthy jams — like the one that was memorably coined “The Jaw-Breaker” against Minnesota in the 2022 postseason — made him a talent unlike we had ever seen before.
Luka Doncic is rewriting the record books in Dallas, almost similar to or even greater than what Dirk Nowitzki did, as the 25-year-old looks to capture his first NBA title. In just his first six seasons, the Slovenian superstar has netted five All-NBA First Team selections — more than two-time NBA MVP and 15-year veteran Steph Curry.
He led the NBA in scoring last season (33.9 ppg), even dropping 73 points in one game against the Atlanta Hawks.
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The MVPs
Four of the last six MVP awards have gone to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. The Greek Freak has two MVPs and an NBA championship under his belt. Against the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals, he tallied 50 points in the closeout Game 6 to seal the championship for the Bucks (their first in 50 years). His 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game in the series earned him the unanimous Finals MVP honors, and it included back-to-back 40-point outings in Games 2 and 3.
The Serbian, on the other hand, has been the most consistent player in the league over the last five years, winning three of the last four MVPs and leading the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023. While he’s not the league’s top scorer, his all-around game always puts him as the frontrunner for the MVP award.
“When I’m watching them, they’re my favorites, so I’m gonna go with them,” added Lillard.
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