NBA MVP rankings: Is LeBron James playing better than ever?

"LeBron James sits near top of NBA MVP conversation."

Yawn.

Talk about a played out story line.

"LeBron James carries injury-plagued Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA-best eight-game winning streak behind career-best numbers."

Now that's something we can get behind.

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

Below are USA TODAY Sports’ weekly MVP rankings, as voted on by Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt, Michael Singer and AJ Neuharth-Keusch.

5. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Last week's rankings: No. 5

Season stats: 26.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 46.5% shooting

Curry, shooting a career-worst 37% from beyond the arc, is still on pace to finish in the top 10 on the all-time single-season three-pointers made list — a list in which he already holds five spots. He also leads the league with a plus-minus of 11.7 and has the highest offensive rating (117.8) among players who average more than 30 minutes per game.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week's ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 29.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.8 blocks, 55.2% shooting

Antetokounmpo's week was overshadowed by his sideline shouting match with assistant coach Sean Sweeney, which was captured on TV and quickly became a hot topic in the hoops world. Antetokounmpo, though, says the incident was "something common."

"You always fight with your brothers," Antetokounmpo said Sunday. " ... Me and Sweeney, we’re so tight. He always speaks the truth to me and I always speak the truth to him. We’ve done this in the past, just this time it was caught on national TV."

3. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics

Last week's ranking: No. 4

Season stats: 22.8 points, 5.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 47.6% shooting

The Celtics have lost two of their last four games, but still own the best record in the NBA at 18-4 — a testament to Irving, Al Horford, coach Brad Stevens, and the rest of this group that has exceeded even the loftiest of expectations. In the last six games, Irving ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring (28.8 points per game) and has shot 58.9% from the field and 46.7% from three.

2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Last week's ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 28.6 points, 8.5 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 57.8% shooting

James, a month away from his 33rd birthday, is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He's posting career-highs in shooting, both from the field (57.8%) and beyond the arc (42.3%), and his true-shooting percentage (65.7%) leads all players who attempt at least 10 shots per game.

James also leads the NBA in clutch scoring, averaging 5.5 points (on 62.2% shooting) when the score is within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. The only reason he's not No. 1 on our list right now is because of ...

1. James Harden, Houston Rockets

Last week's ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 31.7 points, 9.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 45.6% shooting

In five games since Chris Paul's return, Harden is averaging a league-best 34.4 points (on 49.5% shooting), 5.2 three-pointers made (on 46.4% shooting), 8.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds and is a plus-14.6. The Rockets, meanwhile, are 5-0 during that span and have won 16 of their first 20 games, including nine of their last 10. Still worried about how the two future Hall of Fame guards will fit together?

Follow USA TODAY Sports' AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK

LeBron James, Serena Williams, Tom Brady: 1-50 rank of decade's ...

Ten years. In the world of sports, it can seem like an eternity.

As this decade began, the Yankees were reigning World Series champions, the Saints were about to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, Kobe Bryant was on his way to leading the Lakers to back-to-back NBA titles and Tiger Woods – with 14 major victories by the age of 34 – was seemingly a lock to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

How things have changed. The Yankees, Saints and Lakers have yet to return to the pinnacle of their sports, and Woods went 11 years before winning his 15th major.

Then again, some stars who ruled the sports world in 2010 have managed to stay on top. Which ones deserve recognition as the greatest athletes of the past decade?

Thirty-five members of the USA TODAY Sports staff voted to determine the top 50 athletes of the decade. Points were given in descending order, so an athlete who was voted No. 1 received 25 points, followed by No. 2 receiving 24 points and so on. Point totals are in parentheses.

1. LeBron James (786 points)

The start of the decade coincided with James entering his prime, having just turned 25. He delivered, playing in eight NBA Finals and winning three titles, being voted MVP twice and winning a gold medal in 2012. Plus nobody has scored more points since the start of the 2009-10 season than James. But it's his impact off the court that elevates James beyond other athletes of the 2010s, adding to his philanthropic efforts and becoming a leading voice on social and political issues.

2. Serena Williams (781 points)

Narrowly beat out by James, Williams is arguably the the greatest tennis player in history with 23 Grand Slam tournament singles titles, more than any man or woman in the Open Era. Not all of those majors came in this decade, but winning 10 of them – as well as Olympic golds in singles and doubles – after turning 30 might be an even more impressive feat.

3. Tom Brady (742 points)

A sixth-round draft choice in 2000, Brady's career has spanned two decades, and he's still going strong at 42. In the 2010s, he won two MVP awards (2010 season and '17) and led the Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl titles (2014 season, '16 and '18).

4. Simone Biles (740 points)

Biles hit the elite gymnastics scene as a 14-year-old in 2011. Two years later she claimed her first world championship gold medals, winning the floor exercise and all-around competitions. She won eight more golds at worlds in 2014-15 before leading the USA to team gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Individually, Biles won gold in the floor exercise, vault and all-around competitions with a bronze in the balance beam. After taking 2017 off, she returned by winning seven more individual golds at the 2018 and 2019 world championships.

TEAM OF THE DECADE:US women end 2010s where they started it, as world's best

COACH OF THE DECADE:In evaluating coaches, no one was better than Nick Saban

5. Usain Bolt (654 points)

Bolt was already an international star and Olympic champion when the decade started. But he added to his legacy by becoming the only sprinter to win gold medals in both the 100 and 200 meters in three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016). He also won 11 gold medals at the track and field world championships from 2009 to 2015. And he currently holds the world record in both the 100 and the 200.

6. Mike Trout (610 points)

Trout made his major league debut in 2011 at 19 and a season later won the AL Rookie of the Year award and finished second in AL MVP voting. He hasn't slowed down since. An eight-time All-Star, Trout has won three MVP awards and finished second four times. The only blemish on his career is a lack of postseason success, but he's only 28.

7. Steph Curry (571 points)

The seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Curry quickly established himself as one of the game’s best shooters. He led the NBA in 3-point field goals for five consecutive seasons, including a record 402 in 2015-16. An All-Star in each of the past six seasons, Curry was named the league’s MVP in 2015 as he led the Warriors to their first NBA title in 40 years. The following year, Curry repeated as MVP as the Warriors finished with an unprecedented 73-9 record but lost the NBA Finals in seven games to the Cavaliers. Entering the 2019-20 season, Curry and the Warriors have represented the Western Conference in each of the past five NBA Finals, winning three.

8. Lionel Messi (570 points)

In the decade’s greatest soccer rivalry, Messi comes out slightly ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. A prolific goal-scorer, Messi has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards (five this decade) as the world’s top player. He has spent his entire pro career with Barcelona, where he holds the record of six Golden Boot awards as the leading scorer in the top division of the five major European leagues. The native of Argentina is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 70 goals in 138 international appearances. He also led Argentina to the 2014 World Cup final.

9. Michael Phelps (541 points)

Although many of his accomplishments came in the 2000s, Phelps arguably did enough alone in this decade to be considered the greatest swimmer in history. Following his unprecedented eight gold medal-winning performance at the 2008 Olympics, Phelps cut back his schedule – winning four golds and two silvers in 2012 in London. He was chosen as the U.S. flag bearer for the 2016 Rio Games, then added another five golds and one silver. His victories in the 200-meter butterfly and 200 medley made him, at 31, the oldest individual champion in Olympic swimming history.

FROM BASEBALL:Dream team, position-by-position for the decade

DARKEST MOMENT:Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal rocked the world

10. Novak Djokovic (479 points)

Men's tennis has been ruled by three players this decade. Of the three, Djokovic holds the upper hand. Of his 16 Grand Slam tournament titles, 15 have come since 2011 – including all five Wimbledon crowns and six of his record seven Australian Open titles. His 2015 season, in which he won three majors and reached the final in a fourth, is considered one of the greatest in history.

11. Katie Ledecky (443 points)

Ledecky is quite simply the most dominant freestyle swimmer in history. At 15, she claimed her first Olympic title in 2012, setting a record for an American and winning the 800-meter freestyle by more than four seconds. Breaking world records and going undefeated in every international final she entered between the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, Ledecky hit more milestones at the 2016 Rio Games. She won gold in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter free, posting world-record times in the 400 and 800 that still stand. All told, she’s set 14 world records.

12. Kevin Durant (398 points)

Starting in the 2009-10 season, Durant led the league in points five years in a row with the Thunder, went to the 2012 Finals, was league MVP in 2013-14 and won Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. But Durant didn’t become an NBA champion until he joined the Warriors in 2016. He won back-to-back titles (winning Finals MVP) and was the leading playoff scorer last season until he was hurt before the Finals.

13. Rafael Nadal (396 points)

The King of Clay won the French Open eight times during the decade and three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in 2010. He’s the reigning champion at the French and U.S. Open. Nadal was ranked No. 1 for 140 weeks, including now, and No. 2 for 133 weeks.

14. Cristiano Ronaldo (387 points)

He signed with Real Madrid before the turn of the decade and dominated, scoring 40 or more goals three times and winning back-to-back Ballon D’Or awards in 2013 and 2014 and 2016 and 2017. He was named the top forward as Portugal won UEFA Euro 2016. He transferred to Juventus in 2018 and led that team to a first-place finish in his first year.

15. Aaron Rodgers (297 points)

The Packers' quarterback was MVP of the 2011 Super Bowl XLV win against the Steelers, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He was NFL MVP in 2012, when the Packers went 15-1, and he had a career-best 4,643 passing yards and 45 TD passes. He picked up six All-Pro nods and won 10 or more games seven times, including this season.

16. Roger Federer (273 points)

He began the decade ranked No. 1 and finished No. 3. There was a lot of fluctuation in there, including a drop to 16, but he won five Grand Slam tournaments and the Federer-Nadal rivalry remains fun to watch.

17. Sidney Crosby (268 points)

The hockey world wondered if the Penguins' star would be able to return from a concussion suffered in the 2011 Winter Classic. He spent parts of two seasons on the sideline but came back strong. He led the league with 104 points in 2013-14 to win MVP and was playoff MVP twice as the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017, the first NHL team to do that since the late 1990s.

FROM HOCKEY:The people, places, things that have changed NHL

FROM NASCAR:Top feuds feature familiar names, iconic moments from decade

18. Clayton Kershaw (256 points)

The Dodgers' pitcher dominated in the regular season, winning the Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013 and 2014. He was voted National League MVP in 2014, when he went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA. He hasn’t been able to repeat that dominance in the postseason, though, with a combined 5.40 ERA in World Series games.

19. Alex Ovechkin (239 points)

The runaway NHL goal-scoring leader of the decade. The Capitals' star scored his 600th goal on March 12, 2018, and is closing in on 700. Ovechkin eliminated the one blemish on his career by winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

20. Carli Lloyd (217 points)

A force on the U.S. Women’s National Team, she scored the winning goal in the 2012 Olympics, was captain of the 2015 World Cup team and had a hat trick in the championship game against Japan. She scored three goals in the 2019 World Cup as the USA repeated as champion.

21. American Pharoah (160 points)

Yes, horses are athletes too. American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, the first to do so since Affirmed in 1978. He took the Kentucky Derby by 1 length, the Preakness Stakes by 7 lengths and the Belmont Stakes by 5½ lengths. Trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the first to win all four races in one year.

22. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (154 points)

Mayweather added to his perfect record by winning nine fights in the decade, including a 10th-round TKO of UFC fighter Conor McGregor in August 2017. That gave Mayweather a 50-0 record, surpassing Hall of Fame boxer Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 mark. Mayweather announced on Instagram in November that he was “coming out of retirement in 2020,” but no bout has been scheduled.

23. Max Scherzer (123 points)

Scherzer started the decade as an up-and-comer who just completed his first full season in the major leagues. He finishes the 2010s with the most strikeouts and wins in the decade, three Cy Young Awards and a newly earned World Series title.

24. Lindsey Vonn (119 points)

Vonn's decade as a skier was filled with remarkable achievements and excruciating injuries. She won Olympic gold in the downhill and a bronze in the super-G at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. In 2013, she suffered torn knee ligaments and a broken leg and did not fully recover in time for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Vonn returned to the Games in 2018, taking bronze in the downhill. She announced her retirement in 2019 after claiming a record 82 World Cup victories, the most of any female skier in history. She also has seven world championship medals and was the first female skier to win medals at six world championships.

25. Mikaela Shiffrin (118 points)

The world’s dominant slalom skier has won the World Cup season title six times. Shiffrin, 24, also has won three consecutive overall World Cup titles. Currently tied for second on the list of World Cup victories with 62, Shiffrin could pass Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 before the Beijing Olympics in 2022. At the 2014 Olympics at 18, she became the youngest to win Olympic gold in slalom. Four years later, Shiffrin won gold in the giant slalom and silver in the combined.

26. Maya Moore (104 points)

The five-time, first-team All-WNBA honoree helped the Lynx win four championships since her rookie year in 2011. Moore was also named MVP in 2014. She has missed only one game in eight seasons, with career averages of 18.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. In February, Moore, 30, announced that she would sit out the 2019 season to focus on family and “some ministry dreams.”

27. James Harden (86 points)

A seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA scoring champion, Harden was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year (2011-12) with the Thunder before he was traded to the Rockets. Since the trade, Harden, 30, has averaged 29.4 points and 7.7 assists. He’s led the NBA in scoring each of the past two seasons: 30.4 points in 2017-18 – when he was the league MVP – and 36.1 points in 2018-19.

28. Justin Verlander (83 points)

Verlander won two Cy Young Awards in the decade, including one in 2019 when he became the oldest pitcher to achieve the feat since 42-year-old Roger Clemens did it in 2004. Now 36, Verlander is second to Max Scherzer in wins and strikeouts in the 2010s and first in innings pitched. He also won a World Series title with the Astros in 2017.

29. Elena Delle Donne (69 points)

She is the first player in WNBA history to win MVP honors with two teams: the Sky in 2015 and the Mystics in 2019. A seven-year veteran, Delle Donne, 30, led the Mystics to the team’s first league championship in 2019. She is the first player in WNBA history to shoot over 50% from the field, over 40% from 3-point territory and over 90% from the free throw line in a season (2019).

30. Tiger Woods (57 points)

Woods hasn’t been the same since he crashed his Escalade outside his Florida mansion on the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. He endured personal scandal and several surgical procedures on his back. But Woods had his share of moments of triumph on the golf course. He was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2013 and won 11 tournaments in the 2010s. His Masters victory in 2019 was one of the decade's most dramatic moments and marked his 15th career major, keeping Woods within reach of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.

31. Abby Wambach (55 points)

Inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in September, Wambach, 39, is the career-leading goal scorer in women's international soccer with 184 goals. In the 2010s, she was a member of the U.S. women's team that won gold at the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 World Cup. She was the FIFA world women's player of the year in 2012.

T32. Allyson Felix (49 points)

Felix finishes the decade as the most decorated woman in U.S. Olympic track and field history with nine medals. She captured three gold medals in 2012 and two more in 2016 to bring her career total to six, most of any female track and field athlete in Olympic history. She won her 12th gold at the world championships in 2019, her first since becoming a mother.

T32. Marcel Hirscher (49 points)

At just 30 years old, the Austrian is already widely considered the greatest Alpine skier ever. Hirscher won a record eight consecutive overall World Cup titles from 2012 to 2019, plus six titles each in the slalom and giant slalom disciplines and two Olympic gold medals in 2018.

34. Drew Brees (48 points)

Brees earned nine of his 13 career Pro Bowl nods in the 2010s and was the 2011 Offensive Player of the Year. He leads quarterbacks for the decade in touchdowns, yards, pass attempts and completions. He also finishes the decade as the NFL's career leader in passing yards and touchdowns.

35. Megan Rapinoe (46 points)

Rapinoe played in three World Cups during the decade, winning two, including the performance of a lifetime to lead the Americans to a second consecutive title in 2019. She was awarded the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and earned the Golden Ball as the best player.

36. Diana Taurasi (35 points)

Considered one of the greatest female basketball players in history, Taurasi spent the 2010s burnishing her Hall of Fame résumé. She earned five All-Star nods and seven All-WNBA selections during the decade and won her third WNBA championship and second Finals MVP in 2014. Taurasi became the WNBA’s all-time leader scorer in 2017 and won Olympic gold medals with the U.S. in 2012 and 2016.

37. Klay Thompson (35 points)

Thompson teamed with Steph Curry to form the Splash Brothers, the best shooting backcourt in NBA history and cornerstones of a Warriors dynasty that won three championships. Thompson was a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA third-team pick during the decade.

38. Patrick Kane (34 points)

The top pick in the 2007 draft, Kane became a cornerstone of the Blackhawks' teams that won three Stanley Cup championships during the decade. Kane won the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion and the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2015-16, becoming the first American-born player to win each.

39. Alex Morgan (28 points)

Morgan became the latest international soccer star for the U.S. She appeared in three World Cups, helping the U.S. win the 2015 and 2019 titles. In April 2019, Morgan became the seventh American woman to score 100 international goals, and she finishes the decade with 107.

40. Lewis Hamilton (25 points)

Hamilton established himself as one of the most accomplished drivers in Formula One history with five championships in six years (2014-15, 2017-19). His six total championships and 84 race wins are both second behind Michael Schumacher, and Hamilton holds the F1 career record with 88 poles.

T41. Canelo Alvarez (21 points)

Canelo became one of boxing’s biggest draws this decade, signing a massive deal with the DAZN streaming service for his fights in 2018. In the ring, the four-division champion has gone an impressive 23-1-1 over the past 10 years.

T41. Sue Bird (21 points)

Bird finishes the decade among the best women to ever play basketball. She won two of her three WNBA titles (2010 and 2018), made five All-Star teams and three All-WNBA teams and became the league’s all-time assists leader in 2017. Bird also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016.

T41. Aaron Donald (21 points)

The accolades started piling up in 2013 for Donald, as he was named the ACC defensive player of the year and cleaned up in award season, taking home the Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. He continued in the NFL as he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 and captured back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2017 and 2018, the latter when he led the league with 20½ sacks.

T41. Brooks Koepka (21 points)

The 29-year-old golfer became one of the best big-game players on the planet in the last few years of the decade. He captured four major titles – twice taking home the PGA Championship (2018 and 2019) and twice winning the U.S. Open (2017 and 2018). When he wasn’t winning in 2019 he was in the hunt, finishing second at the Masters, second at the U.S. Open and fourth at the British Open.

45. Jon Jones (20 points)

There was plenty of controversy for “Bones” during the decade as he was stripped of his light heavyweight championship multiple times. But there was no disputing his dominance in the octagon. He never lost a UFC bout in the decade, racking up 16 wins.

46. JJ Watt (18 points)

Perhaps no defensive player was as dominant as Watt in the 2010s. He won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards (2012, 2014, 2015) and twice led the league in sacks. Watt's career has been slowed of late by injuries, but in 2017 he made perhaps his biggest impact off the field when he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year after helping to spearhead a massive fundraising effort in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

47. Julio Jones (17 points)

The wide receiver began the decade as a star on Alabama as the Crimson Tide captured their first national championship in 17 years in January 2010. He was drafted by the Falcons with the sixth overall pick in 2011 and hasn’t slowed down, twice leading the league in receiving yards while clearing 900 yards in all but one year of his NFL career.

T48. Larry Fitzgerald (16 points)

Fitzgerald has spent the decade continuing to build one of the most impressive resumes of any wide receiver in NFL history. The greatest player in Arizona Cardinals history is now second in career receptions and yards and sixth in touchdowns. He also has the most receptions of the 2010s.

T48. Shaun White (16 points)

One of the most recognizable names in extreme sports, White won Olympic gold medals in snowboard halfpipe at the 2010 and 2018 Winter Games. He also spent the early part of the decade dominating at the X Games.

50. Adrian Peterson (14 points)

Peterson has rushed for over 9,000 yards this decade, claiming the rushing title in 2012 and 2015 – the former accompanied by the league MVP as he nearly broke Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

Others receiving votes

Jimmie Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Breanna Stewart, Mo Farah, Eliud Kipchoge, Kyle Busch, Justify, Lamar Jackson, Von Miller, Chandler Jones, Miguel Cabrera.

LeBron James' series vs. Pacers one of the best in NBA history

The Cleveland Cavaliers' first-round series against the Indiana Pacers came down to a win-or-go-home Game 7, but when it was all said and done, LeBron James had completed one of the greatest playoff series performances in NBA history.

Sunday's outing — he finished with 45 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals — was just the exclamation point.

But before we look ahead to Cleveland's Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Toronto Raptors, let's look back at these past seven games during which James' per-game averages of 34.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists put him in a league of his own. As if he wasn't already.

By the numbers ...

► This was the fifth playoff series of James' career in which he averaged at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, something no player in NBA history has done more than once, according to NBA.com/stats.

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

► James scored 241 points in the first round — 61 more than second-place Giannis Antetokounmpo. He also ranked second in the league in rebounds, second in assists and first in minutes.

► After James' scoring total, Kevin Love ranked second on the Cavs with 80 points. James also led Cleveland with 54 assists; Jeff Green was second with 11. No other Cavalier scored more than 20 points or tallied more than five assists in any of the seven games against Indiana.

► James ranked third in the league in first-round "clutch" points scored with 18 — three of which came on his game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper in Game 5.

► By picking off a pass in the second quarter of Game 7, James became the NBA's all-time leader in postseason steals (396), passing Scottie Pippen.

► His 45 points on Sunday were the second-most in a Game 7 win in playoff history, behind only Sam Jones (47 points in 1963), according to ESPN Stats and Info. Game 7 also marked James' 200th time scoring 20 or more points in a playoff game — the most of all-time.

► James now has a career first-round record of 13-0. He's also 5-2 in Game 7s with five consecutive victories.

Ranking LeBron James' six best teammates throughout his career

LeBron James' quest for his fourth NBA title began Wednesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Finals. Over the course of his 17-year career, which has featured 10 Finals appearances, James has had a number of great sidekicks, several who were key in helping him hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Here's a ranking of his most complimentary teammates, excluding those he played with just in All-Star Games and with Team USA.

1. Anthony Davis. While James has been on teams with dominant backcourt players in his career, Davis is his first dominant, MVP-caliber big man. Davis' numbers for 2019-20 were 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, and his game-winner in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals is evidence of James not needing to be the end-of-game hero he's been on other teams.

2. Dwyane Wade. When James first signed with the Heat in 2010 following "The Decision," among the criticisms of his move from the Cavaliers was that the Heat would be Wade's team. That was quickly put to rest as James used his four-year tenure in Miami to solidify himself as the best player in the league. He won two titles and was MVP two times with the Heat largely thanks to his chemistry with Wade in the open court and Wade's complementary style as a combo guard/scorer.

3. Kyrie Irving. When James returned to Cleveland a second time, Irving was the key complementary piece in initiating a championship run. His clutch 3-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals helped the Cavs upset the 73-win Golden State Warriors, one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Irving's style as a creative, scoring point guard meshed well with James at that stage of his career, when he had found a way to score more with his back to the basket while using his size to dominate.

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

4. Chris Bosh. The third wheel of the Heat's Big Three with James and Wade, Bosh left the Toronto Raptors as a top-10 player. While he had to sacrifice, he remained an All-Star and was a fitting third option that stacked up with the likes of other all-time third options like Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant from the 1990s Chicago Bulls. Bosh averaged 17.3 points per game with the Heat during James' four years and rose to the occasion when the backcourt wasn't firing on all cylinders, providing clutch jumpers and interior defense.

5. Kevin Love. Love was an elite player on the Minnesota Timberwolves and became a viable third option alongside James and Irving with the Cavaliers. His defense on Steph Curry in Game 7 of the '16 Finals is most remembered, helping Cleveland secure the upset and the championship. He averaged 17.2 points a game in James' four seasons the second time around with the Cavs.

6. Ray Allen. One of the best 3-point marksmen of all-time and a Hall of Famer, Allen left the rival Boston Celtics to join the Heat and he became the most pivotal role player of James career, helping Miami oust the San Antonio Spurs for the 2013 NBA title thanks to a career-defining three to force overtime in Game 6 of the Finals.

Follow reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.

Does Kobe Bryant want the NBA scoring title? NBA A-Z

Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

Bryant became the newest member of the NBA's 30,000 point clubThe Memphis Grizzlies are atop Sam Amick's power rankings, while LeBron James leads the MVP race and Damian Lillard is in front for ROY Pau Gasol has been in trade talk, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon

As Kobe Bryant's bosses can attest, what he says and what he does aren't always the same thing (see retracted trade demand, summer 2007).

So while the 34-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star and newest member of the 30,000-point club might have said as recently as October that he plans on retiring after two more seasons, there's a certain we'll-believe-it-when-we-see-it component that means this question is still in play: can Bryant surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer? The answer is yes - if he wants to.

Bryant already has the votes of Lakers legends Magic Johnson and Jerry West as the best Laker of all time, and his top priority in these twilight years is to match or even surpass Michael Jordan when it comes to his ring count (he trails six to five). But his possible path from 30,001 points to passing Wilt Chamberlain (31,419), Jordan (32,292), Karl Malone (36,928) and finally Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) is entirely possible so long as he stays healthy. If Bryant was able to keep up his career-long pace of scoring an average of 25.4 points per game, the then-38-year-old would break the record approximately a third of the way through the 2016-17 season.

A dropoff in production would complicate things, as Bryant would surely want to wrap up the record in that 2016-17 season rather than deal with the PR nightmare of returning in 2017-18 to predictable accusations that he was ending his career the way he began it - by being too driven by individual achievement. Yet if he averages 21.3 points per game from here on out as opposed to 21.5, for example, that's precisely what could occur. His contract status and the outside chance that he could finish his career elsewhere would come into play, too, as Bryant is only signed through next season (when he'll make a league-high $30.4 million).

None of which resonates with Bryant right now because of the tall task at hand. His so-called Super Team Lakers are an underwhelming 9-10, and Bryant and Dwight Howard spent Wednesday night bickering about blown defensive assignments on the New Orleans Arena court and on the bench.

It was a small situation that could certainly grow bigger if this purple-and-gold tide isn't turned, as Bryant's notoriously-edgy leadership style is precisely the kind that has never worked well with the more-easygoing Howard. Add in the backdrop of Howard's looming free agency this summer and his ominous comments on Sunday that "if I have to play on another team or do whatever I have to do to get (a championship), that's my goal," and it's safe to assume Bryant isn't thinking about scoring titles at the moment.

Still, even with all the extra playoff and international mileage, Bryant is one of the special few who could likely play into his late 30s while still holding onto his hoops dignity. He has the mindset to do it, and - thanks partly to the blood-manipulation treatment he had done in Germany two summers ago on his knees - he has the body too.

Yet West, the former Lakers general manager who brought Bryant to Laker Land as a rookie in 1996 by way of the trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac, would consider Bryant the best Laker of all time even if he quit tomorrow. His sentiment echoed that of Johnson, the five-time champion who reiterated his stance on ESPN on Wednesday night that Bryant was the best of all the Lakers. West, who is now a consultant for the Golden State Warriors, said he viewed Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain differently because they didn't play their entire careers with the Lakers but he clearly sees Bryant above Johnson and himself on the Lakers' long list of greats.

"What he has accomplished with this team, I don't think there's any question in my mind at this point in time - because of him being with this team for his whole career - that he has been the greatest Laker player," West - who earned 14 All-Star berths, one championship, one MVP and made nine Finals appearances - told USA TODAY Sports by phone on Thursday. "I do think he's the greatest Laker player we've ever seen."

As for the scoring record and whether Bryant will pursue it, West doesn't see him chasing the mark unless he's still playing at the highest level.

"The one thing he's been able to avoid are really serious injuries," West said. "That is a factor in anyone's success…(But) he's not going to go out there and play - like a lot of guys do - past their prime, trying to chase a record. I don't think that's who he is, at the end of the day.

"I just think that he's just one of those guys who loves to compete, loves to win, understands that he's been doing it for so long, at a high level, and now the team hasn't played as well as (they were expected to). Does that wear on him? I'm sure. And then having you guys ask him the question, 'How long will you play?' I think he'll play as long as he feels like he can play like he is right now, and then he will move away from it."

But therein lies the rub. Bryant looks like he could play until he's 50.

With nearly a quarter of the season behind us, Bryant is not only showing no signs of decline but is showing yet another uptick in his offensive game. His field-goal percentage is up significantly from last season (49% compared to 43%), as is his three-point percentage (37.2 compared to 30.3). More importantly, his shot attempts - which reached chucker levels of 23 per game last season, a league-high - are back down to a more-reasonable 19.2. Meanwhile, his league-leading 28 points per game is on pace to be his most since the 2007-08 campaign.

"Frankly, I think he's having one of his better offensive years I've seen," West said. "He just seems to be in a great place right now, particularly from an offensive standpoint.

"He has an incredible desire to win and excel, and his work ethic and his skill level are what places him among the truly great, great players we've ever had in this league."

Speaking of the Lakers: A Pau Gasol glance

With incessant chatter continuing about whether sidelined star Pau Gasol will be traded, here's the good news for the veteran forward: it doesn't appear he's going anywhere anytime soon. Former coach Mike Brown surely wishes they would have shown this sort of patience with him, but it appears the decision to fire him five games in and replace him with Mike D'Antoni will be the only drastic move early on in these parts.

Specifically, the fact that injured point guard Steve Nash headed to Laker Land, in part, because he wanted to play with the big Spaniard is helping Gasol's cause. In declining overtures from Toronto and New York in the summer in order to approve a Lakers sign-and-trade with the Suns that netted him a three-year, $27 million deal, Nash was opting for the team that afforded him the best shot at a title. He was considered a key component to this new-look roster then, and even moreso now that the new coach just so happens to be his Seven-Seconds-or-Less partner from their memorable Phoenix days.

So while the opening act couldn't have gone much worse, the Lakers and Nash want to give him time to work his magic with Gasol, Howard, Bryant et al before making any more major moves. Nash has been out with a non-displaced fracture in his left fibula since Oct. 31, has had his return delayed by the nerves in the leg that are causing pain. Gasol his missed the last two games while resting his knees (tendinitis) and his return date is unclear.

Barring the arrival of a too-good-to-be-true offer on the desk of general manager Mitch Kupchak (and the ones involving Toronto and Minnesota reported by ESPN.com obviously don't qualify), Gasol isn't expected to be made available anytime soon. The trade deadline, for those who haven't marked their calendars, is Feb. 21.

Breakout player of the week: Houston center Greg Smith

The undrafted second-year big man out of Fresno State can always tell his grandkids that he started the first bickering bout between Howard and Bryant, as it was his 21-point, nine-rebound outing against the Lakers in Tuesday night's home win that sparked their discontent. Howard kept helping defensively off of Smith, kept getting burned when no one came to his aid on the rotations, then finally spoke up a day later when it kept happening in New Orleans and a shouting match ensued.

Meanwhile, Smith - who had 13 points in a win over Utah on Saturday - reveled in the fact that he had his best game of his career twice in one week. The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder spent most of his rookie campaign starring for the Rockets' farm team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, while only playing in eight games for Houston. He hardly saw the floor for the Rockets in November, either not playing at all or playing single-digit minutes in eight of 14 games.

Putbacks

* With so much attention paid to whether Bryant can catch up with Kareem, here's a worthwhile look from Basketball Prospectus guru Kevin Pelton analyzing which players have the best shot at catching Kobe and the rest of the 30,000-point club.

* Not to put a damper on the big night of Sacramento Kings guard and 2009 Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, who buried two late three-pointers against Toronto on Wednesday to secure the 107-100 win. But when teammate DeMarcus Cousins told reporters afterward that it was the first time he'd seen Evans hit two threes in a row since he'd entered the league in 2010, it was a brutal reminder that Evans' lack of an outside game continues to haunt him. It's early, but it's worth nothing that his three-point percentage has improved from last season (20.2 to 30.8) while his overall accuracy remains the same (45.3)

* At the risk of being deemed the Grinch of all NBA media, there's this holiday tidbit relating to the NBA commercial that has been lifting spirits the league over: perception doesn't meet reality here. Entertaining and creative though the commercial is, Howard revealed recently that the players who are shown standing side by side and dribbling to the tune "Carol of the Bells" - from the Lakers center to Joe Johnson, Russell Westbrook, and Dwyane Wade - were all filmed individually and, essentially, photo-shopped together. Each player, Howard said, was using a system similar to the popular "Rock Band" video game in order to determine when to dribble all the right notes.

Personal Power Rankings

My top five:

1. Memphis Grizzlies (13-3): The Grizz aren't likely to be alone at the top come June, but their overtime loss to the rested San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 1 wasn't enough to drop them down a notch (they also downed Phoenix in overtime on Tuesday). What's more, their Nov. 14 win vs. Oklahoma City is still coming in handy when it comes to tie-breakers such as these.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (15-4): The Lakers were supposed to be the team with the new-look roster that would cruise through the regular season and have to prove itself in the playoffs, but the post-James Harden Thunder have stolen that role thus far. Before downing Brooklyn 117-111 on Tuesday, they dominated Charlotte, Houston, Utah, and New Orleans by an average of 25 points. New addition Kevin Martin, as we've chronicled recently, is a big reason why.

3. San Antonio Spurs (15-4): Coach Gregg Popovich's controversial plan in Miami paid off when the Spurs outlasted the Grizzlies in San Antonio two nights later, and a 110-99 win vs. Milwaukee followed on Wednesday night. A four-game road trip through Charlotte, Houston, Utah and Portland looms, but not as large as the Dec. 17 showdown against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

4. New York Knicks (14-4): A 1 ½ game lead over Miami in the Eastern Conference in early December without Amar'e Stoudemire (left knee) and with Raymond Felton (offseason addition to replace Jeremy Lin) running the show? Not many saw this coming, but the Knicks are apparently for real.

Even fewer folks could have predicted Thursday night's 112-92 shocker over the Heat that came with Carmelo Anthony sitting out because of the stitches in his left hand. It was the kind of win that could take this team to the next level by giving Anthony's supporting cast even more collective confidence. Felton had 27 points to lead the way, while J.R. Smith, Steve Novak and Rasheed Wallace combined for 43 points off the bench. Stoudemire is reportedly targeting a return around Christmas.

5. Miami Heat (12-5): USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt was there to chronicle the Heat's shocking loss to Washington on Tuesday, so it's on record that it really did happen. Then on Thursday night, a TNT audience watched in amazement as the Knicks handed the Heat their worst home loss since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces in the summer of 2010. The 112-92 loss made the decision to have them leapfrog Miami in the rankings here easy.

The Heat should have a chance to get on a roll again considering its next five games are at home (and five of the next seven). That includes a Christmas Day Finals rematch against the Thunder.

MVP Pulse

My top 5:

1. LeBron James, Miami: Considering James went for 31 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two turnovers in the loss to the Knicks, it's tough to include him in the blame game. But King James won't be the King of this MVP mountain for long unless the Heat fix what ails them. Through 17 games, he is averaging 25.2 points, a career-high 9.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: He's trailing Kobe Bryant by 1.5 points per game for the league's scoring lead (28 to 26.5), but every other part of his game is on the rise. For those who missed it, I sat down with Durant in OKC last week to delve into this topic and much more. ESPN's First Take crew discussed Durant's affinity for Larry Bird as well.

3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio: The 36-year-old is clearly sipping from the same fountain of youth as Bryant, as he continues to get better with age. Check out this progression from the last three seasons and realize that it's definitely not normal: 13.4 points per game to 15.4 to his current mark of 18.8 (on 53.3% shooting); 8.9 rebounds to nine to 10.1 currently. Great stuff all around from the Big Fundamental, who is also averaging 2.4 blocks.

4. Carmelo Anthony, NY: The extra hustle that Anthony has been providing wound up hurting him, as his stage dive into the Charlotte crowd on Wednesday night resulted in five stitches in his left hand and his absence from Thursday night's game at Miami. But even though the Knicks won that game without him, Anthony (26.5 points per game on 45.7% shooting overall and 43.5% from three-point range) remains the epicenter of what has been an impressive start.

5. Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers: Paul has more help in his second season in Los Angeles and thus his scoring is down (19.8 ppg to 16.1), but his 9.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game tell the tale of one of the game's most well-rounded players. The 12-6 Clips have won four in a row (Minnesota, Sacramento, Utah, Dallas) after dropping four straight prior to that stretch.

Rookie Watch

My top 3:

1. Damian Lillard, Portland PG: His 19.3 points per game not only leads rookies, but was tied for ninth in the league overall entering Thursday night. His 6.3 assists per game leads all rookies. The small-school success story, in other words, continues.

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte SF: The 7-10 Bobcats already matched their seven-win campaign in 2011-12 that set a new league low in winning percentage, so there's credit to be had here. Kidd-Gilchrist is a defense-first talent who has fit in right away under first-year coach Mike Dunlap, not to mention the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November. He averaged 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 27.3 minutes played to earn the honor..

3. Harrison Barnes, Golden State SF: Being the starting small forward on a surprise Warriors team (11-7) is almost enough to put him here regardless of production, but the No. 7 pick out of North Carolina has made an impact (9.8 points on 45.2% shooting, 4.8 rebounds per) - not to mention having one of the best dunks of the year so far.

NBA A-Z is the NBA insider column from USA TODAY Sports writers Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt. Send the guys your feedback and ideas to @sam_amick and @JeffZillgitt.

All-time NBA draft: Best player picked at every slot, from 1-30, in ...

Before the next batch of NBA newcomers makes the transition to the big leagues on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), we're taking a step back and looking at the best player picked at every slot, from 1-30, in history.

Apologies in advance to guys like Manu Ginobili (No. 57 overall pick in 1999), George Gervin (No. 40, 1974) and Mo Cheeks (No. 36, 1978) — you just missed the cut.

Keep in mind: This list isn't scientific. Nor is it perfect. It's simply our take.

1. LeBron James, 2003 - Surprise: The No. 1 spot is littered with Hall of Famers, and many of them — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal, to name a few — can make a case here. But we're going with James, the second-best player in pro hoops history.

ADDITIONAL DRAFT CONTENT:

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2. Bill Russell, 1956 - His 11 championships remain one of the most unbreakable records in sports.

3. Michael Jordan, 1984 - He's the greatest basketball player ever. Next.

4. Chris Paul, 2005 - Don't let reports of Houston's turmoil or Paul's disappointing 2018-19 season cloud your judgement. Rings or no rings, he's one of the greatest point guards ever.

5. Kevin Garnett, 1995 - In addition to Garnett, the No. 5 slot also features Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Dwyane Wade. We wouldn't fault you for putting any of them here.

6. Larry Bird, 1978 - Bird's only real competition here is Adrian Dantley, and it isn't a competition at all.

7. Stephen Curry, 2009 - Recency bias may play a bit of a role here, as the late Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek — the No. 7 pick in 1962 — was one of the greatest champions in the history of the sport. But if Curry hasn't already passed him on every all-time list, it's only a matter of time.

8. Robert Parish, 1976 - Speaking of Celtics legends ...

9. Dirk Nowitzki, 1998 - In case you needed a reminder, Michael Olowokandi and Raef LaFrentz were taken ahead of Nowitzki in the 1998 draft.

10. Paul Pierce, 1998 - Oh, look. A Celtics legend.

11. Reggie Miller, 1987 - There's something about this slot and great shooters. Klay Thompson, JJ Redick, Robert Horry and Allan Houston were all taken 11th overall.

12. Julius Erving, 1972 - He was not only one of the greatest players ever but also one of the coolest.

13. Kobe Bryant, 1996 - Karl Malone could easily go here, but we're taking the Mamba and his five rings over the Mailman and his zero.

14. Clyde Drexler, 1983 - He glided right into this spot.

15. Steve Nash, 1996 - It goes to Nash for now, but check back in a few years. Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are gaining ground.

16. John Stockton, 1984 - The NBA's all-time leader in assists and steals, Stockton blows every other No. 16 pick out of the water.

17. Shawn Kemp, 1989 - Don Nelson (No. 17 pick in 1962) won five NBA championships. Kemp delivered one of the most disrespectful dunks of all-time. Advantage, Kemp.

18. Joe Dumars, 1985 - Dumars, the 1989 Finals MVP and a four-time All-Defensive First Team selection, was one of the best defenders in league history, and his importance to the success of those Bad Boy Detroit Pistons can't be overstated.

19. Nate Archibald, 1970 - Archibald is still the only player in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring and assists in a single season.

20. Larry Nance, 1981 - Nance was so much more than the winner of the first Slam Dunk Contest.

21. Rajon Rondo, 2006 - Rondo was a draft-day steal, and he quickly made an impact for Boston, helping lead the Celtics to a title in his second season.

22. Reggie Lewis, 1987 - In one of the most tragic stories in NBA history, the uber-talented Lewis died after collapsing on the court after just six seasons in the league. He was selected to his first and only All-Star Game the year before.

23. Alex English, 1976 - The greatest player in Denver Nuggets history, English was an eight-time All-Star and had a career scoring average of 21.5 points per game — the highest for any player ever taken at No. 23.

24. Arvydas Sabonis, 1986 - He may not be the best or most accomplished NBA player drafted in the No. 24 slot (Kyle Lowry, Andrei Kirilenko, Sam Cassell, Terry Porter and Latrell Sprewell were, too), but Sabonis was one of the greatest European players in league history, and his international impact is still felt today.

25. Mark Price, 1986 - He was just the second player ever, after Bird, to join the NBA's 50-40-90 club.

26. Vlade Divac, 1989 - An international star. And the guy who was traded for Kobe.

27. Dennis Rodman, 1986 - Rodman takes the all-time crown, but the 27th pick has been a gold mine in recent years, with Kyle Kuzma, Pascal Siakam, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gobert.

28. Tony Parker, 2001 - A six-time All-Star and four-time champion, Parker, who retired earlier this month, was as consistent as they come.

29. Dennis Johnson, 1976 - The late Johnson was underrated on draft day and he's still underrated today.

30. Spencer Haywood, 1971 - The only Hall of Famer to be drafted with the 30th pick, Haywood's impact on the court was matched by his impact off of it, where he laid the groundwork for future NBA players with his fight to change the league's eligibility rules.

Follow AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK

Lakers rule the NBA's all-time leading scorers list. Who's on top?

The Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most NBA championships – a combined 34 titles between the two franchises – so it's only right that the list of the game's all-time scoring leaders is filled with Purple and Gold.

The top four scorers in the league's history all played for Los Angeles for part of their career, if not all. Eight of the top 25 are Lakers, and one legend is on the move to the top.

Lebron James is closing in on the No. 1 spot currently held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a record he's held for 39-years. James is less than 300 points away from taking the crown. While we countdown the days until James passes Abdul-Jabbar, lets look back at all the scoring greats that came before him in Los Angeles.

LEBRON JAMES TRACKER: The race to eclipse Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA points record

HISTORY LESSON:Which NBA players have led the league in all-time points scored?

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NBA POINTS TITLE:Stats, fun facts to know as LeBron James chases down Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Here's the Lakers all-time points leaders in the top 25, from Kobe Bryant to Jerry West.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ranking: No. 1

Total games: 1,560

Total points: 38,387

Fun fact: "The Captain" spent six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he had a career-high 55 points against the Boston Celtics on December 10, 1971. But his highest scoring game as a Laker came on November 26, 1975 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Although James looks poised to pass Abdul-Jabbar as the scoring leader, Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leader in minutes played (57,446) and field goals made (15,837).

LeBron James

Ranking: No. 2

Total games: 1,405

Total points: 38,230

Fun fact: King James is will on his way to surpassing Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA scoring King. He dropped a career-best 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3, 2014 when he was a member of the Miami Heat. He had a 57-point game as a Cavalier on 11/3/2017 against the Washington Wizards and most recently dropped 56 points on the Golden State Warriors as a Laker on March 5, 2022 when he was 37-years old.

“It’s funny, our [media] guys were following me off the floor tonight going to the locker room and they asked me how it feels to score 56. I said, ’Right now, I don’t give a (expletive) about the 56. I’m just happy we got the win,'" James said postgame.

Karl Malone

Ranking: No. 3

Total games: 1,476

Total points: 36,928

Fun fact: "The Mailman" spent nearly his entire year on the Utah Jazz, where he dropped a career-high 61 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 27, 1990, shooting 82% from the field (21 of 26 field goals and 19 of 23 free throws). He spent the last season of his 19-year career in Los Angeles, where he averaged 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant

Ranking: No. 4

Total games: 1,346

Total points: 33,643

Fun fact: "The Black Mamba" dropped a career-high 81-points against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, the second most points ever scored in a single NBA game, only behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance in 1962. (See below for more.)

"The day that I actually scored 81 was my grandfather’s birthday, who had passed away a few years before. And my grandmother, who had never seen me play in the NBA…flew out to California and she came to watch me play for the first time, the only time, and that so happened to be the night I scored 81," Bryant later recalled.

Bryant scored 60 or more points six times in his career, including the last game of his 20-year career with the Lakers on April 13, 2016, where he dropped 60 against the Utah Jazz.

Wilt Chamberlain

Ranking: No. 7

Total games: 1,045

Total points: 31,419

Fun fact: Every basketball fan has seen the historic photo of Philadelphia Warriors (now Golden State Warriors) star Chamberlain holding a sign reading "100." The image was taken after he scored a career-high 100 points on the New York Knicks on April 2, 1962, a feat that hasn't been matched six decades later.

Chamberlain scored 60 or more points 32 times in his 15-year career, including five 70+ point games. He's also the only player to average 50 points in a season (1961-62).

Shaquille O'Neal

Ranking: No. 8

Total games: 1,207

Total points: 28,596

Fun fact: O'Neal is one of the greatest centers of all time and his dominance was on full display on his 28th birthday on March 6, 2000, when he dropped a career-high 61 points and 23 rebounds in a win against the Clippers, all without hitting a 3-pointer.

The game was at the Staples Center, but the Lakers were the road team. O'Neal said the Clippers charging him for tickets inspired his performance. He could've had more.

"I'm actually kind of upset at Phil (Jackson) because I think we had five minutes left and he took me out," Shaq later recalled. "I think he did that because he didn't want me to score more than Michael (Jordan). That's what I think. That's my theory."

O'Neal could have been higher on list had he fine tuned one area of his game – free throws. He missed a staggering 5,317 free throws in his career, which could have lifted him to No. 4 spot over his counterpart Kobe Bryant. Would've, could've, should've.

Carmelo Anthony

Ranking: No. 9

Total games: 1,260

Total points: 28,289

Fun fact: Anthony spent the last season of his 20-year career with the Lakers, where he averaged only 13.3 points in 2021-22. His best career performance came when he played on the New York Knicks and dropped 62 points on the Charlotte Bobcats on January 24, 2014.

"I came into the game locked in. I didn't know I was going to have this type of performance. It's an unbelievable feeling," he said postgame. "It's just a zone you get into sometimes. Only a certain group of people know what that zone feels like. Tonight was one of those zones. My teammates saw that."

Jerry West

Ranking: No. 23

Total games: 932

Total points: 25,192

Fun fact: West has had many iconic performances in his career, like his game-tying 60-footer in Game 3 of the 1970 Finals against the New York Knicks, but his best scoring game came several years earlier when he dropped 63 points against the Knicks on January 17, 1962.

West is the only player to be named Finals MVP on a losing team after he averaged nearly 38 points in a seven-game series loss to Boston in 1969.

Follow Cydney Henderson on Twitter @CydHenderson.

Week 13 NBA MVP race: James Harden goes superhuman

AJ Neuharth-Keusch

USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY Sports' top five candidates for the 2016-17 NBA MVP award (from Sunday, Jan. 22 through Saturday, Jan. 28).

Also receiving votes: Washington Wizards' John Wall, Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas

► Power rankings: Wizards crack top 10, Warriors lonely at the top

► Rookie of the Year race: Embiid dominates after All-Star snub

5. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

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Leonard, who missed two of San Antonio's three games this week with a hand injury, struggled from the field in his first game back on Friday, making just six of his 16 shot attempts (for 23 points) in a loss to the Pelicans, putting an end to his streak of six games with 30 or more points. On the season, the two-way superstar is averaging a career-high 25.4 points to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists — also a career-best. His offensive rating of 114.5 (points scored per 100 possessions) is fifth in the NBA among players who average 30 or more minutes a game.

4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

The headlines of James' week centered around his decision to publicly criticize the Cavs' roster, saying the team isn't better than last year "from a personnel standpoint" and that they need to improve "if" they want to repeat as champions. But that's not to say he wasn't elite on the court.

Though the Cavs have hit a bid of a midseason road block, dropping six of their last 10 games, James hasn't lost a step. The four-time MVP put together back-to-back triple-doubles this week — 26 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in Monday's loss to the Pelicans and 24 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in Wednesday's loss to the Kings. He followed those performances with a 31-point (13-for-18 shooting), 11-assist, five-rebound outing in a win over the Nets on Friday.

3. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

Durant, who leads all small forwards in points (26.1) and field goal percentage (54.7%), was ridiculously efficient in Golden State's 144-98 rout of the Clippers on Saturday, scoring 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting (3-for-4 from three) to go along with seven assists and four rebounds. He dropped 33 points (11-for-20) and added five rebounds and four blocks in Wednesday's win over the Hornets. His offensive rating of 116.2 is the highest of his 10-year career.

2. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook, who has six triple-doubles in his last eight games, led the Thunder to three straight wins this week. He put up 38 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals against the Jazz on Monday, 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against the Pelicans on Wednesday and 45 points, eight rebounds and three assists against the Mavericks on Thursday. He also shot 11-for-24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc on the week.

On the season, the Oklahoma City superstar is averaging 31 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists — still on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double throughout an entire season.

1. James Harden, Houston Rockets

Harden added another chapter to his storybook season this week, pouring in 51 points (on 57.1% shooting), 13 rebounds and 13 assists in a 123-118 win over the 76ers on Friday night. He became the first player in NBA history to post multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a single season. It was his 14th triple-double of 2016-17 and pushed his averages to 29.1 points (tied for second in NBA), 11.6 assists (first) and 8.2 rebounds (third among guards).

"He played about as good as you can play," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said after Harden's performance. "I've been around a lot of players, but it doesn't get much better than that. I've never seen better than that."

List of voters: USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt, Sam Amick, Kevin Spain, AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Michael Singer; The Arizona Republic's Doug Haller; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery; Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis; Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor; The (Bergen) Record's Steve Popper; HoopsHype.com's Jorge Sierra and Raul Barrigon; USA TODAY Sports Weekly's Howard Megdal.

NBA MVP rankings: Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis a legitimate candidate

Kristaps Porzingis is a legitimate NBA MVP candidate.

We're serious.

The 7-foot-3, 22-year-old Latvian has taken charge of these New York Knicks during the first dozen games of the post-Carmelo Anthony era, righting the franchise's ship after it spent years in choppy — oftentimes unnavigable — waters.

The Knicks are above .500 (an accomplishment in and of itself) and own a 6-3 record at Madison Square Garden, while Porzingis ranks third in the NBA in scoring (29.5 points per game), fourth in blocks (2.2 per game) and has already scored 30 or more points eight times.

He entered the season with three such games in his career.

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Odds are the Knicks, competitive as they've been thus far, won't win enough games to get Porzingis MVP consideration once we reach the latter portion of the season. But for now, we can't help but sit back and enjoy the show.

Below are USA TODAY Sports’ weekly MVP rankings, as voted on by Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt, Michael Singer and AJ Neuharth-Keusch.

5. DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans

Last week's ranking: Not ranked

Season stats: 28.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 blocks

The only players in NBA history to average at least 28 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists? Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. Those numbers were maintained throughout an entire season, sure, but Cousins' 2017-18 campaign is off to a historic start nonetheless. What's more, Cousins, after attempting no more than 22 three-pointers during each of his first five seasons in the NBA, has already let 107 threes fly this year, making 37 of them. He ranks in the top 10 among all NBA players in both categories.

4. Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

Last week's ranking: No. 5

Season stats: 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 2.2 blocks

To put Porzingis' scoring prowess into historical context, he just became the fourth player in NBA history 22 years old or younger to score 30 or more points in five of his first six games of a season. He's also the first player in Knicks history to score 300 points through the first 10 games of a season.

3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Last week's ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 28.1 points, 8.8 assists, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks

James — whose week consisted of a viral ride on the New York City subway, some cryptic (and not-so-cryptic) Instagram posts, and barbs directed at ex-Knicks president Phil Jackson — is averaging 38.1 minutes per game, a league-high and the most since his first season in Miami. With the NBA Finals not for another seven months, the question is begged: Is this sustainable?

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week's ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 31.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 blocks

Antetokounmpo's rise to superstardom has been one of the most intriguing story lines in recent NBA seasons. What's more intriguing is the fact that the rise is far from finished. The recent addition of point guard Eric Bledsoe should help Antetokounmpo in the long run, too, by bolstering Milwaukee's bench with Malcolm Brogdon and adding another capable ballhandler to the mix.

1. James Harden, Houston Rockets

Last week's ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 30.2 points, 10.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals

Another week, another top spot for Harden, who has willed the Rockets to a Western Conference-leading 11-3 record. His MVP case may take a hit when Chris Paul returns, but his status is secure for now. In Thursday's win over Cleveland, he became the first player since Michael Jordan (in 1989) to tally 35 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds and five steals in a game.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK

Lakers star LeBron James' best NBA championship teams, ranked.

LeBron James strengthened his case as one of the best basketball players of all-time by leading the Los Angeles Lakers to this season's NBA championship. James claimed his fourth title on his third NBA team, winning his fourth Finals MVP in the process.

But which of James' four NBA title teams is best? The debate will continue if James keeps winning rings with the Lakers, as the future Hall of Famer eyes his 18th NBA season in 2020-21 when he'll be 36 years old.

While it is important to consider James' best individual accomplishments in spearheading a title — his 2016 Cavs upsetting the 73-win Golden State Warriors atop that list — this ranking overviews which teams are better overall based on most talented teammates, best team chemistry, and best collective team motivation. It is also necessary to understand where James was at in his career and what caliber of player he was on each specific title team.

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1. 2012-13 Miami Heat. James was MVP for a second consecutive season, having developed his game as a go-to scorer and a 27-game winning streak helped propel a 66-win season for this group, who added veteran sharpshooter Ray Allen to the core of the Big Three — James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The role players were stellar on this team and Miami had to win the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games against the Pacers and the Finals against the Spurs in seven games. This isn't just one of James' best, it's considered one of the best teams in NBA history. Coach Erik Spoelstra also was at his best in this season and is arguably James' best coach over the course of his 17-year career.

2. 2011-12 Miami Heat. A year removed from losing in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks in the first year of the Heat's Big Three, this lockout-shortened season saw James put together one of his best career seasons to win that year's regular season and Finals MVP. If there were any doubt that James was Batman and Wade was Robin from the previous season, James' clutch play in the playoffs punctuated his greatness on this team. It was also the best the Big Three played together, with Wade and Bosh settling into their roles around James. This team didn't win the Eastern Conference, but overcame a determined run by the Boston Celtics Big Three in seven games, before crushing a Kevin Durant-led Oklahoma City Thunder team 4-1 in the Finals.

3. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers. From a strictly up-against-the-odds motivational standpoint, this team staged one of the biggest upsets in NBA history by dispatching the 73-win Warriors when trailing 3-1. Then factor in James bringing Cleveland its first NBA title — ending the city's sports title drought — and it's undeniably a top hallmark of James' career. A healthy Kyrie Irving was a fitting sidekick to James, hitting a monstrously clutch jumper in Game 7, while Kevin Love proved to be a strong third option.

4. 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers. Finishing fourth on this list isn't a knock on James or this team as much as it is a compliment to James' three previous teams. While James has never had a better teammate and sidekick than big man Anthony Davis, the rest of the roster wasn't as impressive as previous James squads. While Rajon Rondo brought his vintage self to the Finals, Danny Green's open miss in Game 5 was just a sample of where Los Angeles needed more from the supporting cast and will need more to repeat. If Kyle Kuzma can fully transition into a third weapon, a future version of the Lakers could vault ahead of the aforementioned teams. What was most impressive about this group was winning in the bubble in an adversity-fueled season that had a four-month break. Ample credit there goes to the coaching dynamic of head coach Frank Vogel and assistant Jason Kidd.

Follow reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.