Stephen A. Smith was one of the few people who had his feathers ruffled after looking at the ESPN player rankings of the NBA players. The sports network listed the best names to have played the sport ahead of the new season starting October 18.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, and Brooklyn Nets’ mainstay Kevin Durant were not on the list of the top five players causing Smith to slam ESPN. The players making the top five will be announced Friday.
Needless to say, the analyst wasn’t pleased to see two of the greatest regarded players listed between positions 6-10. In a Twitter clip by ClutchPoints, he was seen making his case about why the two deserved to be right at the top.
“There is no way in hell I don’t have LeBron James and Kevin Durant out of my top 5… Ain’t no way in hell 5 players in the world are better than LeBron James and Kevin Durant. That is impossible!”
ESPN listed James at No. 6 and Durant and No. 8. Previously, the former was placed third and the site attributed the slip to missing the postseason and the 26 games that he was sidelined due to his injuries. Despite the setbacks, he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in the 56 games he played showcasing his caliber. You can view the full clip below:
"There is no way in hell I don't have LeBron James and Kevin Durant out of my top 5… Ain't no way in hell 5 players in the world are better than LeBron James and Kevin Durant. That is impossible!"@stephenasmith on the latest ESPN NBA player rankingspic.twitter.com/zgqdihXX6Q
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 22, 2022
Durant’s case was more of a shock as he fell seven places and like James, his injury that saw him miss a major chunk of the season for the Nets was listed as the key reason. The 2021-22 season saw him average 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 55 games.
The other players who made the Top 10 include Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker (10th), Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies (9th), and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (7th).
