LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant enter one other season as top-10 abilities -- get pleasure from it whereas it lasts

The excellent news for Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant? That they continue to be, in response to our annual Top 100 NBA player rankings, among the many 10 finest gamers within the NBA.

The dangerous information? 

Their grip on these spots is slipping, a reminder that their maintain on the sport they’ve lengthy dominated may additionally quickly give means — to youthful gamers, to a sluggish however positive decline, to time’s inevitable victory.

These three have lengthy owned the NBA: They’ve owned its awards and accolades, its championships and trophies, its tendency to reward greatness, that sense of surety of the only a few who’re its best possible and most necessary.

And regardless of their spot close to the highest of our listing, for the primary time in additional than a decade not one in every of this period’s dominating triumvirate are seen as a top-three participant — and even worthy of a top-five slot. Not this time.

Steph, who was No. 3 final season, falls to sixth. Durant fell from No. 5 to No. 9. LeBron James got here in at eighth, again within the prime 10 after taking part in 71 regular-season video games final season.

Sure, their top-10 rankings are a nod to the greatness nonetheless lurking in these growing old, generally fragile our bodies. All three of them shone brightly throughout this summer season’s Olympics: Durant’s return from damage immediately modified the USA roster. LeBron gained the event’s MVP award. And Steph’s heroics within the semifinals and gold medal sport — along with his iconic golden dagger  — have been unforgettable.

These heroics additionally included one of many lasting photographs of the 2024 Paris Olympics: Steph launching a 3-pointer over the extremely lengthy outstretched arm of VIctor Wembanyama. That 3-point shot was not precisely a passing of the torch — Steph, in spite of everything, torched Wemby in that second. But the image of Steph capturing over an impossibly sized would-be NBA celebrity very nicely appears like a final, if profitable, stand — for Steph and his fellow and growing old all-time greats.

This might nicely be the final yr all, or any, of Steph, LeBron and Okay.D. stay among the many NBA’s prime 10 gamers.

There’s their age, after all. Steph is 36. Kevin Durant turns 36 later this month. And LeBron James, nonetheless preventing again Father Time, can be 40 in December. Age comes for all of us, athletes usually earliest of all.

The cracks have already began to point out. Final season was the primary time since 2005 that neither Steph, LeBron or Durant performed within the second spherical of the NBA playoffs — years earlier than Steph and Okay.D. have been even within the league.

It was a turning of the tide — a touch that their time, extraordinary although it has been, is waning. The exclamation level behind that reality was that LeBron’s Lakers and Durant’s Suns mixed for a single playoff win earlier than being ushered out of the playoffs within the first spherical. Steph’s Warriors did not make the playoffs in any respect.

They’re nonetheless nice gamers, after all. It is why we ranked all three of them within the prime 10, regardless of their downward trajectory.

We noticed that within the Olympics. We noticed it final NBA season, too.

LeBron was nonetheless good for 26-7-8, and the 71 video games performed have been his most in six years. Curry remained a scoring machine, and, for good measure, gained final yr’s Clutch Participant of the Yr Award. He was good for 74 video games. And Okay.D. was essentially the most sturdy of all, taking part in in 75 video games for an underachieving Suns group and averaging greater than 27 factors per sport — the fifth-highest mark within the league.

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However their age isn’t the one risk to their reign among the many sport’s elite. Different names are coming, too. Which is why Steph’s shot over Wemby may be as a lot a closing hurrah as the rest.

There are a number of youthful gamers who, a yr from now, might make large enough leaps to efficiently go over Steph, LeBron and Durant as absolutely as that shot did over Wembanyama.

Wemby is the most definitely candidate to assist nudge these names from their spots in subsequent yr’s prime 10. He got here in at No. 12 this time round, however do not be shocked if subsequent season he goes to the highest 5 — or greater.

Anthony Edwards (10) and Jalen Brunson (13) shouldn’t be ignored as faces of the sport’s future — a future barreling towards us maybe faster than we understand. Deven Booker (14) is essentially and appropriately thought-about the long run in Phoenix, way more so than his older teammate.

Ja Morant (16) is an MVP-level expertise, if his well being and off-court points can development in a greater route. Final season, earlier than his damage in January, Tyrese Haliburton was in actual fact a top-five participant — an offensive pressure who for a number of months appeared like a real MVP candidate. Even gamers like Zion Williamson (21) and Chet Holmgren (30) are able to making big leaps.

Steph, LeBron and Okay.D. are in actual fact top-10 gamers this season. But age, the younger stars chasing them, and the diminishing prospects of their respective groups level towards an equally sure reality: Take pleasure in these all-time greats at this stage when you can.

As a result of quickly — maybe very quickly — their locations among the many higher echelon of the NBA will go to the subsequent stars up.