In the middle of the NBA Finals, it’s a good time to look back on our recent NBA champions when it comes to fantasy basketball. This era of basketball is being defined by parity. After four straight NBA Finals of the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Golden State Warriors, we have seen six straight new NBA champions. Whoever wins this year’s NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will make it seven straight. This era has given NBA fans many iconic moments and helped trend the game in the right direction. It has been highlighted by the increase in foreign talent, headlined by guys like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. New legends were born, and greatness continued to be displayed throughout this era. With this in mind, let’s get into it.
The Best Fantasy Basketball Players from Champions (2020-2024)
2020 – LeBron James
“The Bubble” will go down in history as the most unique playoff experience of all time. Twenty-two teams got an invite to Disney World to attempt to finish the NBA season. It was truly one of the most bizarre situations in sports history. And who else would you expect to pull through other than LeBron James. The 2020 Lakers are looked down on because the fact that it was in “The Bubble”, despite multiple players saying it was the hardest environment to be in. But one thing people can’t discredit is the play of LeBron James. In those playoffs, James averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. Being just 1.2 assists away from averaging a triple-double in the playoffs is ridiculous. This was good for 53.8 fantasy points per game, capping off LeBron’s final championship to date.
2021 – Giannis Antetokounmpo
At this point in his career, it was only a matter of time before Giannis Antetokounmpo got a championship. Giannis, at this point, was coming off of back-to-back MVPs in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and the expectations were high for 2020-21. And wow, did he deliver. Antetokounmpo averaged 30.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during this playoff run. He also added 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game on the defensive side of the ball. Giannis led the Bucks to a huge series comeback, as they were down 2-0 to the Phoenix Suns in the finals. Teams that go up 2-0 in a playoff series have won 92.7 percent of the time. Giannis willed his team past those odds and won an NBA championship. The all-time great player averaged 54.6 fantasy points per game this playoff run.
2022 – Stephen Curry
Another familiar name, as the greatest shooter of all time, makes this list. Stephen Curry and the Warriors pulled off something special this playoff run. It was almost destiny, and Curry was nothing short of spectacular. Curry averaged 27.4 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game during this playoff run. This is also the year that Curry finally added a Finals MVP to his resume. He should have won at least one before, but being robbed made this finals that much more special for Curry. He averaged 43.0 fantasy points during this playoff run.
2023 – Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is, simply put, one of the greatest players of all-time. This is his only championship to date, and it was well earned. After hard-fought series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Suns, and the Lakers, Jokic led the Nuggets to a win over the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. During this playoff run, Jokic averaged 30.0 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. He was just half an assist away from averaging a triple-double in a full playoff run. Jokic is one of the best offensive engines of all time, and this playoff run was just the beginning. Jokic averaged a whopping 61.0 fantasy points per game during this run.
2024 – Jayson Tatum
For all of the criticism that Jayson Tatum has faced over the years, he proved people wrong this playoff run. Sure, he didn’t always have the greatest shooting performances. But Tatum’s all-around play truly led the Celtics to a dominant playoff run. Tatum averaged 25.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists during this playoff run. Although Jaylen Brown won Finals MVP, I truly believe that Tatum was the Celtics’ MVP, despite not shooting the ball particularly well. Tatum was good for 46.9 fantasy points per game this playoff run.
The Last Word
As I mentioned previously, this era of the NBA is being defined by parity. New champions have brought new players into stardom. Guys like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo willed their teams to championships after winning multiple league MVPs. LeBron James and Stephen Curry continued their dominance and all-time-great play. And Jayson Tatum was the fantasy MVP, although not the Finals MVP. I am looking forward to seeing who wins the 2025 NBA Finals, which will make seven straight new NBA champions. For similar content, check out my previous article talking about the NBA champions from 2015-2019.
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