ESPN and their rankings have been under fire for quite some time now. Even when Kobe Bryant was still playing, the multimedia company used to make lists that raised a lot of eyebrows around the league, and several years after that, nothing has changed.
The giant corporation also received a lot of criticism for their top 100 NBA players list before the season and now they’re getting a huge backlash for their latest ranking, listing the best players under 25 in the association right now.
Based on future potential, this is what they came up with:
1) Luka Doncic
2) Zion Williamson
3) LaMelo Ball
4) Donovan Mitchell
5) Jayson Tatum
6) De’Aaron Fox
7) Ben Simmons
8) Devin Booker
9) Bam Adebayo
10) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
ESPN’s top 10 players under 25
(Rankings based on future potential)
1) Luka Doncic
2) Zion Williamson
3) LaMelo Ball
4) Donovan Mitchell
5) Jayson Tatum
6) De’Aaron Fox
7) Ben Simmons
8) Devin Booker
9) Bam Adebayo
10) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 6, 2021
A lot of fans didn’t like this list and took to social media to bash the list, some talking about certain players’ positions, about rookies making the list, and more.
Tatum at 5 disrespectful as fuck
— AP (@OnGODAP) April 6, 2021
The correct order is
Jayson Tatum
Luka doncic
Zion Williamson
Devin booker
Donovan Mitchell
Jaylen brown
Brandon Ingram
Lamelo ball
Ben Simmons
Jamal Murray
— 𝓐𝓵𝓿𝓲𝓷 𝓓𝓮𝓳𝓾𝓪𝓷 𝓥𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓻 𝓙𝓻🌟🌟 (@AlvinVarner2) April 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/2021Dubs/status/1379496655846838280https://twitter.com/JamesHardeees/status/1379412279561752577https://twitter.com/Flykicksalways1/status/1379455636056981509https://twitter.com/Officialj0nn/status/1379415169831419913
Wtf is this???? Bam is already better than Ben, Tatum, fox and Mitchell. This list is bull shit. Luka and Zion are the only two players better than Bam.
— ZAE⚡️ (@ZaeMcGuire) April 6, 2021
This list is very messed up. If we going off potential, the top 3 is accurate and Ben Simmons and bam should be following. If ben Simmons and Bam shoot 3s they would be borderline top 10 players
— RisKK 🌴 (@RisKKOnTop) April 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/djc12s/status/1379503625706344451
1) Luka Doncic
2) Zion Williamson
3) Donovan Mitchell
4) Jayson Tatum
5) Devin Booker
6) Bam Adebayo
7) Ben Simmons
8) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
9) Lamelo Ball
10) Jaylen Brown
fixed it for them free of charge
— GWC (@GucciWasCloned) April 6, 2021
Lamelo Ball … come on now
— . (@Herrojuku) April 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/homiesloveryan/status/1379407624785960963
ESPN This List Is Better:
No.1 Luka Doncic
No.2 Jayson Tatum
No.3 Zion Williamson
No.4 Jaylen Brown
No.5 Donovan Mitchell
No.6 Trae Young
No.7 Ben Simmons
No.8 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
No.9 Bam Adebayo
No.10 De'Aaron Fox
All of this guys could be championship starters btw
— CRBTASBlue (@CrbtasB) April 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/VRDlCT/status/1379410824020758529
Mitchell is number 1. The man does what it takes to win. All the others put up numbers on bad teams or needed someone else to make their team better. Simmons shouldn’t be anywhere near this list, especially leaving off Morant.
— The Pearl of Fake Price (@Harley__Fatboy) April 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/Lex_Naija/status/1379432626176454660
Even Stephen A. Smith had to chime in on this situation, going off on his own network and the people behind the creation of that list. The veteran analyst said that they need to drug test whoever did that list, so that should explain how bad it is.
ESPN Insiders ranked the NBA's best 25 under 25 and put LaMelo Ball at No. 3, behind only Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson.@stephenasmith would VERY MUCH like to be excluded from any association to this list 😂😭 pic.twitter.com/CbNHpg0vvH
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 6, 2021
These lists will always create controversy among fans and even analysts but this is a common thing for ESPN in recent years. They can’t make a list that pleases the most people around the league and everybody let them know. Now, even Stephen A., one of the faces of the company, has gone after them.
