The death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi took the basketball family and the world at large by storm. What remains, however, is the fact that Kobe goes down in history as one of the greatest basketball players the world ever had. While mere figures cannot define him, we must admit that some of his career statistics stood out. For instance, he is considered one of the most complete players in basketball history having garnered career averages of 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 25 points per game.
As we continue to mourn the loss of a legend, we appreciate the fact that there are still other players who have or are still making their mark in history and deserve to be recognized. In the list below, we discuss what makes these basketball players some of the best that are still alive.
1. James Harden
James made history as one of NBA’s most prolific scorers, especially in the 2012-2013 season when he scored an average of 29 points per game.
He also put up a killer statistic of 23 50-point games, making him the fourth-highest player in the 50-point game record in NBA history.
2. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is also among the best players who are still alive, and it is with a reason. First, he is one of the best scorers and contends for this title with players such as Curry and Russell Westbrook. He has an average 7.1 rebounds in each game and has hit more than an average of 27 points per game, behind only five other players.
3. Dwayne Wade
Dwayne had a total of 1,620 career steals before retirement, which places him high on the list of basketball achievers. However, this is not all he has to show.
He is ranked the 33rd in NBA history with a career average of 22 points per game. He also still ranks among the top 40 in many categories, including free throws and field goals.
Also, he amassed three championship rings and is a 13-time All-Star NBA selection.
4. LeBron James
It does not come as a surprise that LeBron James is in the list of greats. He poses a killer stat of 27.1 points in each game, which also makes him the fourth all-time.
His other outstanding achievements include 7.3 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game. He led his two teams, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA finals eight times consecutively.
If you enjoy basketball betting at casinos such as comeon casino then you must have noticed the trend when LeBron was at Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
5. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is undoubtedly the best shooter in history. Moreover, he has made history leading and winning three championships with his team the Golden State Warriors.
What stands out most is his .435 three-pointer shooting percentage and the fact that he is ranked third all-time three-pointers made.
He also ranks ahead of many other respected players in the win shares per 48 minutes category, taking 20th place ahead of Karl Malone and Larry Bird.
Many other legendary basketball players have stood out before. However, the ones in this list are still alive, and the world deserves to know them. With their spectacular records, they will be remembered beyond the time they had on the court as players.