Who is Mr. Franchise for each NBA team in the 21st century?

Michael Jordan will always be synonymous with the Chicago Bulls. Same thing for Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird with the Boston Celtics. But since the turn of the 21st Century, some teams have gone a decade without a face of the franchise (think the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic). On the flip side, we have seen some generational talent represent teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Lakers and Golden State Warriors, becoming intrinsically linked forever. To make it official, we have chosen a player for every team who is best remembered as the face of their respective franchise since 2000. This is not the best player of the last two decades, mind you, but it can be. This is the player who first comes to mind when you mention each franchise. Let’s go.

Joe Johnson and Al Horford deserve love here, too, for anchoring a very solid Hawks team that made the playoffs for a decade straight in their respective tenures. But Young is the most talented and controversial Hawk, guiding the team to their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2015. Young’s combination of streaky shooting and villain charisma makes him marketable and a highlight reel for clutch shooting.

Pierce might be the third greatest Celtic after Larry Bird and Bill Russell. There is certainly a case for carrying mediocre rosters to the playoffs during the early 2000s before winning it all and being named Finals MVP in 2008. Pierce was a clutch bucket-getter who was Kobe Bryant’s best nemesis during the 2000s. For better or worse, it’s impossible not to think of Pierce when talking about Celtics greats.

Since the back-to-back Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003, there hasn’t been much to be excited about with the Nets. Two “ super teams” later, Kidd is still the only Net to drag the team to the Finals twice. Kidd was the best two-way point guard of the 2000s and instantly made the Nets a contender upon his arrival in New Jersey. While he wouldn’t bring a chip to the team, he would grab one later with the Dallas Mavericks, cementing his legacy as an all-time great guard (not coach).

The most hapless franchise could say Michael Jordan is the most iconic Bobcat/Hornet of the 2000s, even though he never played for them and is retired from his minority-ownership tenure. The team whiffed on more draft picks than any other franchise, yet hit their biggest home run when they selected Walker ninth overall in 2011, after a legendary NCAA championship run with UConn. Walker is the greatest player in franchise history, leading the team to its only two playoff appearances between 2010 and 2020 and its sole All-Star.

The youngest MVP in league history is the second-best Chicago Bull player of all time. Yes, Rose is even greater and more beloved than Artis Gilmore, Chet Walker, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Especially to younger players who idolized him growing up and are now competing against him in the league. Rose was magical during his prime, leading a Bulls team that embodied his toughness and DAWG mentality. His career is one of the biggest “what ifs’’ in NBA history.

‘Nuff said. James is the second-greatest player of all time and the greatest player of the 2000s.

Winning it all for his city of Cleveland in 2016 cemented him as the greatest Ohioan of all time.

Need proof of how beloved Dirk is? Just look at the one-legged fade-away statue outside American Airlines Center, right in front of Nowitzki Way. Dirk is the greatest European player ever, and by staying with the Mavericks for his illustrious 21-year career, he cemented himself in the hearts of Dallasites. Oh, yeah, the Big German proved all the haters wrong and rewrote his history with the 2011 championship, one of the toughest runs to a ring ever.

I wanted to put Carmelo Anthony here so badly, he took the Nuggets to the playoffs every year he was in Denver and was robbed of Rookie of the Year. But it’s not even close, Jokić is the best Nugget of all time, as a two-time MVP who brought Denver their first NBA championship last season. As a center, Jokić is the best passer, playmaker and leader in franchise history and has yet to hit his ceiling.

The Pistons have had terrible luck regaining their championship mettle since their 2004 chip. They have been mired in poverty for the remainder of the last two decades and struggled to make the playoffs in the 2010s, getting swept in the first round the only two years they qualified. That’s why the most recognizable Piston is the 2004 Finals MVP, Mr. Big Shot Billups himself. Chauncey was a two-way dawg and clutch shotmaker who led the Pistons to the only championship of the last two decades without a superstar.

Greatest shooter of all time.

Four championships.

Finals MVP.

Countless broken records.

Changed the way the game is played throughout the entire league with his three-point bombing.

What else is there to say?

Before Luka Dončić, Harden was the most unstoppable scorer in the game, surrounded by bum teammates, yet somehow making them playable. Harden was a force offensively during his Rockets tenure. But his shenanigans in Houston’s nightlife scene, specifically with rappers and strippers, made him an underground legend and the most recognizable beard in Houston history.

George has said the Pacers organization wasn’t committed to winning a championship during his tenure. This is a damn shame, as the George-led team featuring Roy Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, George Hill and David West always felt like one piece away from winning it all. George is the most dynamic and gifted player in franchise history, while Reggie Miller is the best. If George had spent his full prime in Indy, and if the old ownership had been committed to winning, it could have been special.

Griffin never took the Clippers to the Conference Finals, he wasn’t even the best player on the team, but he was certainly the most recognizable and the face of the franchise during his prime. He was more than one of the best dunkers of all time. He was also a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection. Griffin was in more commercials than Chris Paul (the best Clipper) and way more likable, except by Paul.

Greatest Laker of all time and the reason more than half the current league picked up a basketball.

This spot could have gone to either Gasol brother, but the real heart and soul of the Grit-N-Grind era was Z-Bo. He was the last bastion of half-court brute force, using his immense physicality and soft touch around the rim for two points. His blue-collar approach and relatable background endeared him to the city of Memphis, and there is no better representative of the team’s glory days than him.

Second best shooting guard of all time. Three-time champion. Most hated Heat player outside of Miami.

The Greek Freak has the potential to be in the top five all-time. But he might not reach that lofty goal in Milwaukee, where his aging roster has hit their ceiling. But for Bucks fans, he’s the best homegrown rep of Cream City since Lew Alcinder. His combination of offensive and defensive elitism has given him the GOAT mantle from LeBron James as he ages. His 2020 championship solidified him into one name lore: Giannis

Garnett had the unfortunate luck of being drafted by and playing for a hapless organization that never cared to build a real contender, but he put the expansion franchise on the map with his generational talents.

Zion Williamson had a chance to hold this spot, but he can’t stay healthy to take over New Orleans. Davis was the best big in the NBA while in the Big Easy. It was his dominance with the Pelicans that led the Lakers to trade their young core and a bevy of draft picks to team him up with LeBron. It makes you wonder how far they could have gone if DeMarcus Cousins had never gotten injured next to Davis in his single season with the Pels.

Anthony is beloved by Knicks fans of a certain age, under 50 and over 20. He was the only superstar during the first two decades of James Dolan’s reign. He brought them back to the playoffs in 2011 for the first time since 2004. Melo was born in New York, and his prodigal son storyline was complete, taking the Knicks back to the postseason, even reaching the second round in 2013. Melo wasn’t able to take them all the way, but his scoring, charisma, and All-Star appearances gave Knicks fans a star worth rooting for.

Kevin Durant is the best Thunder player ever. But Westbrook is the most beloved. Due to the way Durant left the franchise and the cupcake and snake jokes that followed, Westbrook is seen by the fanbase as “Mr. Thunder.” He never ran from the smoke and endeared himself to the franchise by never leaving in free agency. Known to Thunder fans as “Brodie,” he embodied everything weird and enthralling about the Thunder team of the 2010s.

This one wasn’t even close. No player comes close to Howard’s impact or resonance with the Magic. It seems like every decade or so, a generational talent arrives in Orlando. First Shaquille O’Neal, Howard and now Paolo Banchero. Howard took the torch from O’Neal as the best big man in the game. Like O’Neal, Howard embodied the Superman persona and took the team to the Finals. And, like O’Neal, he was unable to win one in Orlando. He also wore out his welcome with the Magic, with his immature, goofball personality ostracizing him not only in Orlando, but every other stop in his career. Nevertheless, he is the most recognizable Magic player of the last two decades.

Put some respect on Embiid’s name. Last season’s MVP is on track to be one of the greatest big men ever and is the most popular 76er since Allen Iverson. He is the only positive outcome from “The Process,” evolving into the most skilled offensive big man, averaging a league-leading 35 PPG on 50 percent shooting from the field. His online persona, “Trollel” endeared him to Millenials and younger, who enjoy his meme-sense of humor and love of roasting other players.

Even though one of Nash’s MVP awards should have gone to Shaquille O’Neal, it’s incredible a Canadian point guard with limited athleticism won back-to-back MVPs. Only LeBron James can claim to make his teammates better than Nash did, who helped his teammates get the bag in free agency while revolutionizing the NBA’s pace and three-point offense into what it is today. Nash is one of the most likable dudes to ever wear an NBA jersey, not so much as a coach, and embodied the run-and-gun style of the 2000s with his floppy hair and savant-passing.

Dame was never rewarded for his loyalty to the Blazers, as they failed to build a true contender around his generational point guard skills. “Dame Time” became synonymous with being clutch. Lillard has a chance to win his first ring in Milwaukee, but his tenure in Portland earned him the recognition as the greatest Blazer player ever.

It’s a damn shame Cousins was drafted by the Kings during their dark ages, infested with a coaching revolving door, losing records and internal instability. Imagine if he was drafted by the Warriors in 2010? Cousins was a bucket and the only bright spot between the franchise’s 2006 and 2023 playoff appearances. Cousins is the most recognizable Kings player based on his offensive potential, but also his disruptive personality, as he butted heads with management, head coaches, and had 143 career techs.

The greatest power forward of all time.

Five-time champion.

Greatest Spurs player of all time.

Carter, aka “Half Man, Half Amazing,” left the Raptors in 2004 with residual animosity on both sides. But in the 20 years since, no player has meant more to the organization than he did. Carter is the best dunker of all time. He was supposed to be the second coming of Michael Jordan, even dubbed “Air Canada” at one time, but he was never able to take the Raptors past the conference semifinals. Even so, he is most synonymous with the team, despite Kyle Lowry and Demar DeRozan playing there longer, and Kawhi Leonard winning a championship. Carter is still Mr. Raptor.

This one is crazy, as Gobert might be one of the most disliked Jazz players ever. And that’s saying a lot for a franchise that boasts Karl Malone and John Stockton as their two greatest players. Gobert’s callous approach to COVID upon the breakout and inability to play cohesively with Donovan Mitchell branded him as immature. But his defensive dominance is undeniable, as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, four-time All-NBA Team member, six-time All-Defensive First Team member, and three-time NBA All-Star. Gobert is an all-time defensive big and had a greater impact on the Jazz’s winning record than Mitchell or Deron Williams, the two runner-ups to this recognition.

Gilbert Arenas and Bradley Beal might have been healthier and better scorers, but Wall embodied the youthful energy and swag of the Wizards during the 2000s. Who can forget him doing his Dougie dance in pre-game introductions at home games? Wall revitalized the franchise, dragging them to the playoffs in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. With career playoff averages of 21.9 PPG, 9.8 APG, 4.3 RPG.