The Most Exciting NBA Stars Since the Michael Jordan Era

How do you not love the NBA right now? 

The 1980s and 1990s may often be referred to as the golden age of professional basketball, but the last decade has pumped forth one entertaining player after another. Now, the league is just overflowing with exciting standouts who can fill up highlight reels and leave us in awe. In fact, the vast majority of the dozen featured players here are still contributing to their various teams, throwing up one memorable play after another and providing plenty of entertainment. 

To be clear, these are all going to be unquestioned stars of the post-Michael Jordan era. There have been plenty of entertaining players who filled lesser roles in the modern era—Gerald Green, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford and plenty more—but we want the ones who made both headlines and highlight reels on a regular basis. 

Of course, this is purely subjective, so feel free to make cases for the players who turned you into hoop-heads. 

Kobe Bryant

Years: 1996-

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 23.2 PER

One of only two men to drop more than 80 points in a single game (Wilt Chamberlain was the other, thanks to his 100-point showing), Kobe Bryant doesn't allow people to sit on the fence. He inspires passionate supporters who will stop at nothing to defend him, or those eager to bring him down seem to attack him. 

There is no middle ground. There is no indifference when it comes to Bryant, with few exceptions. 

But even the biggest haters and most fervent fans can agree on one thing: This shooting guard has been remarkably entertaining throughout his career. With his flair for the big moment, the undying athleticism that has allowed for so many posterizations and his never-say-die attitude, he's been a highlight machine ever since leaving Lower Merion behind. 

There's a reason so many yell "Kobe!" when shooting their balled-up napkin into a trash can. 

Vince Carter

Years: 1998-

Teams: Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, 19.9 PER

How can we deny the greatest in-game dunker of all time?

Vince Carter may not have lived up to his ridiculous athleticism-boosted potential early in his career, but he still likely carved out a future spot in the Hall of Fame thanks to his penchant for posters. In the early 2000s, no defender was safe from his wrath, and even fewer could slow him down when his eyes were locked on the rim. 

Of course, Carter was still so much more than a dunker.

He couldn't have averaged 27.6 points per game, as he did in 2000-01, if he only scored when he made hand-to-rim contact. Carter was a flat-out superstar during his prime, and he was must-watch television whenever his Toronto Raptors—and later, his New Jersey Nets—graced the screen.

Stephen Curry

Years: 2009-

Teams: Golden State Warriors

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.2 blocks, 21.3 PER

Stephen Curry may not play in Orlando, but he's magical all the same. He may not go to work in Washington, but he's a wizard with the ball.

There simply hasn't ever been a point guard like him. Already, he's arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history—though he has a long way to go in terms of career achievements—thanks to his knack for creating and making deep shots off the bounce. Curry's handles are crafty as can be, and he routinely confuses defenders en route to getting off his quick-release shot. 

As Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes wrote while arguing that it was an easy decision to build around the baby-faced assassin rather than John Wall, "Curry must be accounted for whenever he gets within 30 feet of the basket, and that wreaks havoc on conventional defensive strategy. When he gets hot, the defense, already uncomfortably bent, simply breaks."

It's a rare sight to see Curry dunk, though he sometimes throws down (more "tosses down," really) in wide-open situations on the break. But he's still a giggle-inducing player, largely because he tends to heat up and dazzle audiences with his unstoppable combination of confusing dribble patterns and dead-eye shooting.

Kevin Durant

Years: 2007-

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder

Career Per-Game Stats: 27.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 24.7 PER

Kevin Durant is only 26 years old, but he's already asserted himself as one of the greatest scoring forces the NBA has ever seen. With four scoring titles and an MVP to his credit, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar simply can't be stopped, even when he's routinely squaring off against double- and triple-teams. 

It's exceedingly rare to see a game in which Durant can't find some way to light up the scoreboard. He has the size, athleticism and body control to work his way to the rim and finish plays through traffic, but defenses also have to respect his shooting ability. Whether he's using Dirk Nowitzki's patented one-legged flamingo fadeaway, pulling up for an easy mid-range attempt or knocking down a catch-and-shoot opportunity from the perimeter, he's going to make the most of any space he's given. 

Plus, he never seems to miss.

There's something special about watching a player who can rack up points without using all that many possessions, and few have ever been better at that than this man. Though he actually doesn't string together makes more often than other top scorers, you'll virtually never see him kept down for long.

The next explosion is always on the horizon.

Kevin Garnett

Years: 1995-

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.4 blocks, 22.8 PER

Is it possible to earn "The Big Ticket" as your primary moniker without exciting crowds? 

Especially during his prime with the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he won MVP and routinely carried his squad into the playoffs, Kevin Garnett was a force to be reckoned with. Offensively, he was a deadly mid-range shooter with a dizzying array of moves, ones that most certainly weren't limited to finesse-based attempts. Defensively, he was a game-changing presence who could use his seemingly never-ending length to swat away what seemed like any shot attempt. 

When Garnett was brought into the league as a lanky young player fresh out of high school, Michael Jordan was still winning championships. Now, the Chicago Bulls legend is running the show for the Charlotte Hornets, and Garnett has returned to his old stomping grounds as a grizzled veteran ready to pave the way for a new class of young talents. 

But in between, he provided us with so many unforgettable moments, displays of unrelenting passion and trademark swats after the whistle was blown. 

Blake Griffin

Years: 2010-

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, 22.9 PER

Don't believe me? Just ask Timofey Mozgov. 

Don't believe Mozgov? Just ask Kendrick Perkins. 

The current version of Blake Griffin (note: not the one sitting out after surgery to fix the staph infection in his elbow) may be better than he was during his first few years in the Association, as he's developed a more well-rounded game and started to focus on spacing out the court effectively. And while he's entertaining in 2014-15, he can't touch the status he earned when he was fresh out of Oklahoma. 

The NBA court was his personal plaything, whether he was crashing to the basket in a pick-and-roll set or helping Lob City earn its nickname with his transition finishes. Griffin was almost certain to create a new poster whenever he stepped onto the court, and everyone knew it. 

Thank goodness he came around during the social-media era, where we could almost immediately watch his biggest highlights on a loop if we missed them in real time. 

Allen Iverson

Years: 1996-2010

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies

Career Per-Game Stats: 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.2 blocks, 20.9 PER

Allen Iverson's peak in the early 2000s was absolutely stunning. 

LeBron James once called him, "Pound-for-pound, probably the greatest player who ever played," per ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh, and it's hard to argue. For a man without much height, the 6'0" Iverson had quite the knack for putting the ball in the basket, as he could cross over just about any opponent and flat-out fly when he was given a runway. 

Frankly, it's tough to pick the best highlight of his career. The options are just about limitless, ranging from his devastating dribbles to his gaudy scoring performances in playoff games to his putback slams that left viewers searching for the trampoline that must have helped him get up that high. 

For my money, nothing will beat the crossover on Tyronn Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals, when Iverson created space against the Los Angeles Lakers point guard, knocked down the jumper and then finished the play with the ultimate sign of disrespect—stepping right over the disheartened body of his backcourt counterpart in dramatic fashion. 

LeBron James

Years: 2003-

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat

Career Per-Game Stats: 27.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.8 blocks, 27.7 PER

LeBron James may have rubbed some the wrong way by using an ill-advised television program to announce his 2010 free-agency decision, but don't let that detract from the sheer on-court spectacle of the four-time MVP. 

Though he's only 30 years old, James is already one of the 10 best players in NBA history, and that status is largely thanks to a remarkably well-rounded game. This forward can do just about everything on the basketball court, whether he's switching to defend multiple positions, recording a momentum-swinging chase-down block or, as Austin Carr likes to say so often on Cleveland Cavaliers broadcasts, throwing the hammer down. 

James has some of the greatest court vision we've seen in decades, allowing him to make creative passes and cross-court skips that hit players right between the numbers. He's one of the most impressive athletic specimens the game has played witness to. He's an incredibly skilled scorer who has worked to shore up his biggest flaws. 

When James is feeling it—as he was when he scored 29 of his team's final 30 points in the video you can see above—he's unstoppable. And even when he's off, he's still a sight to behold for at least a few plays during any given game.

Tracy McGrady

Years: 1997-2013

Teams: Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks, 22.1 PER

According to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, Kobe Bryant considers Tracy McGrady the toughest player he's ever suited up against, and that's some seriously high praise from a man who has guarded everyone from Michael Jordan to LeBron James.

McGrady never advanced past the first round of the playoffs until he joined the San Antonio Spurs near the end of the 2012-13 season. Injuries plagued him throughout his career, and he was saddled with a never-ending stream of lackluster teammates who prevented him from spending even more time in the spotlight. 

But T-Mac was just an unbelievable basketball player with a flair for creating highlights. The annals of YouTube are now his domain, and the memories, as Bill Simmons once broke down for Grantland, are nearly endless: 

"

We want to remember 22 straight and 32.1 points per game. We want to remember seven All-Star Games in a row. We want to remember McGrady dropping 62 on the Wizards, trash-talking his way to a 42-10-8 in Game 3 against the 2001 Bucks (his superstar audition tape), nearly beating the ’03 Pistons in the playoffs by himself, combining with Dirk Nowitzki to score 103 points in 2005, or exploding for 36 points in 27 minutes at the 2006 All-Star Game in Houston. We want to remember him in may-they-endure-forever videos with titles like "Tracy McGrady’s Top 10 Posterizations."

"

Next time you have time to kill, just search his name on YouTube. You won't regret it, so long as you remember to eventually escape that rabbit hole and eat dinner six hours later.

Steve Nash

Years: 1996-

Teams: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.1 blocks, 20.0 PER

Steve Nash was a different type of highlight machine than the vast majority of players who populate this list. He can throw down, though I'm not sure he ever proved that during his NBA career. Dunks have been tracked since 2000, but I suppose there's a slight chance one went unrecorded by cameras during the first few years of his career.

That's ultimately irrelevant.

Nash didn't need to dunk to be special, as he saw the court in a way that few ever have. His flair for fitting the ball into tight spaces allowed him to engineer some of the most exciting offenses of all time, and you never knew when he was going to either rack up some gaudy assist totals or squeeze in a pass that left your jaw on the floor. 

With his long hair flopping around, Nash was offense personified during his prime days with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. He has not only two MVPs to show for it but also legions of basketball fans whose passion for the game was only strengthened by watching him pick apart a defense—myself included. 

Derrick Rose

Years: 2008-

Teams: Chicago Bulls

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, 19.2 PER

This is what makes the never-ending stream of knee maladies so painful for NBA lovers. 

Before the original injury, an ACL tear, pushed him off course and down a path that featured far too much time on the bench, Derrick Rose was just something else. He brought nearly unmatched levels of explosive athleticism to his position, and it seemed as though he had a personal vendetta against the rim. When he was given an opportunity to throw down, he was going to throw down hard, to the point that I'm surprised he didn't shatter his wrists at least a few times.

Defenses couldn't contain Rose, especially while he was becoming the youngest MVP in league history. Though his outside stroke wasn't a fine-tuned one, it was impossible to stay in front of him, allowing him to make circus shots around the basket when he wasn't completing plays with ferocious dunks. 

But just to eliminate any confusion, it's those cocked-back two-handed slams that earn him a featured spot here.

Russell Westbrook

Years: 2008-

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, 21.8 PER

Russell Westbrook is the modern-day Maximus. 

Can't you imagine him bursting through the teeth of a defense, rising higher than a point guard ever should, throwing down a vicious dunk and then unleashing a primal scream to the rafters and yelling, "Are you not entertained!?"

He's only missing the sword throw if he's trying to go full Gladiator. 

Westbrook is a walking triple-double threat who plays like he has a chip on his shoulder at all times. His goal doesn't seem to be just winning games but rather utterly humiliating the opponent with ridiculous performances and jaw-dropping plays. And it's hard to get more exciting than that, especially when this 1-guard has all the tools necessary to back up that mentality. 

Yeah, he may shoot too much when sharing the court with Kevin Durant. Yes, his shot selection leaves something to be desired. It's true that he always has an alpha-dog mentality, even when he could stand to turn it down. 

Thank goodness. 

Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com and are current heading into Feb. 26's games.