Best NBA, college, high school basketball players by age 14-40

LeBron James became the NBA’s only active 40-year-old on Monday, and just the 32nd in league history. As a result, we thought:

Who is the best player at every age in basketball right now?

We set out to determine just that. Mirroring the NFL’s countdown over the summer, we enlisted the help of NBA senior writer Tim Bontemps, draft expert Jonathan Givony and recruiting expert Paul Biancardi to name the best players from age 14 all the way through age 40. (Biancardi handled ages 14-16, Givony picked for 17-19 and Bontemps did 20-40.)

And while some ages were easy to choose, other battles were excruciatingly difficult: Jayson Tatum or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Jalen Brunson or Donovan Mitchell? Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant? Good luck deciding any of those.

Let’s get into the picks, starting with King James himself and counting down to players in high school.

Age 40: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Not only is James the lone 40-year-old in the NBA today, he remains one of the league’s elite talents. There are three players this season averaging at least 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic … and James. That he’s keeping that sort of company while just setting the record for most minutes played in league history — and sitting in the top five in virtually every individual statistical category — is proof that we’ll never see anything like this again.

Age 39: Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs

Paul is once again serving as a veteran mentor for an up-and-coming team, and the results are bearing fruit, with the Spurs hovering around .500 and staying in the race for a play-in spot in the loaded Western Conference. And while plenty of that is down to the singular talents of Victor Wembanyama, the fact San Antonio is over 16 points per 100 possessions better with Paul on the court shows how much impact he can still have on a nightly basis.

Runner-up: Taj Gibson, Charlotte Hornets

Age 38: Al Horford, Boston Celtics

Horford has shown remarkable longevity and continues to impact winning teams at virtually every stage of his career. He remains a vital part of the defending champions, as he gives them high-level floor spacing (38% on 5.5 attempts per game from 3) and defensive versatility while either starting or coming off the bench behind Kristaps Porzingis.

Runner-up: Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia 76ers

Age 37: Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves

Conley is showing signs of his age this season — he’s shooting a career-low 34.5% — but he remains a vital and stabilizing influence on the Timberwolves even as his 38th birthday approaches.

Runner-up: Joe Ingles, Timberwolves

Age 36: Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

Here was the most difficult choice on the list: Durant or Curry? There’s absolutely no wrong choice here, and the fact that both are still in contention for All-NBA selections (and shoo-ins to be All-Stars) as two of the 18 players in the league older than 35 is a testament to their longevity and skill. But Durant’s defensive impact combined with his metronomic scoring ability — he has averaged at least 25 points every season since 2008-09 and has shot at least 50% from the field for 12 consecutive seasons — gives him the slightest of nods over his former teammate and the greatest shooter of all time.

Runner-up: Curry

Age 35: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat

Butler can’t match the regular-season résumés of his top competition here — LA Clippers guard James Harden and Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan — but his playoff success over the past few years in Miami is stellar, including leading the Heat to the NBA Finals twice and the conference finals a third time. And while trade speculation swirls around him this season, he remains one of the league’s more versatile forwards, averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists on over 55% shooting.

Runner-up: Harden

Age 34: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks

This is another age group where, despite there being only 11 candidates leaguewide, there are several legitimate names to choose from — Warriors forward Draymond Green, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday and 76ers forward Paul George. The choice is Lillard, who helped lead Milwaukee to the NBA Cup title earlier this month. He remains one of the NBA’s elite offensive guards and is averaging at least 24 points and 7 assists for a sixth consecutive season.

Runner-up: George

Age 33: Khris Middleton, Bucks

There are only 41 players in the NBA who are over 32 years old. There are seven at 33, with Middleton — despite just coming back from bilateral ankle surgery in the offseason — getting the nod over New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum. Middleton’s record as a difference-maker in the playoffs, including last spring in Milwaukee’s first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers without Antetokounmpo, is what gives him the nod here.

Runner-up: McCollum

Age 32: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

Irving is in the middle of an excellent season in Dallas, shooting a career-best 44.5% from 3, and will carry the load for an extended period for the Mavericks while Doncic remains sidelined with a calf strain. Although Irving’s career has certainly been full of controversy, his talent has never been in question, and he remains one of the league’s most explosive scorers.

Runner-up: Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves

Age 31: Anthony Davis, Lakers

Davis has racked up plenty of accolades since being the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, including an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020, five All-NBA selections, nine All-Star appearances, five All-Defensive team picks and two Olympic gold medals in the London and Paris games. He’s in the midst of another strong season, which should add to those accomplishments and makes him an easy choice here.

Runner-up: Norman Powell, Clippers

Age 30: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid would’ve been a fascinating choice to make over the past few years. But the combination of Embiid battling knee issues for much of the past year and Antetokounmpo playing as well as he ever has — including powering the Bucks to the NBA Cup title earlier this month in Las Vegas — has made it an easy choice to go with the “Greek Freak,” who is leading the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game on 61.3% shooting.

Runner up: Embiid

Age 29: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic is in the middle of a truly historic run, having won three of the past four MVPs — with the 2023 title and Finals MVP award along with it. As he tries to join Bill Russell and James as the only players to win four MVPs in five years, he’s putting up some wild numbers for the Nuggets this season: 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game while shooting 57.1% from the field and 50% from 3-point range on 4.5 attempts per game.

Runner-up: Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Age 28: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

This was another excruciating decision with four players — Brunson, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Suns guard Devin Booker and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown — who all have a good argument for this spot. The edge goes to Brunson, who is the engine of New York’s offense while putting up bigger numbers on better efficiency than Mitchell. This one could easily have gone in any of those other directions, though.

Runner-up: Mitchell

Age 27: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

One of the most versatile big men in the NBA, Adebayo has been a fixture of Miami’s deep runs in the playoffs over the past few years, including a pair of NBA Finals appearances. Adebayo also has five consecutive All-Defense selections and has won a pair of gold medals with Team USA, all of which gave him the nod over his former Kentucky teammate, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, for this spot.

Runner-up: Fox

Age 26: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

This was among the most difficult choices to make, as Gilgeous-Alexander and Celtics star Jayson Tatum are among the best players at any age. In the end, Gilgeous-Alexander gets the nod on the back of averaging more than 30 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists for a second consecutive season — all while shooting over 50% from the field with just under two steals per game.

Runner-up: Tatum

Age 25: Luka Doncic, Mavericks

One of the easier choices on the list, and that’s with a couple of excellent options available in Memphis Grizzlies teammates Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. But Doncic would be the top choice at just about any age — although his run of five consecutive All-Star and All-NBA selections are in jeopardy because of his extended absence with a calf strain — on the heels of leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.

Runner-up: Morant

Age 24: Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers

Haliburton hasn’t returned to the highs he enjoyed before injuring his hamstring in January last season, when he was playing like an MVP candidate. But no one else at this age has come close to that same level. Not long ago this answer would’ve been expected to be Zion Williamson, but injuries have limited him to just 190 games in four-plus NBA seasons.

Runner-up: Tyrese Maxey, 76ers

Age 23: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Another easy one: Edwards has turned himself into one of the NBA’s elite talents after his breakout performance in last year’s playoffs, when he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals — it was only the second time in franchise history the Wolves have won a playoff series. That, coupled with his explosive scoring ability, puts him atop the heap at an age with several other stars including LaMelo Ball, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner.

Runner-up: Evan Mobley, Cavaliers

Age 22: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

If Thunder big man Chet Holmgren hadn’t suffered a hip injury earlier this season, it would’ve been very difficult to choose between him and Banchero. But while Banchero has also missed time with an oblique injury, the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year and 2023-24 All-Star gets the nod for the way he has helped spearhead the turnaround in Orlando.

Runner-up: Holmgren

Age 21: Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

This was one of the ages where it was far from clear who the answer should be. Six months ago, it would not have been Daniels, after he played sparingly across his first two seasons in the NBA with the Pelicans after being the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. But Daniels was traded to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray deal this summer and has since exploded into one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders, leading the NBA in steals per game (3.1) and establishing himself as part of Atlanta’s core.

Runner-up: Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

Age 20: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

There were some tough choices on this list but this wasn’t one of them. Wembanyama, with his singular combination of size, speed and skill, is arguably the most unique prospect in the history of the sport and is off to a great start over his first year-plus in the NBA, including being a unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year last season. If Wembanyama stays healthy, the Hall of Fame awaits.

Runner-up: Dereck Lively II, Mavericks

Age 19: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Between the combination of a weak 2024 NBA draft class that has collectively gotten off to a slow start, and the depth of the 2025 class, we ultimately opted for Edgecombe, ESPN’s fourth-ranked 2025 prospect and top-ranked 19-year-old. Edgecombe impressed with the Bahamian National Team this summer over players taken in the 2024 draft.

Runner-up: Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets

Age 18: Cooper Flagg, Duke

Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, turned 18 this month. He possesses a rare combination of court vision, nonstop intensity, playmaking and supernatural basketball instincts in a 6-foot-9 frame. This is why he sits atop the deepest draft in a generation and is as hyped as any prospect this side of Wembanyama.

Runner-up: Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Age 17: Cameron Boozer, Christopher Columbus High School

Cameron Boozer, like his father and former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, is headed to Duke. Like his father, Boozer is projected to be a power forward. Unlike his father, who battled in the low post, Boozer is considered to be more in the mold of another former Duke power forward: 2022 first overall pick Paolo Banchero. It was that skill set that gave Boozer a slight nod over A.J. Dybantsa, a dynamic wing prospect who is committed to BYU for next season.

Runner-up: Dybantsa

Age 16: Babatunde Oladotun, James Hubert Blake High School

Oladotun is the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2027 and, at 6-9, his versatility is blossoming. He possesses big-time shotmaking ability behind impressive mechanics, and the ability to create space for his jumper resembles a young Kevin Durant. Oladotun demonstrates the unique blend of an elite future prospect and a productive player right now.

Runner-up: Jason Crowe

Age 15: CJ Rosser, Northern Nash High School

Rosser sits at No. 2 in the class of 2027 and is just scratching the surface of his game. At 6-9, Rosser has a fluid style with a soft touch around the rim. He displays early instincts to score inside and out with a budding IQ. Defensively, he utilizes his length and wingspan to block shots, deflect passes and shrink the floor.

Runner-up: Marcus Spears Jr.

Age 14: JJ Crawford, Seattle, Washington

JJ Crawford, son of three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, has skill, shooting range and touch, with hesitation moves and step-back jumpers to keep defenders off balance. At 6-1, he plays with scoring prowess, passing vision and a willingness to move the ball.

Runner-up: Josh Sanders, Georgia

Source: espn.com