We all know that the 1990s saw a soaring popularity of the league. The NBA had seen more international fame than ever before. That generation passed the torch to the next generation that came out of the years 2000 to 2009. It was a decade that saw players like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett etc. in their prime. It also introduced us to players like Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Tony Parker, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and so on. But if we were to make a Dream Team consisting of the top five players of the last decade, who would make the cut?

Let’s analyze!

Best center of the 2000s

This is a no-brainer. Players like Yao Ming, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh were playing some of the best basketball of their career, but Shaq truly killed the competition. Shaquille O’Neal is considered one of the best Centers of all time and also one of the best players in NBA history. He has won four Championships, has three Finals MVP and a regular season MVP which has been just one vote short of being the First Unanimous MVP. Shaq was a monster in his prime, and the fans saw his prime for the Lakers in the 2000s.

Best Shooting Guard of the 2000s

Again, despite having some good contenders like Dwayne Wade, Reggie Miller, and Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant dominate this category.

Kobe is not just the best shooting guard of this era, he is considered one of the best players of all time in the NBA. This is largely because of the fact that the guy has five Championships and two finals MVP, and eighteen NBA All-Star appearances.

Best Point Guard of the 2000s

There are some, like Allen Iverson, Chris Paul or Jason Kidd who were really good.

However, when it comes to dominating the “decade” Steve Nash nailed it. He was an exceptional ball distributor. He is also the first Canadian to win an MVP. So it is only natural that we choose him as our Point Guard.

Best Power Forward of the 2000s

This decade saw the biggest power struggle in the “Best Power Forward in the League” position.

Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, etc. all were competing for the spot. Kevin Garnett was a force to be reckoned with and Dirk Nowitzki was simply the best Basketball Player in European history. But none could compete with Tim Duncan, who made San Antonio Spurs a Juggernaut team. His five championships, three Finals MVP, two regular season MVP and fifteen NBA All-Star appearance are a proof of that. Which is why we select him for the spot.

Best Small Forward of the 2000s

Now, there are some great players in this category too. Legends like Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter have played in this position. But Lebron James is truly the one that stands out.

It is clear that Lebron hit his championship mode from 2010 and onwards, but even before that he was a treat to watch. He won two MVPs in the decade, he didn’t even hit his peak and that alone tells the world how ridiculously good he was at his game. He took a rudimentary team of Cavaliers to the Playoffs and played the finals. For that, he is the best Small Forward of this era.

So Lebron James, Shaquille O’Neil, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are the members of the Dream Team of the 2000s. Is it better than the 90s or 80s? No one can tell, but it is still a great team.
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