Top Ten Favorite Moments in the NBA This Decade
These past ten years in basketball have been fun! Let’s count the ways
The New Tens have officially come to an end. Man, how time flies! One minute the Los Angeles Lakers are the dominant team in the NBA and won another championship. Next minute LeBron James becomes a villain and joins the Miami Heat. Then some guy called Kawhi Leonard emerges as the new upcoming superstar from the San Antonio Spurs. And then suddenly Dell Curry’s son becomes STEPH Curry as he and the Golden State Warriors conquer the NBA! It’s been a wacky decade of fun basketball and I highly doubt I could name all my favorite moments this past decade. However, I will try to list all the cool things that happened this decade and I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of reliving some of these cool moments.
Without further ado, here are my favorite moments in the NBA Era of the New Tens:
10.) Ron Artest’s Breakout Performance in Game 7 of the NBA Finals
Leave it to a man who in the future will be known as “Metta World Peace” to put together a defining performance that will help catapult the Los Angeles Lakers to championship victory. The Boston Celtics were determined to close out the series by putting massive defensive pressure on leading scorers Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol but Artest wouldn’t let the C’s have their way. His defense on Paul Pierce — who struggled and finished the game with 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting — ignited the Lakers, as well as crucial offensive rebounds and a signature three pointer that helped sealed the victory. Queensbridge would be proud.
9.) Dirk Nowitzki’s 4th Quarter Comeback in Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals
This would be the game that would guarantee Nowitzki the Finals MVP trophy if the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat (they did by the way). Most people imagined that the Heat would beat the Mavericks like they did back in 2006. The Mavs were older, slower, and not as athletic as the younger, more spry Heat team. However, age comes with experience and Nowitzki remembers all too well how his chance of winning the championship slipped away. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. Old Man Dirk led a 15-point comeback in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and certified a chance of victory by hitting a crucial three pointer 26.7 seconds left in the game and guaranteeing the win by delivering a game-winning layup with his injured and avoiding Dwyane Wade’s blatant attempt at drawing a foul. The Heat formed a superteam and thought they were destined to victory. Nowitzki and the Mavs humbled them and it led to their first NBA championship.
8.) LeBron Makes His Decision, Becomes a “Heel,” and Creates the Modern NBA Superteam
“I’m taking my talents to South Beach.”
Those seven words echoed by LeBron James instantly made him a target for vitriol and hate. Instead of keeping his promise of staying in Cleveland to win a title or going to a team that hasn’t won a title in years like the Chicago Bulls or New York Knicks, he goes to team up with his buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and form an evil empire with Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra at the helm. It was the first time in NBA history that the sport had a “Big Bad” figure for teams to fight against. Not since the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s was there ever a definitive “team to beat.” However, the Bulls were worldwide darlings and everybody loved Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the rest. The league and the fans HATED the Miami Heat. They became the villains of the sport and it was all the more fun for it. I also suspect LeBron enjoyed “turning heel” and playing the role of supervillain. “6 LeBron” brought many memories of dynamic basketball and this was him at the peak of his skills playing alongside arguably one of the best shooting guards in Wade and a trendsetter of the “stretch big” in Chris Bosh. A new superteam would later form in the Golden State Warriors but the Heat were always the first and most interesting “villains” in the NBA.
7.) Damian Lillard’s Absurd Series Winner Shot Against the Rockets
Before Dame Dolla hit a similar shot that literally destroyed the Oklahoma City Thunder as we know it, he did a similar stunt in the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets. With 0.9 of a second left, it looked like the Trailblazers would lose and the series would go on to Game 7 in Houston where the winner would move forward to the next round in the playoffs. However, an upstart All Star point guard would say otherwise and hit a miraculous buzzer-beating shot over Chandler Parsons to seal the win. Blazers haven’t had a moment in the playoffs in many years. Lillard’s game winner would be the first of many in this era of Rose City basketball.
6.) LeBron James’ Career Defining Game Against the Celtics
“45–15–5”
When you hear an NBA fan mention those numbers, you know whom it refers to. 45 Points, 15 Rebounds, 5 Assists. Those were LeBron James’ numbers at the end of a breakthrough game against the Boston Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat were pushed to the brink of elimination (again) and it looked like yet another old, veteran team would put them in their place like the Mavericks did a year ago. Leave it to King James to make sure that didn’t happen in what could be argued as the single greatest performance in his NBA career complete with an iconic stare that would make you think twice to doubt LeBron as the G.O.A.T.
Remind me again how the Celtics “broke LeBron?”
5.) Ray Allen’s Game Tying 3 Pointer in Game 6 of the NBA Finals
The San Antonio Spurs were going to win this. David Stern had his personnel ready to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy down to the game floor. The fans started to go home. It looked like the Heat’s chances of winning back-to-back titles went out the window thanks to the brilliant plays of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
And then Ray Allen came alive.
With less than 19 seconds, the Heat inbounded the ball and Mario Chalmers quickly brought the ball across the court. After waiting for LeBron James to break free from his defender, Chalmers whips a quick pass to James for him to hit a game-tying three pointer. He misses but luckily Chris Bosh grabs the rebound and passes the ball to Ray Allen who quickly moves to the corner for a quick three pointer and by some divine miracle nails it! It was one of the most otherworldly shots in the game that shouldn’t have gone in but it did. Thanks to that three pointer, the Heat were given a second wind and managed to stay alive in the NBA Finals to eventually repeat back-to-back championships. This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for a veteran sharpshooter in “Jesus Shuttlesworth” to save the day.
4.) James Harden’s Legendary Triple Double Performance
Sure, nowadays it doesn’t seem like a big deal considering that Harden scores these kinds of points with such ridiculous ease but before this was just absurd. This was never done by a player who would have 60 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. I mean, just look at that stat line! It was no wonder he won MVP that year. Harden has been making his case as the best shooting guard in the NBA for several years now. Most people — yours truly included — had guys like Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal ahead of him for a reason. Harden essentially had to remind us that when given the green light, he can be a dominating force on a team. Harden’s skill as a scorer and playmaker is one of a kind and it’s no secret he’s easily one of the top ten best players in the NBA with games like this.
3.) Kawhi Leonard’s Buzzer Beater against the 76ers
The Toronto Raptors championship season began with an infamous, yet adorable, laugh. Then the “claws” (heh) came out and the Raptors were dead serious as being a legitimate threat to the best teams in the NBA, including the Golden State Warriors. The Philadelphia 76ers had their sights set on facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals. To get there, they needed to take down the Raptors in an intense, well-fought seven game series. With the game tied at 90, the Raptors only had four seconds to make a play count or otherwise face the Sixers in overtime. Marc Gasol inbounded a pass to Kawhi Leonard and he quickly rushed to the other end of the corner while being guarded by Ben Simmons. Leonard had a hot-scoring fourth quarter with 39 points total in the game and a miracle basket would be a great cap off to a breakout performance in the series. He quickly shoots over the 7'0" Joel Embiid and then there’s an agonizing wait of watching the ball bouncing around all over the rim before finally falling in and sealing the victory for the Raptors.
This was the kind of shot that makes players legendary in the NBA and it certified Leonard as arguably THE best player in the league. After LeBron James got hampered with injuries during the 2018–2019 NBA season and the Lakers missed the playoffs, fans were wondering if other players have surpassed James at this point considering a new breed of superstars were on the rise. Names like Giannis, Kevin Durant, and even LeBron’s future teammate Anthony Davis were the ones to pop up. Leonard was always something of an enigma because people weren’t sure if his game was better than most players in the NBA or if he was just a “system player” since he succeeded with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs before requesting a trade. Leonard’s buzzer beater silenced his critics and bringing the first championship victory to the Toronto Raptors franchise certified his presence as the definitive best player in the NBA.
2.) Steph Curry Puts the League on Notice with a Victory Against the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Golden State Warriors were already NBA champions at this point. It wasn’t like they were a lucky team to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. However, some still felt that they weren’t worthy of winning the title and that their victory came at the expense of circumstances and good luck (Kyrie Irving’s injury in the Finals, the whole debacle with Mark Jackson before the season, etc.). The disrespect was enough. The talking was nothing but noise at this point. It was high time that the Warriors show the league that they were not only the real deal as a championship-caliber team but they were the next great superteam to rise from the ashes of the “LeBron-Wade-Bosh” Miami Heat Era.
And all it took was 46 points and a damning three pointer from Steph Curry to push that notion.
The NBA finally introduced primetime Saturday matchups on national television thanks to the new deals and the lull after the end of the NFL season. The Warriors were up against the Oklahoma City Thunder as the first marquee matchup during this time. This game did not disappoint. Two rival point guards in Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook going at it. Kevin Durant was at the peak of an MVP-like season. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were legitimate threats. It was the kind of the match fans would dream of as a precursor to an inevitable Western Conference Finals matchup and it was a great preview in February 2016.
Curry had a historic night by shooting 12 (!!!) three pointers and broke his own record for most threes in a season (again it was February 2016). Warriors were 52–5 at this point and were on pace for more than 70 wins, the most since the 1995–1996 Chicago Bulls who had 72 wins (they’d end the season with 73). With the game tied and Durant fouled earlier, OKC had a play for Westbrook where he’d hit a floater to push the lead. He misses the shot and Green grabs the rebound and passes it to Curry. Curry immediately rushes to the otherside of the court but was still relatively midcourt. Warriors could easily call timeout and get a set play in but Curry had other ideas:
Curry hits a three pointer damn near midcourt (again!) and all but assured victory for the Warriors. It wasn’t an easy shot mind you. He had Andre Roberson — who at the time was a skilled wing defender — on him and Curry somehow drains the three. That three was a huge exclamation point on the night and for NBA fans. Curry earned the title as the best shooter in NBA history. He essentially broke the league. The Warriors would no longer be considered pretenders. They were very real and very scary.
1.) The LeBron Chasedown Block
Honestly what other moment would you expect to be number one from yours truly? Ask yourself, is there a defining moment as big as this from the last ten years in the NBA? This block is the moment LeBron fulfilled a promise and completed a lifelong destiny. He would finally bring Cleveland the championship title they have longed for since 1964.
Now, if you watch anime you’d know that several characters have their signature moves. You know? A “go-to” special ability that adds layer for them to win. Goku from Dragonball has the “Kamehameha.” Naruto has the “Ransengan.” All Might from My Hero Academia has the “United States of SMASH.” What’s LeBron’s special move? Why it would be his chasedown blocks of course! The man is a dominant athlete who practically jumps out the arena every time he’s playing.
But his chasedown block on Andre Iguodola was signature. It was the moment that had everyone at the edge of their seats.
Let’s set the moment: the Cavaliers had just came back from a 3–1 deficit against the Warriors and the series is tied. It’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals on national primetime television and it’s timeslot is competing against the penultimate episode of the latest season of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Everybody who’s anybody is watching this game. LeBron James has dominated these past few games and literally did everything he could to ensure that his team would not get eliminated. With a great supporting cast in the likes of All Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, as well as skilled role players like Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, and JR Smith (?), James had the help he needed during this Finals run.
The first half of the game was nothing but a back-and-forth match between the two. Nobody was pulling away with the lead. It was close throughout the match. Despite numerous between the two juggernaut teams, nobody was really guaranteeing the win.
And then it came down to the final two minutes of the game. It was tied 89 with a 1:56 to play. Irving released a floater that bounced off the glass and was eventually rebounded by Iguodala. He immediately sprinted up the court as Curry followed suit. JR Smith quickly began back-pedaling towards his own basket since he was the only player that could defend the fastbreak against the Warriors. James, who mind you was on the otherside of the court in the corner in front of the Warriors bench, took off after them. Iguodala threw a chest pass to Curry who immediately gave it back with a bounce pass. Iguodala gathered the ball and overpowered past Smith and was aiming towards the hoop despite Smith’s efforts. James, who had been following the play the entire length of the floor, stepped up and blocked the potential layup off the glass from behind with 1:50 left. The ball was then rebounded by Smith, and brought back up the Warriors side of the floor.
It was capped off with a dagger Kyrie Irving three pointer and a key defensive stop from Kevin Love. This sequence led to the Cavaliers’ first championship and with James winning the Finals MVP. It was a defining moment of the decade and no doubt one of the greatest NBA Finals matchups in sports history. This moment defined the 2010s of basketball and defined LeBron James’ career as the moment he surpassed Michael Jordan.
And that’s essentially it for me! The 2010s were wacky, fun period of NBA basketball and I had a lot of fun watching it. I’m sure there are those who disagree with the list so feel free to comment. If you have any other suggestions or moments I missed, be sure to highlight them. See you all in 2020!
Honorable Mentions I Also Enjoyed
- Russell Westbrook’s MVP Campaign (Brodie SZN)
- Carmelo Anthony’s 62 Point Game at MSG
- Linsanity
- Lob City Clippers
- Kevin Durant’s Next Stop (Joins Golden State Warriors)
- Kawhi Leonard’s Finals MVP Game (Game 5 against the Heat)
- Dame Lillard’s Buzzer Beater Against OKC Thunder
- JR Smith’s 2018 NBA Finals Game 1 Blunder
- Giannis’ Posterize Dunk over Tim Hardaway Jr.
- The Ball Family
- Isaiah Thomas’ 53 Point Game Against the Wizards
- Cavaliers vs Warriors X-Mas Game 2017
- Kobe Bryant’s 60 Point Finale
*additional content from GD Highlights, House of Highlights, Dawkins, CNN, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, AP Entertainment, NBA.com
