Every week one player from each conference gets awarded. Awarded for being the best player during that 7 day time span. I guess it’s unnecessary to say that only the very best are able to stand out enough to be recognized as the best players of the week. It doesn’t really award consistency because as few as 3 great consecutive games might be enough to get rewarded, but still, if a player wins that award frequently, it shows what kind of a player he is – a dominant player.

 
The first NBA Player of the Week Award of the previous decade was given to Chris Webber on January 2nd 2000. Then after the 2000-2001 season NBA started to reward two players every week – one from the Western Conference and one from the Eastern. Last awards of the decade were given to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, less than 2 months ago.

 

 
Who didn’t make the top 10?

16.-18. Ray Allen, Gilbert Arenas, Chris Paul (7 times)

15. Steve Nash (8 times)

12.-14. Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter (9 times)

 

 
10./11. Dwyane Wade (10 times)

Dwyane entered the league only in 2003 but that didn’t stop him from making the top 10. He won the award 10 times and he would probably manage to do it a few more times if not for his injuries. Wade is one of the best shooting guards of the decade and his most important accomplishment is the championship he and the Miami Heat won in 2006. Not to mention that Dwyane was the leader of that Heat team and his importance couldn’t be overrated. Still he’s often overshadowed by another stud from the 2003 draft class. Although not everyone agrees that DW isn’t as good as LBJ.

 

 
10./11. Dirk Nowitzki (10 times)

Dirk was one of the most consistent players of the 00′s. He rarely missed any games and always delivered. He has been a perennial All-Star since 2002 and won the MVP in 2007. Nowitzki has never won the Player of the Week award more than 2 times in a single season but his consistency lets him jump in to this top 10 (top 11)

 

 
8./9. Shaquille O’Neal (11 times)

He has accomplished much and if this article would be called “top 10 players of the decade” than Shaq would definitely be higher, probably top 3. Big Diesel was absolutely dominant during the first few seasons of the decade but then his game slowly started to fade. 2005-2006 was the last season in which Shaq averaged at least 20 ppg and the last time he won the Player of the week award was in December of 2004. Still his career has been nothing short of amazing as he is 5th on the all-time scoring list.

 

 
8./9. Jason Kidd (11 times)

Jason has been playing in the NBA since 1994 and he’s already 36 years old. Just like O’Neal, Kidd played his best ball at the beginning of this past decade and is probably going to retire some time soon. He managed to be the best player of the week for 11 times from 2000 until 2010, including 3 times in 2001-2002 which could be his best season as he finished second in MVP voting that year.

 

 
6./7. Paul Pierce (12 times)

I don’t know about you but I’m a bit surprised about this. Not that Pierce hasn’t been good, he has been great but I didn’t expect him to be higher than Dirk and Shaq. I guess this is just a proof of how underrated he has been. For a large part of this decade Pierce wasn’t recognized as one of the NBA’s elite players but his game was up there with the elite. Paul got rewarded in 2008 when he finally lead the Celtics to NBA championship.

 

 
6./7. Tracy McGrady (12 times)

T-Mac’s career has been affected badly by injuries. When he was putting up MVP-like numbers at the beginning of the 00′s, many thought he will become an unstoppable force for years to come. He averaged 32.1 (!!!) points per game in 2002-2003. Unfortunately Tracy fell short of the expectations. He was an All-Star caliber player but he missed a lot of games and never got pass the 1st round of the playoffs. He won the NBA Player of the week 4 times in 2004-2005 season.

 

 
5. Kevin Garnett (16 times)

From season to season Kevin Garnett continued to put up monster numbers for the Minnesota Timberwolves but he got pass the first round only once. For 13 times he was recognized as the best player of the week from the year 2000 until he was traded to the Boston Celtics. He then won the award 3 more times in 2007-2008 and finished the season off by winning his first NBA championship ring.

 

 
4. Tim Duncan (17 times)

Tim is arguably the best player of the decade but he made his name mostly by winning championships not Player of the Week Awards, yet he still managed to win 17 of those during the past 10 years. His best two years were 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. He won a staggering amount of 11 Player of the Week Awards in those two seasons and also was the NBA Regular Season MVP in both of these seasons.

 

 
3. Allen Iverson (21 times)

One of the best scorers in NBA history. Iverson has averaged more than 30 points per game several times in his career. AI isn’t the 3rd best player of the decade but he’s certainly top 10 material. He is in the twilight of his career now but Allen still averaged 26 ppg as recently as 2008.

 

 
2. LeBron James (22 times)

Nowadays it seems that LeBron is named Eastern Conference player of the week at least once every two weeks and it is not very far from the truth as he won the award 7 times in 2008-2009 and 5 times this season already. LBJ is arguably the best player in the NBA right now, although still without a ring, he’s in a good position to win one this year.

 

 
1. Kobe Bryant (27 times)

Wasn’t very hard to guess the winner eh? The start of the decade was extremely successful for Kobe – 3 consecutive championship titles. The middle part of the decade was tough for him (rape allegations, Lakers not making it further than the 1st round for 3 consecutive years) but now he has returned to glory. During his illustrious career he certainly has been a “love me or hate me” type of player.

You might also like

• Miami big 3 – the complete list of opinions
• Who should play in the Western Conference All-Star team?
• Top 10 power forwards of the decade.

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 15.5; REBOUNDS – 7.4; ASSISTS – 2;

BLOCKS – 1.5; STEALS – 1; FG% – 45%; FT% – 75%

4 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS

Rasheed is not a stat sheet stuffer and his statistical numbers are lower than those of the other 9 players on the list but he has earned his spot as a top 10 power forward by being a key player on many great teams. Let’s not forget those awesome seasons in Portland during the “Jail Blazers” era when they were 1 good quarter away from going to the NBA Finals with a good shot to win the championship in 2000. His best two seasons in terms of scoring were with Portland (2000-01 and 2001-02) when he averaged more than 19 points per game. When he got traded to Detroit in 2004 the Pistons’ transformation into a championship team was completed. Pistons won the NBA championship in 2004 and lost in the finals next year with Wallace as one of their main players. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals 5 consecutive times with Sheed in the lineup.

9. Chris Bosh

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 19.6; REBOUNDS – 9.2; ASSISTS – 2.2;

BLOCKS – 1.2; STEALS – 0.8; FG% – 49%; FT% – 80%

4 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTION

Chris entered the league after just 1 year at Georgia Tech in 2003 and has been one of the top power forwards since then. By his 3rd season he already averaged more than 22 points per game and during his 4th season he was selected to the All-NBA second team. Bosh is certainly a versatile scorer and a very good free throw shooter for his size. His frame isn’t particularly huge but that hasn’t stopped him from developing a very nice post game. This will be an important summer fo Chris as he will have to choose whether he stays in Toronto or leaves. He’s only entering his prime at age 25 so his best seasons are probably still to come but he makes this 00′s list anyway.

8. Antawn Jamison

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 20.6; REBOUNDS – 8.1; ASSISTS – 1.8;

BLOCKS – 0.4; STEALS – 1.1; FG% – 46%; FT% – 75%

2 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS

Jamison has been a very solid player this decade. His best individual years were with Golden State during the first half of the decade. He was a beast back then (24.9 ppg in 2000-01) and he remained great during the other half of the decade which he spent in Washington. He deserves this spot because he has had a consistently great career. Jamison is often underrated and I hope that I didn’t do just that by rating him as the 8th best power forward of the last 10 years. There are many reasons why he shouldn’t be higher on this list: lack of team’s success, only 2 All-Star game appearances, no All-NBA selections. He’s also a poor shot blocker for his size.

7. Elton Brand

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 20; REBOUNDS – 10.2; ASSISTS – 2.7;

BLOCKS – 2.1; STEALS – 0.9; FG% – 51%; FT% – 74%

2 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTION

Elton started this decade with Chicago but then moved to LA to become the heart and soul of Clippers franchise. 2005-06 has undoubtedly been his best season. Brand was unstoppable during the peak of his career, he averaged 24.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in 2005-06. He was elected to the All-NBA 2nd team and lead his team to 47 regular season wins and the 2nd round of the playoffs. Since then he has gradually become worse and today he’s not the havoc wreaking monster he used to be but he has earned his spot on this list by being consistently good for several seasons. One of only 4 active players averaging at least 20 ppg and 10 rpg for his career also shooting 51% from the field, obviously these are great numbers but only 1 playoff appearance in 10 seasons is what keeps him from going up higher on this list.

6. Pau Gasol

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 18.8; REBOUNDS – 8.7; ASSISTS – 3.2;

BLOCKS – 1.7; STEALS – 0.5; FG% – 52%; FT% – 74%

2 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 3RD TEAM SELECTION

Pau was the star in Memphis during the 7 seasons he spent with the Grizzlies but he would probably end up few places lower on this list if he would never got traded to the LA Lakers. His stats are not exactly astounding but what separates him from the most of the other guys on this list is his championship ring. When someone is a key player on a championship team you know he’s great and Pau averaged 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game during the Lakers 2009 playoff run. He has been a very effective scorer from the field and has nice assist numbers for a big guy. After being the top dog in Memphis he quickly adapted to his new role in LA and more titles (there’s a good possibility that his first ring won’t be his last) would only add to his legacy.

5. Chris Webber

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 20.5; REBOUNDS – 9.5; ASSISTS – 4.2;

BLOCKS – 1.1; STEALS – 1.4; FG% – 46%; FT% – 71%

4 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 1ST TEAM SELECTION;

2 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 3RD TEAM SELECTION

Chris is the only guy on this list who has retired and he played his best basketball during the early part of the decade. During the first few years of the 21st century he was undoubtedly one of the best players in the league and made the All-NBA first team in 2000-01 season when he averaged 27.1 ppg. His Kings went to the playoffs every season when Chris played for them and they had a good shot to win the championship in 2002 but they lost to LA Lakers in controversial Western Conference Finals series. I think that many would disagree with me on this one and rank Webber lower than 5th because he was an average player during the 2nd part of the decade but he was still very good in 2005-06 (20.2 ppg) when playing for the Sixers and was a quality player for the Detroit Pistons in 2007 so it’s not like he has been useless since leaving Sacramento. Webber was extremely talented and quite athletic during his prime years and is one of the best passing big men of all time.

4. Amar’e Stoudemire

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 21.1; REBOUNDS – 8.9; ASSISTS – 1.4;

BLOCKS – 1.5; STEALS – 0.9; FG% – 54%; FT% – 76%

4 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 1ST TEAM SELECTION;

2 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTIONS;

Amar’e is an explosive scorer who together with Steve Nash formed a dynamic duo in Phoenix during the run n’ gun era. He entered the NBA in 2002 and had a solid rookie season. He already averaged more than 20 points in his 2nd season and by his 3rd year he had developed into one of the premiere players in the league (All-NBA 2nd team). He progressed quickly and later successfully recovered from his serious knee injury which he suffered in 2005. Amar’e is one of the best big man in the league at the moment and he has been a very very efficient scorer as he’s shooting 54 % from the field for his career. He made it pretty high on this list mainly because of his good stats, several All-NBA teams and also the Phoenix Suns teams he was playing for were usually very good but still he has never made the NBA Finals. As good as Amar’e has been this decade he was far from making the top 3.

3. Dirk Nowitzki

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 24.3; REBOUNDS – 9.1; ASSISTS – 2.8;

BLOCKS – 1.1; STEALS – 1; FG% – 48%; FT% – 88%

8 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 4 ALL-NBA 1ST TEAM SELECTIONS;

3 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTIONS; 2 ALL-NBA 3RD TEAM SELECTIONS;

1 TIME NBA MVP

Dirk is one of a kind player. There has never been a guy in the NBA that tall who could shoot that well. A 7-footer who is one of the best long distance shooters – that’s quite odd. Dirk is the best scorer and free throw shooter among all participants of this list. A perennial All-Star and All-NBA performer. He’s often criticized for his lack of defensive skills but still you can’t argue his overall greatness. His Mavericks were a good team during this decade and they have made the playoffs every year since 2001. Dirk is ring-less but lead his team to the finals in 2006 (averaged 27 ppg during that playoffs). If he would defeated the Heat that year or the Warriors and everyone else who were about to stand in their road to the NBA crown next year he could end up in 2nd place on this list but it is how it is.

2.Kevin Garnett

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 21.5; REBOUNDS – 12.1; ASSISTS – 4.7;

BLOCKS – 1.6; STEALS – 1.3; FG% – 50%; FT% – 80%

10 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 4 ALL-NBA 1ST TEAM SELECTIONS;

3 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 3RD TEAM SELECTION;

1 TIME NBA MVP

Garnett is arguably the best rebounder of his generation and arguably the best passing big man ever (4.7 apg this decade). He spent his prime in Minnesota and during Garnett’s first several seasons they always lost in the 1st round of the playoffs. He finished second in MVP voting in 2002-03 and we experienced his absolute peak in the 2003-04 season when he won the NBA MVP award. That year the Wolves finally advanced to the Conference finals but lost to LA. After being the franchise player in Minnesota for many years he got traded to Boston in 2007 and finally won his first NBA championship the following season. With that ring his resume is complete and he will probably play for a few more years and try to win another. Kevin has also been an outstanding defensive player as he was selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team 8 times.

1. Tim Duncan

DECADE STATS:

POINTS – 21.2; REBOUNDS – 11.7; ASSISTS – 3.3;

BLOCKS – 2.3; STEALS – 0.8; FG% – 51%; FT% – 68%

10 ALL-STAR SELECTIONS; 7 ALL-NBA 1ST TEAM SELECTIONS;

3 ALL-NBA 2ND TEAM SELECTIONS; 1 ALL-NBA 3RD TEAM SELECTION;

2 TIME NBA MVP; 2 TIME NBA FINALS MVP

Tim Duncan is an outstanding player both offensively and defensively but most importantly he’s a winner. 3 championships and 2 finals MVP’s is his biggest accomplishments during this 10 year span. He was elected to the All-NBA first team every season until 2005. Tim is probably the best power forward ever, a great scorer, rebounder and shot blocker so this was maybe the easiest choice of all. He’s truly an example of how to play this game.

You might also like

• Who should play in the Western Conference All-Star team?
• Who won the most NBA Player of the Week Awards in the last decade
• Chris Bosh trade rumors