Being acknowledged as a superstar in the modern NBA is perhaps harder than ever. While scoring and numbers may come easier than before, social media’s existence has increased scrutiny on players immensely and expectations are through the roof. That being said, some players are undisputed superstars in the modern game that most fans would agree with putting in the “best of the best” category.
Nick Wright is one of the more opinionated pundits on TV. His opinions often draw the ire of the very superstars that he talks about. Kevin Durant isn’t a fan; he just called Wright out on Tuesday. The subject of Durant’s ire was a segment that Wright did about ‘Club Superstar’ in the NBA, in which he named the 12 players in today’s game that are already superstars and the ones that are knocking on the door.
The official reveal of @FTFonFS1 & @purehoop’s Club Superstar.
Who is in (12 person capacity):
Giannis
LeBron
Luka
KD
Steph
CP3
Embiid
Ja
Jokic
Tatum
Kawhi
Dame
Waiting in line, for someone to leave (1 in, 1 out policy):
Booker
Trae
Jimmy
Ant Man
Kicked out:
AD pic.twitter.com/1d9vz199PZ
— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 10, 2022
Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum are the young players to have made Wright’s list. They joined established stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry, as well as the three big men that have been recently dominant: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Wright explained some of his choices on First Things First, notably the decision to leave out Anthony Davis.
.@getnickwright breaks down the 12 members of Club Superstar:
LeBron
Luka
Giannis
Ja
Dame
Kawhi
Embiid
Steph
CP3
KD
Jokić
Tatum
"Jayson Tatum, finally, is in the club! In order to make room for Tatum we had to kick out AD."
🎨: @purehoop pic.twitter.com/p6mZWL4Y9N
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 10, 2022
“Jayson Tatum, finally, is in the club. Anthony Davis, we had to make room for Tatum, so Anthony Davis is out of the club.”
The 12 players that Wright has included in his list are all undoubtedly superstars and the best players on their respective teams. As the playoffs continue and narratives change, there might be some changes made to this list. Devin Booker is primarily on the cusp of making it and many would argue he’s already in. It remains to be seen if Booker can be pivotal in a championship season for the Suns. And while Anthony Davis may disagree with this list, Jayson Tatum’s play has certainly made him hard to ignore.
