Present Day NBA

After the end of the 2000's-2010's era, we find ourselves in the present day. The "modern" NBA is a vastly different game than basketball was at is origin, or even the 2000's. The game was changed due to many influential players that reached their peak in this current era.

​

Stephen Curry is, undoubtedly, at the root of the massive shift in offensive focus that the NBA has adopted during this era. Steph, as he is often referred to as, came into the league as an undersized point guard who went to a small college and was really only known for his ability to shoot. The Golden State Warriors took a chance on him with the 13th pick in the NBA draft, and it sure paid off. Curry, with the Warriors' help, changed the game by not only shooting a ridiculous number of 3 pointers, but shooting them from unthinkable distances. Lead by Curry, the Warriors have won 4 of the last 7 NBA titles, dating back to 2015. Steph's out of this world shooting ability combined with the Warriors' offensive gameplan of 5 players that can all shoot 3's caused defenses to be so spread out giving a star player, like Curry, never before seen space to operate. This offensive gameplan has since been adopted by practically every team in the league.

​

Another monumental figure of the present day NBA is LeBron James (pictured right). LeBron is undoubtedly a top 2 player all time and maybe the greatest athlete to ever step foot on a basketball court. LeBron has played in 19 NBA seasons, going on 20, and has been dominant since his rookie year straight out of high school. LeBron's impact on the game cannot be attributed to one specific thing, but almost any current player in the league will tell you they grew up idolizing LeBron James.