Culture » Lifestyle

Basketball is Back! Who are the Hottest Men in the NBA?

by Christopher Ehlers

EDGE Media Network Contributor

Saturday October 22, 2022

After a thrilling 2022 season that concluded with Western Conference champs Golden State Warriors defeating Eastern Conference champs Boston Celtics, the NBA is back in business this week. The return of basketball—of course—got us thinking: who are the hottest men in the NBA? Here are 20 of our favorite hunks:

Desmond Bane



Currently a shooting guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, in his rookie season, Bane had the highest three-point field goal percentage since Stephen Curry. This past March, Bane also set the Grizzlies' franchise record for three-pointers made in a season, surpassing Mike Miller's record set in 2007.

Damian Lillard



Unanimously voted NBA Rookie of the Year in 2012, Lillard has played for the Portland Trail Blazers ever since. What's more, he's the only player in Trail Blazers' history to receive six NBA All-Star and All-NBA team selections, and he won a gold medal as a member of the 2020 US Olympic Team in Tokyo.

Killian Hayes



The 6 ft 5 in. tall Hayes is a point guard and shooting guard for the Detroit Pistons. The son of basketball player DeRon Hayes, Killian grew up in France playing basketball, where he won the gold medal and earned MVP honors at the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship.

LaMelo Ball



Point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, Ball was voted the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021 and in 2022 was named an NBA All-Star. In 2017, when he launched a shoe with his family's brand Big Baller Brand, he became the youngest athlete to ever have a signature shoe.

Ja Morant



As a sophomore at Murray State University, Morant became the first player in NCAA history to average 20-plus points and 10-plus assists per game for a single season. He's been with the Memphis Grizzlies since 2019, and he was named Rookie of the Year in 2020.

Kelly Oubre Jr



Despite only having played one season of college basketball for the University of Kansas, he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks during the 2015 NBA draft, who then traded him to the Washington Wizards before being snatched up by the Phoenix Suns. He's been on the Charlotte Hornets since 2021.

Jalen Green



Shooting guard for the Houston Rockets, Green is only the third player of Filipino descent to play in the NBA. Upon his draft in 2020, ESPN ranked him as number one overall, and to date he has won three gold medals with the United States.

Stephen Curry



When he doesn't have his mouthguard hanging out of this mouth, Curry is actually a very handsome dude. Considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time—and the greatest shooter in NBA history—he has been named MVP twice and won four NBA championships.

Jayson Tatum



Another NBA superstar, the incredible Tatum has been with the Boston Celtics since 2017. He was hugely responsible for the Celtics making it to the NBA finals last year, and as such was named the NBA Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player. In addition, he took home a gold medal on the 2020 US Olympic team in Tokyo.

Zach LaVine



A shooting guard and small forward for the Chicago Bulls, this hunk was named an NBA All-Star in 2021 and 2022 and won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. As a rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he won two consecutive Slam Dunk Contests, making him only the fourth NBA player achieve this feat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo



This seven-foot-tall Greek-Nigerian has been with the Milwaukee Bucks for an incredible nine years and counting. One of basketball's most decorated players, he won MVP in 2019 and 2002, was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and led the Bucks to their first championship win in decades in 2021. They call him "Greek Freak" for a reason.

Devin Booker



The son of former basketball player Melvin Booker, Devin has been with the Phoenix Suns since he was first drafted seven years ago. In 2019, Booker became the youngest player in NBA history to achieve consecutive 50-point games, and the following year, he took home a gold medal as part of the US Olympic Team in Tokyo.

Klay Thompson



A pillar of the Golden State Warriors, Thompson won four championships with the team. Other accolades include five NBA All-Star wins and two Olympic gold medals. Most recently, he helped the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in last year's championship.

Jimmy Butler



Butler has bounced around a bit, having played for the Bulls, Timberwolves, 76ers, and—at present—the Miami Heat, where he's been since 2019. Nicknamed "Jimmy Buckets," he's a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA Team honoree, a five-time NBA All-Defensive Team honoree, and an Olympic gold medalist.

Ben Simmons



Born in Australia, this hunk played college basketball for only one season before being selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. The following year, he was named Rookie of the Year.

Matisse Thybulle



Recognized as the top defender in the nation while playing college basketball for the Washington Huskies, Thybulle was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft and has been with the 76ers ever since.

Blake Griffin



Currently with the Boston Celtics, Griffin has also played for the Clippers, Pistons, and Nets. While playing college basketball for Oklahoma, he was named the consensus national college player of the year as a mere sophomore. In 2011, Sports Illustrated called him one of the NBA's 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time.

Tyler Herro



Herro was selected by the Miami Heat while he was a freshman at Kentucky, and the following year was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. During his rookie season with the Heat, he helped the team reach to NBA Finals.

Kyle Kuzma



Although he is now with the Washington Wizards, Kuzma won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020 before being traded to Washington. During his rookie season with the Lakers, he was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

RJ Hampton



A five-star recruit at Little Elm High School in Texas, Hampton played for the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL before applying for the NBA draft, which led to him being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020. Currently, he's in his second season with the Orlando Magic.