NBA The Run Best Players: Top 5 Picks and Their Strongest Combo Partners

NBA The Run is a 3v3 arcade title from Play By Play Studios (ex-EA developers), launched on June 9, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam at $29.99 with no microtransactions. The roster packs 37 playable characters spread across 32 current NBA stars, 5 rookie variants of all-time icons, and 5 fictional streetball legends. Each character ships with their own stat spread (2s, 3s, dunks, guard, rebound, steal, block, stamina, passing, aura) and a signature Zone Ability that mirrors their real-world strengths.

The optimal squad-building logic hinges on stacking complementary maxed stats across 3 players, covering long-range scoring, rim pressure, paint defense, and playmaking all at once. The 5 strongest tournament duos that have separated themselves from the pack are Victor Wembanyama with Ja Morant, Stephen Curry with Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis with Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards with Nikola Jokić, and Tyrese Maxey with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Every one of these pairings forces opposing defenses into impossible decisions on every single possession.

Here’s the full list of 37 playable characters available at the launch of NBA The Run:

• Bam Adebayo (NBA Star)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (NBA Star)
• LaMelo Ball (NBA Star)
• Paolo Banchero (NBA Star)
• Scottie Barnes (NBA Star)
• Devin Booker (NBA Star)
• Jaylen Brown (NBA Star)
• Jalen Brunson (NBA Star)
• Cade Cunningham (NBA Star)
• Stephen Curry (NBA Star + Rookie Variant 2009-10)
• Anthony Davis (NBA Star)
• Luka Dončić (NBA Star + Rookie Variant 2018-19)
• Kevin Durant (NBA Star + Rookie Variant 2007-08)
• Anthony Edwards (NBA Star)
• Joel Embiid (NBA Star)
• Cooper Flagg (NBA Star)
• Josh Giddey (NBA Star)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (NBA Star + Rookie Variant 2018-19)
• Tyrese Haliburton (NBA Star)
• James Harden (NBA Star)
• LeBron James (NBA Star + Rookie Variant 2003-04)
• Nikola Jokić (NBA Star)
• Kawhi Leonard (NBA Star)
• Damian Lillard (NBA Star)
• Tyrese Maxey (NBA Star)
• Donovan Mitchell (NBA Star)
• Ja Morant (NBA Star)
• Jayson Tatum (NBA Star)
• Amen Thompson (NBA Star)
• Victor Wembanyama (NBA Star)
• Zion Williamson (NBA Star)
• Trae Young (NBA Star)
• Shen Tong (Streetball Legend)
• Bobbito Garcia (Streetball Legend)
• DJ (Streetball Legend)
• El Gigante (Streetball Legend)
• Spin Cycle (Streetball Legend)

Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers rounds out the top 5 thanks to his status as the best player in the game at flipping defense into offense. Steals and blocks are 2 of the most rewarding mechanics in NBA The Run right now, and Maxey is purpose-built to excel at both. After a steal, his speed lets him push the full length of the court before the defense can recover, and his shooting stats are sharp enough to finish at the rim or drain a pull-up from the perimeter.

Maxey’s value spikes hardest in tight games where turnovers swing the final score. Going aggressive on steal attempts rather than playing passive defense is the key to maxing out his upside. His best combo partner is Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak can’t match Maxey’s speed, but his physical presence thrives off Maxey’s passing and cleans up rebounds in the paint. Pairing 2 dual-threat players on both ends of the floor puts opposing defenses in a no-win position on every possession.

Anthony Davis is easily the most underrated pick on the roster, with 6 maxed stats that put him right behind Victor Wembanyama among the best defensive bigs in the game. His offensive flexibility is the other quietly elite trait. AD can operate in the post or stretch out to the perimeter, and his passing stat makes him a legitimate offensive hub regardless of where he sets up on the floor.

Just don’t expect Anthony Davis to be a reliable three-point threat. He can knock down open looks off the catch, but building your entire offense around his range will burn you. Use him inside-out, never outside-in. His best combo partner is Jalen Brunson. The 2026 NBA Finals MVP is one of the cleanest pure shooters on the roster with elite handles and passing to match. Whether Davis draws attention in the post or waits on the perimeter, Brunson can either operate solo or feed him the right look at the right moment.

The default version of Stephen Curry runs with maxed stats on 2s, 3s, handles, passes, stamina, and aura. His defense is the obvious soft spot, but that hardly matters when you’re launching threes from anywhere on the court and forcing defenders to chase you around every screen in the playbook.

Maxed stamina means Curry stays active longer than most players on the roster, which lets you run him off movement patterns to free up open looks. Once defenses start doubling him, his passing stat becomes just as critical as the shooting. His best combo partner is Jayson Tatum. Tatum doesn’t carry any glaring weaknesses in his stat spread, and his passing is strong enough to find Curry on the move. His Zone Ability boosts passing, which stacks perfectly with Curry’s shooting Zone. The 2 stars complement each other without ever stepping on each other’s lanes.

Anthony Edwards carries 8 maxed stats, 4 of them on the offensive side. That’s flat-out the highest count anywhere on the roster. His power, speed, and stamina numbers are all elite, which means he doubles as a dunking threat, a perimeter scorer, or both at the same time depending on how you want to play him on any given possession.

Ant is the pick if you want raw offensive output with no compromises. He doesn’t ask you to scheme around his weaknesses because, on the offensive end, there aren’t really any to worry about. His best combo partner is Nikola Jokić. The three-time MVP slows the tempo compared to Edwards, but that contrast cuts in your favor. Jokić’s rebounding mops up any misses, and his shooting stat lets him operate as a secondary scorer. Edwards’ passing also sets up Jokić for open looks whenever the defense collapses. Edwards + Jokić stands as the most lethal pure-offense duo currently available in the game.

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs sits at the very top of the current roster with no serious competition to speak of. His block stat is straight-up the highest in the game, and he runs with maxed-out values on 2s, dunks, guard, rebound, and aura. 6 maxed stats on a seven-footer who can also step outside the paint makes him near-impossible to counter for opposing squads.

On offense, you can post Wemby up or stretch him out to the perimeter based on what the defense gives you. On defense, park him under the basket and let his height handle the rest. Blocking shots with the Spurs phenom feels almost unfair in 3v3 spacing. Wembanyama also packs the most rewarding Zone Ability on the entire roster, which amplifies his ability to dominate both ends of the floor during the highest-leverage moments of any tournament run.

His best combo partner is Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the duo is widely regarded as the strongest pairing in the game. Morant’s speed covers everything Wemby doesn’t need to do himself. He pushes in transition, defends on the perimeter, and finds the big with passes that turn into easy finishes. The size-and-speed combo between Wembanyama and Morant is genuinely unstoppable in NBA The Run‘s 3v3 format, and the gap between this pairing and every other combo is clearly visible in competitive tournament play.