NBA 2000s All Decade Team Best Players Ranked
The 2000s brought a dramatic shift in the NBA, as a new generation of superstars seized control of the league and pushed the game into a faster, more explosive era. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal battled for supremacy, LeBron James arrived with unprecedented hype, and rule changes unlocked perimeter creativity.
Building the ultimate All-Decade Team for 2000 through 2009 means sorting through Hall of Fame careers, championships, MVP seasons, and unforgettable performances. We will make a dominant starting five at every position, then add five elite rotation players who delivered huge moments and sustained excellence throughout one of the most competitive decades the league has ever seen.
Starting Lineup
Choosing a starting five for the NBA 2000s All-Decade Team means narrowing down a decade filled with champions and all-time greats. The players selected here separated themselves through success and individual brilliance. Each earned his spot with performances that consistently shifted the balance of power throughout the 2000s.
Point Guard Pick
Among a deep pool of elite floor generals in the 2000s, Steve Nash stands above the rest as the decade’s top point guard. As the driving force behind Phoenix’s high-powered offense, Nash captured back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006 while directing the “Seven Seconds or Less” attack with precision and creativity.
Steve Nash delivered three 50-40-90 seasons, led the league in assists multiple times, and piloted the NBA’s most efficient offense year after year. With two MVPs and six All-NBA selections, Nash’s vision and control of tempo make him the clear choice at point guard.
Shooting Guard Pick
No player embodied excellence at shooting guard in the 2000s quite like Kobe Bryant, whose scoring brilliance and fierce competitiveness headline this NBA 2000s All-Decade Team. He led the entire decade in total points, won two scoring titles, and delivered moments such as his 81-point explosion in 2006.
Averaging over 28 points per game across the decade, Bryant paired elite offence with All-Defensive First Team honours and an MVP award in 2008. He collected three championships early in the decade and added another in 2009 as the unquestioned leader. With relentless drive and carried dominance, Kobe is the clear choice at shooting guard.
Small Forward Pick
LeBron James earns the small forward spot on the NBA 2000s all-decade team despite entering the league in 2003, because his rise was immediate and overwhelming. As a teenager, he arrived with rare physical tools and elite court vision, quickly becoming the engine of the Cleveland Cavaliers. By 2007, he had carried an underdog roster to the NBA Finals, as shown by his 48-point masterpiece against Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals.
By the end of the decade, LeBron had claimed his first MVP award in 2009, earned five All-NBA selections, and established himself as one of the league’s most dominant forces. Night after night, he filled the stat sheet while handling primary scoring and playmaking duties. His output and ability to elevate a franchise make him the clear small forward choice for this squad.
Power Forward Pick
Tim Duncan takes the power forward spot thanks to unmatched consistency and championship impact throughout the 2000s. As the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs, he led the franchise to three titles in 2003, 2005, and 2007 while winning two MVP awards. He earned All-NBA First or Second Team honours every single year of the decade, a rare mark of year-to-year excellence.
Duncan averaged roughly 21 points and 11 rebounds during the era and remained one of the league’s premier defensive anchors. He added two Finals MVPs and seven All-Defensive First Team selections, reinforcing his value on both ends of the floor. Reliable in the post and steady under pressure, Duncan was the safest bet in basketball for winning at the highest level.
Center Pick
Shaquille O’Neal owns the center spot on the NBA 2000s all-decade team because no player imposed his will on the game quite like he did. At his peak, Shaq powered the Los Angeles Lakers to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002, earning Finals MVP each time. He also won the 1999–2000 regular-season MVP and a scoring title with 29.7 points per game, the only center to lead the league in scoring during the decade.
Across the 2000s, O’Neal collected eight All-NBA selections and added a fourth championship with Miami in 2006. Defences had no true answer for him in the post, often fouling simply to slow him down. His interior scoring forced constant double teams and reshaped how opponents built their game plans. Any serious NBA all-decade team 2000s discussion begins with Shaq in the middle, as his output and championship impact separated him from every other big man of that era.
Rotations
Building an NBA 2000s all-decade team means leaving out elite players who could easily start on most franchises. To complete this lineup, we’ve selected five rotation stars who were right there with the headliners, delivering elite output and shaping the decade in major ways.
Each of these players won major awards or played pivotal roles on title contenders. Some have strong arguments for the starting five, which speaks to how deep the NBA 2000s talent pool truly was.
Here are the five rotation players who round out this squad and elevate it to another level.
Rotation Player 1 – Allen Iverson (G)
Allen Iverson was one of the most electric forces of the 2000s, a fearless scorer who carried the Philadelphia 76ers deep into contention. He won the 2001 MVP after leading the league in scoring and dragging an underdog roster to the NBA Finals, highlighted by his 48-point Game 1 performance against the Lakers. Over the decade, Iverson claimed three scoring titles and peaked at 33.0 points per game in 2005–06, while also averaging over six assists and more than two steals.
Despite standing just six feet tall, he attacked relentlessly and played through constant punishment, becoming both a cultural icon and an offensive engine. With six All-NBA selections and 10 All-Star starts in the decade, Iverson easily earns a rotation role here, capable of changing a game the moment he checks in.
Rotation Player 2 – Kevin Garnett (F)
Kevin Garnett was one of the fiercest competitors of the decade and an automatic inclusion on any NBA 2000s all-decade team. He won the 2004 MVP after averaging 24.2 points and 13.9 rebounds, carrying Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals. Garnett led the league in total rebounds for four straight seasons and finished the 2000s as the decade’s top rebounder. After joining Boston, he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and held together a championship defence.
Across the decade, he earned eight All-NBA selections and 10 All-Defensive honours, reflecting his impact on both ends. Garnett could score in the post, step out and hit mid-range jumpers, and switch defensively onto guards when needed. His voice and intensity changed locker rooms, and in Boston, he became the emotional engine of a title team. As a rotation piece, he would clean the glass and bring the edge every minute he’s on the floor.
Rotation Player 3 – Dirk Nowitzki (F)
Dirk Nowitzki brought a new dimension to the power forward position, stretching defences in ways few big men ever had. The 7-footer led the Dallas Mavericks to 10 straight 50-win seasons and an NBA Finals appearance in 2006, then won MVP in 2007 after averaging 24.6 points with elite efficiency. Over the decade, he accumulated the most win shares in the league and earned nine All-NBA selections, a clear reflection of his consistent output and overall value.
Nowitzki’s one-legged fadeaway became nearly automatic in crunch time, and he shot close to 38% from three and 88% at the line across the decade. His scoring touch forced traditional bigs out of the paint, opening driving lanes and reshaping how teams defended elite forwards. As a rotation piece on this roster, Dirk supplies instant offence and elite spacing at either frontcourt spot, giving the unit a different dynamic without sacrificing star power or late-game shot creation.
Rotation Player 4 – Dwyane Wade (G)
Dwyane Wade burst into prominence in the mid-2000s and quickly established himself as one of the league’s most dangerous perimeter stars. By his third season, he had carried the Miami Heat to the 2006 NBA championship, winning Finals MVP after averaging 34.7 points in the series and repeatedly taking over late. He added a scoring title in 2009 with 30.2 points per game and earned multiple All-NBA and All-Star selections despite playing only six full seasons in the decade.
Wade relentlessly attacked the rim, living at the free-throw line while also functioning as a capable facilitator and disruptive defender. He led all guards in blocks during the 2000s and regularly flipped momentum with clutch stretches that buried opponents. On an NBA 2000s all-decade team, his downhill pressure and playoff pedigree make him the ideal high-impact guard off the bench, someone who can swing a series in a matter of minutes.
Rotation Player 5 – Jason Kidd (G)
Jason Kidd closes out the rotation as the ultimate pass-first point guard, a player who controlled games without needing to score 25 a night. He led the NBA in total assists during the 2000s and transformed the New Jersey Nets from a 26-win team into back-to-back Finals participants in 2002 and 2003. A five-time All-NBA selection and eight-time All-Defensive pick in the decade, Kidd finished as MVP runner-up in 2002 and piled up 77 triple-doubles, far more than anyone else in that span.
Rebounding like a forward and defending at a high level, Kidd influenced every possession through vision and anticipation. His improved outside shooting later in the decade made him even more complete, but his true value was directing traffic and elevating teammates. In any 2000s NBA all-decade team debate, his playmaking and defensive impact make him an essential piece of a championship-calibre rotation.
Honorable Mentions
Several elite stars from the 2000s narrowly missed our rotation, each building a career strong enough to come into this debate.
Paul Pierce: The longtime Boston Celtics leader delivered the ultimate payoff in 2008, winning an NBA championship and Finals MVP while dueling Kobe Bryant on the biggest stage. Over the decade, Pierce averaged more than 23 points per game, made five All-NBA teams, and established himself as one of the league’s most reliable late-game scorers.
Tracy McGrady: At his peak with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, McGrady was one of the most unstoppable scorers in basketball. He won scoring titles in 2003 and 2004, including a 32.1 PPG season, and possessed a rare blend of size and perimeter skill that made him nearly impossible to contest.
Yao Ming: When fit, Yao was a dominant force in the paint and a matchup nightmare at 7’6”. An eight-time All-Star in the 2000s, he averaged 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds for the decade while also helping globalize the NBA through his impact in China and worldwide popularity.
Dwight Howard: Emerging late in the decade, Howard quickly became the league’s premier interior defender. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals that same season, leading a defence built around his rebounding and rim protection.
Vince Carter: One of the most electrifying athletes of the era, Carter blended highlight-reel dunks with high-level scoring output. He averaged over 24 points per game in the 2000s and remained one of the league’s most feared threats.
Ben Wallace: The defensive anchor of the Detroit Pistons championship team in 2004, Wallace won four Defensive Player of the Year awards during the decade. Though not a scorer, his rebounding and rim protection made him one of the most impactful defenders of the era.
The 2000s were stacked with Hall of Fame talent, and trimming the list to ten players inevitably leaves out deserving names. Still, the combination of success, individual honours, and overall output from our selections ultimately gave them the edge.