We’re through two decades of our Best Player Alive series, and the 1990s was ruled by one player: Michael Jordan. The 2000s marked a significant turn. No one player dominated the decade, and the torch was passed from numerous players before LeBron James assumed the throne.
So who earned the top spot and who got snubbed? Check out The Crossover’s picks for the Best Player Alive every year of the 2000s below.
1999-00 - Shaquille O’Neal
Welcome to the era of Shaq. O’Neal was arguably the league’s top talent by the end of the 1990s, and by the end of 1999-00, there was little debate over who was the best player in the NBA.