Kevin Durant did not take long to start defending his teammates from public criticism and giving them the motivation they needed from him as a veteran. Four of the Rockets’ five expected starters made it to ESPN’s Top 100 list. Three of them were a part of the Rockets’ young core from last season: Alperen Sengun at No. 25, Amen Thompson at No. 37, and Jabari Smith Jr. at No. 74. They featured on this list alongside Kevin Durant (No. 9) from the Rockets.
One key player that this list snubbed was Tari Eason, the Rockets’ forward who also had a terrific display last season as he provided the necessary energy off the bench that his contributions became extremely valuable to the team and got the recognition he deserved from veterans across the league.
During the Rockets’ post-practice media session, Kevin Durant spoke to the press members about Tari Eason’s snubbing from the list. Durant was not particularly pleased, but he also saw a silver lining for Eason in the process.
“A lot of people don’t watch basketball that in-depth. And Tari is one of those players who you have to sit and watch to truly understand what he brings to the table. But I think people in real basketball circles, who value the game and understand the game, they know what he brings to the table.”
“I think he’s going to have a great year. Somebody who’s excited to come out here and showcase what he can do. A chip on your shoulder is not necessarily a bad thing, especially at this age. He wants to prove that he’s an established player in this league, and that’s always good,” said Durant on Eason.
Tari Eason got regular minutes last season whenever he was healthy. But that also points to the reason why ESPN may have skipped him from the list. He spent a lot of last season on the bench and only played 57 games. The Rockets’ forward averaged 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals (among the Top 5 in the league for average steals), shooting 34.2% from beyond the three-point line while coming off the bench and playing almost 25 minutes per night.
When Eason found out about the snub, he also took to social media and expressed his opinions very concisely.
“Who makes these lists lol,” wrote Eason with a laughing GIF attached to the post.
Eason is widely known as one-half of the Rockets’ “Terror twins”: Eason and Amen Thompson. They earned respect in the league last season after being menaces on the defensive end of the floor. Combined, the duo had multiple steals each game and rebounds in hustle plays that no one would potentially see coming. While Thompson was a lot more consistently healthy, Eason is now primed to take that leap himself.
Tari Eason is now in the final season of his guaranteed contract, and if the Rockets do not extend his contract before the October 21 deadline, then he will become a restricted free agent in the 2026 offseason. Rockets fans are eagerly hoping that either he gets extended this season or he has an incredible leap this season, which earns him a long-term extension with the Rockets.
