As we celebrate New Year's Eve, let's look back on the year that was in pro basketball with my annual (and imaginary) Golden Basketball for the top player in 2024.
In the decade since I first awarded the Golden Basketball for performance across all competitions in the calendar year -- similar to the previous format of soccer's Ballon d'Or, which moved from an annual to a seasonal award in 2022 -- there has never been such a wide-open field.
The Boston Celtics won the NBA title more thanks to depth instead of individual stardom, and only one of the top five finishers in regular-season MVP voting (Luka Doncic) reached the conference finals.