The NBA, which consists of a total of 30 teams from both the Eastern and Western regions, has a set limit of 15 registered players per team who can participate in the regular season games.Among the 450 top players active in the world's premier league, who should we pay attention to now?This time, we're highlighting players from a "data perspective" by Chris Sasaki, a basketball analyst and commentator.Once you know these astonishing figures, anyone can easily understand why this player is so incredible!

Firstly, to enjoy the current NBA, you must definitely pay attention to these two people. Everyone who is an NBA fan knows them, Stephen Curry and LeBron James. “Being able to watch the performances of these two in real time is a joy, both as a professional commentator and as an NBA fan. They are exceptional.” What kind of numbers do these players have that Chris Sasaki is so proud of them?

Successfully Made a 3-Point Shot in 268 Consecutive Games! Stephen Curry of GSW

Stephen Curry, the ace of the Golden State Warriors and renowned as the best 3-point shooter in NBA history. He is a player with such influence that his arrival is said to have completely overturned the previous image of a three-point shooter.

Such a Curry established a staggering number from 2018 until December 2023, successfully making a three-point shot in every game, or in terms of the number of games, in 268 consecutive games. Of course, this is unrivaled in the NBA. By the way, Curry also holds the second place in the same record, with a streak of 157 consecutive games.

“Many three-pointer shooters mainly focus on how to receive passes from their teammates in a good position and shoot. But in addition to that, Steph (a nickname for Stephen Curry) can also deceive his opponents with his own dribbles, and then go on to score a three-pointer. The sense of balance born from these two axes and his inexhaustible stamina are what elevate him to an absolute existence.”

And, the number of three-point shots that Curry has made in the regular season so far is also the most in history, at 3,568!As long as he remains active in the NBA, where he holds almost all 3-point records, the numbers will continue to grow.

NBA All-Time Leading Scorer, Approaching 40,000 Points! LeBron James of the LA Lakers

“While it might come down to personal preference in play style, I think it’s fair to say he’s one of the best players in NBA history,” says Chris Sasaki, praising Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, a player with incredible achievements that are clear to anyone.

The record for the most NBA points, 38,387, was set by the famous player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1989.This remarkable achievement remained unbroken for over 30 years, but finally in February 2023, it was surpassed by LeBron James. As of January 23, 2024, LeBron has extended his record to 39,643 points. Just a little more to reach the unprecedented 40,000 points.

LeBron James, who turns 40 this year, is the oldest active player. However, the performance worthy of the nickname “king” is still very much alive and well. Mark an average of 25 points per game.

“From 2011 to 2020, over the span of 10 years, LeBron has led his team to the NBA finals 9 times. By the way, he has been participating continuously from 2011 to 2018, so you can see how excellent his leadership is. Additionally, it is said that LeBron spends about 150 million yen annually on training costs and such to maintain his physical condition. The reason why we can continue to deliver such excellent performances for so long is, after all, because we are out of the ordinary (laughs).”

Not only in his career but also in terms of popularity, Lebron James is overwhelmingly dominant. The number of followers on Instagram is an impressive 150 million. This is number one among NBA players, and also ranks among the top numbers for athletes worldwide.

“There was an article within NBA Rakuten stating the most viewed NBA player rankings on social media in 2023. According to that, Lebron was in first place, with a total of 2.8 billion times. It’s proof that the whole world is interested in his words and actions,”

117 Triple-Doubles, Ranking 4th All-Time! Nicola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets

Next up is Nikola Jokic, who achieved a league victory last season with the Denver Nuggets and won the NBA Finals MVP for the second season in a row.

“When thinking about who is currently the strongest active NBA player, Jokic is undoubtedly one of them,” says Chris Sasaki. During the past five seasons, besides Nikola Jokic, the only NBA Finals MVP recipients have been Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019 and 2020, and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023. The high regard for Jokic can be surmised from this as well. Furthermore, Jokic has already achieved a triple-double, which is an official NBA record, 12 times this season alone. The cumulative total of 117 times ranks 4th in history, surpassing even LeBron.

※Triple-double… It refers to achieving double-digit results in three of the five categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. If it’s two items, then it’s double-double. This record, in essence, is said to have a higher achievement probability for players in the guard position who create games by moving the ball.

“What makes Jokic amazing is not only his scoring and rebounding abilities, but also his simultaneous performance as a top-notch passer. This season, the number of times he touched the ball per game is 99.3, and the number of times he handled a pass is 74.Both are posting the No.1 figures in the league. Even though he is a player in the center position, he leads the league with his assists. Watching Jokic as an invincible player should make it even more enjoyable.”

A Key to High Offensive Power! Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers

The person who Chris Sasaki says he is “personally paying the most attention to” is Tyrese Haliburton, who plays for the Indiana Pacers.

“In the NBA, there is a metric called “Offensive Rating” that indicates how many points can be scored in 100 offensive opportunities. The Pacers achieved a record high number of 122.4 in this offensive rating. The player at the center is Haliburton.”

It seems that there is nearly a 9.7 difference in the offensive rating between the games in which Halliburton plays and those in which he doesn’t. In other words, if he doesn’t play, the Pacers would just become an average team in the NBA, such is the difference he makes.

“Halliburton has scored 20 points and 20 assists in two consecutive games this season. This is a remarkable feat, not seen since the former star player, Magic Johnson. Of course, this record itself is amazing, but actually, there’s an even more impressive figure. Halliburton had over 40 assists, with only two turnovers for which he was responsible. In NBA commentary, we often talk about this: the ratio of assists to turnovers is about 2:1 for an excellent point guard, and for an all-star player, it’s about 3:1.In such circumstances, Haliburton, who produced a figure of 20:1, can indeed be said to be a player who can generate high offensive power in the NBA.

※Turnover… The act of a team losing possession of the ball before they can shoot, thus transferring the right to attack to the opponent

Bewildering the opponent with sharp drives!　Oklahoma City Thunder’s SGA

Currently, one of the top contenders in the Western Conference(*) is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The player supporting the team, which has made such significant progress beyond what NBA fans had predicted, is SGA, also known as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

※The Western Conference… One of the two conferences in the NBA. The other one is the Eastern Conference.

“In the NBA, there is a record for how many times a drive has been made in a single game, and SGA is a guard position player with the league’s top number at 22.6 times. Watching him slice through the defense of the big men over 2 meters tall should certainly lift your spirits.”

SGA is the ace of a team with a league fourth place record of an average score of 31.3 points this season. Furthermore, the total shot success rate, which was 51.0% last year, has been increased to 54.8%, highlighting the strength in competition.

“When he cuts towards the goal, naturally the defense can’t afford to lose their mark. However, the Thunder boasts the second-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league at 39.2%.When the defense frantically tries to stop the drive, they end up getting shot from outside for three points, a situation where you just can’t do anything about it. SGA is leading such a team with high-quality attacks.”

Unexpected ideas not found in data! Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat

In addition to the “numbers” of each player introduced so far, there is another indispensable aspect when discussing the NBA. NBA players often make their entrance to the game venue in flashy styles, so much so that they are known for their rich fashion sense, often referred to as the NBA Runway. Some athletes are actually invited to walk the runway overseas, while others boast that they never wear the same outfit twice.

Jimmy Butler’s Instagram

“Among the NBA players known for their fashion, Jimmy Butler stands out for his humorous character. In the NBA, it is mandatory to take a license photo once a year before the start of the season, and that photo becomes official material for the NBA. Jimmy Butler is a player who entertains the media by doing things like styling his hair differently than usual or wearing piercings he doesn’t usually wear when taking such important photos. Please check out the brand “Bigface”, which derived from a hobby of coffee, if you are interested. By the way, I’m also quite good at basketball (laughs).

Furthermore, Basketball is a sport that has established a close relationship with HIPHOP and sneaker culture. “During Christmas games and All-Star games, attention is often drawn to the new signature shoes that players debut. On Instagram, the official NBA account, NBAKICKS, introduces the models worn. There are plenty of enjoyable elements beyond the players casual clothes.” as Chris Sasaki says, many people get into the NBA from the fashion aspect.

“When I was a child, I could only watch NBA broadcasts at home about once a week. Now, you can watch your favorite players or team’s plays anytime, anywhere, without missing a moment. Even when I participated as a commentator in the “NBA JAPAN GAMES”, I felt a very high level of enthusiasm. I believe the achievements of NBA Rakuten in establishing such an environment are significant, and I hope that they will continue to expand their efforts in the future.”As for me, I would like to continue providing easy-to-understand commentary that leads to new insights, in order to get people more involved in the sport of Basketball.”

The NBA, captivating in both play style and fashion style. Without overthinking it, first I want you to enjoy the presence you are attracted to, just as you wish.

※The data in this article is as of February 5, 2024.

TEXT: Keisuke Honda