Part 3 of where Miami Heat players fit in the top 25 players of the 21st century

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Dec 30, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James controls the ball in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

The Heat defeated the Nuggets 97-94. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect We have arrived at last at Part 3 of our list of the great players of the 21st century. Once it gets this deep, a good case can be made for four of the five names claiming the top spot.

Before we get down to brass tacks, an honorable mention is in order for Klay Thompson, who didn’t make the top 25 names, but perhaps would have if injuries didn’t rob him of his prime years. Few shooters in history have been able to go on a heater like him, and he has four rings.

The next one who deserves recognition is one of the Miami Heat’s infamous nemeses, Paul Pierce, because he was cold-blooded in many fourth quarters and is a champion with a Finals MVP in 2008. Imagine if Linsantiy wasn’t a mirage and it was 10 times more potent. Stephen Curry is the greatest marksman who ever lived, and he played a massive part in changing the game.

Keep in mind that as the record-holder for most 3-point attempts made, he currently has 858 more makes than the next man, James Harden. Curry was the first unanimous Most Valuable Player award winner in NBA history in 2015-16, and he has four rings plus 11 All-NBA selections. He is still going strong at age 38 and might have a special career like Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, only playing for one squad.

He pressures the defense on and off the dribble. The latter makes it harder to double team, and he also breaks down opponents’ legs by making them run all over the court. Of all the legends who have played this century, if one only had money to go see one of them, Curry would be the top choice. Back in the old days, kids used to hoist paper balls into trash cans, saying “Kobe.

” Watch Game 3 at Philadelphia and you will understand why. He, hit seven or eight shots of incredible difficulty in a row in one quarter that night. Bryant was the ultimate gunslinger and had three seasons averaging at least 30 points per game, with many difficult shots in between. His offensive variety, which included a strong post game, was effective for so long until tearing his Achilles tendon in 2012-13.

Anyone who watches the playoffs long enough is able to identify when players don’t want the ball in late key moments. Bryant always embraced them and one of the best ones is his game-winner in Phoenix when he notably hung an extra second in the air in front of two defenders.

Feb 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Former Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal talk about their winning the NBA finals 20 years ago during a news conference at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectShaquille O’Neal was one of those players you needed to be there to see, considering how such a massive man could float in the air.

He was at his peak with the Los Angeles Lakers, and during that time, he is arguably the most dominant force basketball has ever seen aside from Wilt Chamberlain. He was the hub of the triangle offense, and the best player on a team that won three consecutive championships.

Opponents would naturally try to scheme him first, but LA’s idea was to try to get him the ball back because he was way more dangerous on the second catch, after the coverages had loosened. One of the best examples of him at his best was Game 2 of the 2000 Finals. He had 40 points on 61.1 percent shooting, with 24 rebounds and three blocks.

That was the same night that Jalen Rose infamously hurt Bryant on purpose by sticking his foot under him, so the co-star didn’t even log nine minutes. .

Additionally, while O’Neal was not at the same level when helping the Heat win their first championship in 2006, his work deserves more respect than what it seems to be getting outside of Miami. Never forget that Pat Riley called him the greatest big man passer out of the post that he ever had, and he had played and coached with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That series against Dallas is not won without O’Neal dissecting a lot of those coverages.

Not many players can say they retired being a very good defender after 19 years, but Tim Duncan can. While he did not have O’Neil’s peak, he sustained excellence for a longer period of time and at their best, it wasn’t close who was the superior screen-roll defender. Duncan, at age 37, had Heat fans scared in the 2013 Finals when he was mercilessly outplaying Chris Bosh.

He famously missed the shot over Shane Battier, but he made up for it by being a big factor on the San Antonio Antonio Spurs’ revenge tour the following year. He started slowly taking a step back in scoring in the second half of his career as Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili kept ascending, but he would take on that role if needed.

He had so many moves and for a while, the Duncan and Parker screen roll may have been as good a two-man game as there was in the league. He was one of the smartest players of his generation and won four of his five championships in the 21st-century. Even though Kawhi Leonard won Finals MVP in 2014, Duncan’s impact in that series was not far behind. His other best achievements include being the back-to-back MVP and 15 All-NBA selections.

No one has held off Father Time in the NBA as long as LeBron James, as he enters his 24th season, and he has never averaged below 20 points per game. One could break up the first and second half of his career and each one would be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

He did a lot with less early in his career and then blossomed into his prime form in Miami, where he was the driving force behind two consecutive championships. Keep in mind that Wade’s knees had betrayed him and he was no longer a superstar by the end of the 2012-13 season, despite having some big-time moments.

LA Times reporter Mal Florence wrote in his April 21, 1969, game story about Chamberlain being “sort of frightening — a real life Gulliver, venting his rage on the little folks who play the game,” and it felt that way when watching James jump over John Lucas III to finish a lob from Wade. At this point in time, he was also the top athlete in the world.

Two of his other four titles were earned with Cleveland and Los Angeles, as many Heat fans recall facing off with the Lakers in the 2020 Orlando bubble. He also won two straight MVP awards with the Heat and was robbed of a Defensive Player of the Year in 2012-13. Mateo has covered the Miami Heat and the NBA since 2020, including the 2020 Finals through Zoom and the 2023 Finals in person.

He also writes for Five Reasons Sports Network about the WNBA and boxing, and can be read at SB Nation’s Pounding the Rock for coverage on the San Antonio Spurs. Twitter: @MateoMayorga23

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