Top 10 Best Basketball Players in the World

Birthdate: October 4, 1988 Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, USA Height: 191 cm Jersey Number: 1 Position: Guard. Derrick Rose is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the Bulls in 2008, he spent a year playing college basketball at the University of Memphis. In 2011, Derrick Rose was named the NBA Most Valuable Player, making him the youngest player ever to receive the award at just 22 years old.

Birthdate: August 26, 1989 Hometown: Los Angeles, California, USA Height: 196 cm Jersey Number: 13 Position: Shooting Guard. James Harden is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. He played college basketball at Arizona State University, where he was named All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009. Harden was selected as the third pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and was the first player ever signed by the team. In 2012, he was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Additionally, he is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, having won gold with Team USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Birthdate: January 17, 1982 Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, USA Height: 193 cm Jersey Number: 3 Position: Shooting Guard. Dwyane Wade is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA. He has established himself as one of the most popular and well-known players in the league. Wade was the best-selling NBA jersey for nearly two years and led the NBA Playoffs jersey sales from 2015 until mid-2006-07 season.

Birthdate: May 29, 1984 Hometown:

New York City, New York, USA Height: 203 cm Jersey Number: 7 Positions: Small Forward, Power Forward. Carmelo Anthony is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the New York Knicks in the NBA. Before entering the NBA, he played college basketball at Syracuse and attended Towson Catholic High School and Oak Hill Academy. As a freshman, he led the Orangemen to their first national championship and was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He entered the NBA in 2003 and became one of the key players for the Denver Nuggets. Anthony has represented Team USA three times at the Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 2004 and gold medals in 2008 and 2012. In 2012, he set the record for most points scored by a player in an Olympic game with 37 points against Nigeria.

Birthdate: May 6, 1985 Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA Height: 183 cm Jersey Number: 3 Position: Point Guard. Chris Paul is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. He is regarded as one of the best point guards in the world, having earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors and two Olympic gold medals. Additionally, Paul has been selected to the NBA All-Star team multiple times, as well as to the All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams, ranking among the top players in both categories.

Birthdate: December 8, 1985 Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Height: 211 cm Jersey Number: 12 Position: Center. Dwight Howard is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. He is ranked 3,464th in global popularity and has had a successful career, including leading his team to the NBA Finals in 2009. Howard played the 2012-13 season with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with the Houston Rockets.

Birthdate: March 16, 1989 Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Height: 208 cm Jersey Number: 32 Position: Power Forward. Blake Griffin is a professional basketball player in the United States, currently playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. He won the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year award and was selected in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Birthdate: December 30, 1984 Hometown: Akron, Ohio, USA Height: 203 cm Jersey Number: 23 Position: Small Forward, Power Forward. LeBron James is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. Starting as a small forward and power forward, LeBron rose to prominence during his high school career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, where he averaged 25.2 points and 5.8 assists per game. After graduation, he was selected as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. LeBron is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time, having won multiple accolades including:

• 3 NBA championships (2012, 2013, 2016)
• 4 MVP awards (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)
• 3 NBA Finals MVP awards (2012, 2013, 2016)
• 2 Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012)
• 1 NBA Scoring Title (2008)
• 1 NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)

LeBron has been selected to the NBA All-Star team 11 times, 6 times to the All-Defensive Team, and is one of the top scorers in both Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA history.

Birthdate: September 29, 1988 Hometown: Washington, D.C., USA Height: 206 cm Jersey Number: 35 Position: Small Forward, Power Forward. Kevin Durant is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. He began his college career at the University of Texas, earning numerous accolades. Before joining the Warriors, Durant played for the Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder from 2007 to 2016. His list of achievements includes:

• 1 NBA Most Valuable Player award
• 4 NBA championships
• 1 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 2 Olympic gold medals

Additionally, Durant has been named to the top 5 All-NBA team and top 7 All-Star selections.

Birthdate: August 23, 1978 Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Height: 198 cm Jersey Number: 24 Position: Shooting Guard, Small Forward. Kobe Bryant, a retired American professional basketball player, played from 1996 to 2016. His final game was with the Los Angeles Lakers on April 13, 2016, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He is known for being the first shooting guard selected directly from high school, leading a wave of high school players who skipped college basketball to go pro. His list of accolades includes:

• 5 NBA championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
• 1 NBA MVP (2008)
• 2 NBA Finals MVPs (2009, 2010)
• 9 NBA All-Star selections
• 12 All-NBA selections
• 7 All-Defensive selections
• 2 NBA All-Star MVPs
• 2 NBA Scoring Titles