The 10 next NBA stars after Kobe Bryant who deserve a statue

After Dwyane Wade was honored with a statue outside Kaseya Center, a lot of Heat fans can argue that Jimmy Butler should follow suit. After the Big Three era, Butler has been at the forefront of the Heat squad that stayed competitive.

In fact, Butler led the squad to two NBA Finals appearances in the span of four seasons. Moreover, he ultimately embodies the Heat culture that has allowed the organization to thrive across several decades.

Kevin Garnett

While Kevin Garnett won an NBA championship in Boston, the Hall of Fame power forward is arguably the best player to ever suit up for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Moreover, the franchise was at its most competitive level when Garnett was the face of the Timberwolves.

Although he never led them to an NBA title, Garnett still brought basketball excitement in Minnesota and helped them become relevant for several years in the NBA. Arguably, Garnett has been the best player of the franchise.

Paul Pierce

Although Paul Pierce already has a wax figure in Dreamland Wax Museum in Boston, Pierce surely deserves a better one. In fact, it’s safe to say his legacy should also be officially honored by the Boston Celtics with a bronze bust.

Pierce was the centerpiece of the Celtics squad that ended the most decorated franchise’s championship slump. He was also the last Celtics Finals MVP. Furthermore, during his peak, Pierce was one of the deadliest scorers of his time.

Ben Wallace

With stacked odds against him to thrive in the NBA, Ben Wallace ultimately proved the world wrong after shining bright for the Detroit Pistons.

With the Pistons, Wallace emerged as a four-time All-Star and helped the team win an NBA championship, at the expense of the Lakers dynasty. Furthermore, the rise of Wallace elevated the Pistons that pretty much dominated the Eastern Conference in the 2000s.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant cemented himself in the NBA as a legitimate scoring threat. As a 7-footer equipped with unstoppable scoring prowess, it’s safe to say he was a superstar that broke the mold. Furthermore, Durant also took over the league by winning NBA MVP to go along with two NBA titles and Finals MVPs to become an all-time great.

However, the question of his statue would be his location. It could be in Oklahoma, where he remains to be the best player to ever suit up for the franchise. But with Durant also making waves in Brooklyn, Golden State, and Phoenix, any of those cities could also be the home of Durant’s statue.

Kawhi Leonard

Although Kawhi Leonard wasn’t planning on staying long in Toronto, it was enough to give the Raptors the franchise’s first NBA championship. During the Raptors’ historic championship run, Leonard was the centerpiece that helped the team finally reach the promised land.

From iconic game-winners to championship clinching performances, Leonard surely deserves his flowers for his iconic takeover in Toronto. As a result, a statue should be built to honor his feat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Despite coming into the NBA as a raw prospect, the Milwaukee Bucks patiently waited for Giannis Antetokounmpo to blossom into a mega star.

After years of development, Antetokounmpo transformed from Most Improved Player of the Year into a two-time MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year winner. But more importantly, the Bucks’ investment was validated after the Greek Freak led the franchise to its first NBA title in five decades.

Nikola Jokic

Speaking of franchise patiently developing their players, the Denver Nuggets have a similar version in the form of Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets developed and built around their Serbian prospect as he elevated into MVP status.

The Joker won back-to-back NBA MVPs before delivering the Nuggets’ first NBA championship in franchise history. With the feat, Jokic is also arguably the best player to suit up in a Denver uniform, thus deserving of a special statue.

Stephen Curry

While Stephen Curry already has a wax figure , the two-time NBA MVP surely deserves a proper one just outside of Chase Center. Curry has been the face of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty that ruled the late 2010s until the early 2020s. In that stretch, Curry helped deliver four NBA championships and won the elusive Finals MVP in 2022.

As the greatest shooter to ever play in the NBA, Curry deserves his statue. In fact, Warriors fans wouldn’t even complain if his statue was built along with teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

LeBron James

Given his stacked list of accomplishments in the NBA, there’s no question that LeBron James should be honored with a statue. In fact, James certainly could have a statue built in whichever city he played for.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has won championship gold everywhere he went. But among the places he played for, there’s no doubt that a statue in Cleveland would be the best after fulfilling his promise of delivering the city’s first NBA championship banner in dramatic fashion.