Recently, Austin Reeves noticed a comment about how Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell had been discredited and underestimated because of his white skin color. There have been many players in NBA history who have gone through the same thing and become one of the most outstanding players in league history, such as Jerry West, Rick Berry, Dirk Nowitzki, Larry Bird.

As far as I remember they always said “Whites can’t jump”. This has mostly been true in looking at NBA history, because elite white dunks were minimal while elite white shooters thrived. While this article may seem to be controversial, any consideration of racism should be disregarded as that is not what we are talking about here.

The idea of ​​this article is to honor white players in the strongest basketball league in the world. It’s like counting the best black players in the NHL. These are minorities who excel in a sport they are not normally associated with. This is not racism. It is a celebration of the struggle against the challenges based on the historical trend in this particular sport.

So, let’s move on to the top five white players in the NBA for the 2023-24 season.

Kristaps Porzingis

The 2022/23 season was a strong one for Kristaps Porzingis, who returned during the season after recovering from injury. Porzingis made 65 regular season appearances for his team for the first time since 2017. Porzingis averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last season. It was a scoring record and one of the best rebounding records of his career.

Earlier this season, Porzingis was traded to the Boston Celtics, giving him his first chance to become a true champion. While the Celtics have a top front line player, the Latvian player doesn’t automatically make Boston champions, but their chances are definitely up.

Lauri Markkanen

I don’t think Lauri Markkanen will be on this list a year before the start of the 2022/23 season. Markkanen’s advancement to the All-Star level and recognition as the league’s Most Improved Player put him in the top five white players of the 2023/24 season. After mid-seasons with the Bulls and Cavaliers, Markkanen moved to Utah, which sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. The trade was truly a success for both parties, rather than joining the list of the most disproportionate transactions.

In the 2022/2023 season, Markkanen averaged 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the All-Star Game. He also broke career records with 49.9% from the field and 39.1% from the three-point line. In 2023/24, he will likely be the Utah Jazz’s best player as they try to rebuild and make their way back to the NBA playoffs. Now that we know what Markkanen is capable of, the team can turn their attention to building a good casting around and making the main goal a reality much faster than expected.

Domantas Sabonis

Entering his first full season as a Sacramento Kings player, Domantas Sabonis did not expect him to help change the team’s development and movement altogether. He and teammate De’Aaron Fox brought the Kings back to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Sabonis became the NBA leader with a career-record 12.3 rebounds per game. He participated in the All-Star Game for the third time and had the highest average assist of his career – 7.3.

Fox and Sabonis’ duels were some of the strongest in the NBA’s final season. Now Kings is poised for a promising future for the first time in nearly two decades. Sabonis is once again playing with Fox and other great players, trying to take the Kings to the next level in their development and go beyond the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The only question is whether the anticipated pressure to qualify for the playoffs now will be too much for Sabonis and the team. I’d like to think it wouldn’t happen, but the unforeseen things have happened.

Luke Doncic

The next two players on this list are way ahead of the above. Since joining in 2019, Luka Doncic has done nothing but conquer the NBA with his versatile playmaking, passing and goal-scoring skills. It made the game look light and sophisticated.

In the 2022/2023 season, Doncic had a weak season with the Dallas Mavericks. The team failed as it missed the playoffs entirely, even after getting another star guard in Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Nets. Individually, Doncic could have been an MVP contender had the team met expectations and finished the regular season high. Luka averaged a season-high 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. He also shot 49.6% from the field and 34.2% from the three-point line.

The 2023-24 season is important as a whole for Doncic and the Mavericks as they try to make their way back to the playoffs after their worst season in memory. Doncic’s health, motivation and development as a team player will have a natural impact on the outcome. If anyone can take Dallas to the next level, it’s Luke.

Nikola Jokic

I don’t think anyone has any doubts about the player who will take the first place in this rating. Two-time MVP, Jokic is having arguably the most impressive NBA season with the Denver Nuggets. Over the last four seasons, Jokic has been a dominant player with a natural ability to break down defenses with skills like surprise shots and spectacular passes.

Jokic averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game during the regular season, becoming the third player to average a triple-double in a single season. Jokic’s season may not have ended with his third MVP award, but he did lead the Nuggets to first place in the Western Conference and, even more, an NBA playoff win.

During the NBA playoffs, Jokic got better and smashed through every opponent on the court. In 20 playoff games, Jokic averaged 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists. The result was the first title in Denver Nuggets history, with Jokic winning the MVP of the Finals.

Dmitry OLEYNIK