Kevin Durant tops Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 NBA players list

Nets star Kevin Durant ranked No. 1 on Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 NBA Players list entering the 2021-22 season. It is a well-deserved placement after the superstar forward cemented himself as the best player in basketball despite an earlier-than-anticipated playoff exit.

Durant outranked Giannis Antetokounmpo (2), LeBron James (3), Stephen Curry (4) and Nikola Jokic (5) in the top five. Nets star James Harden ranked seventh, and All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, in a shocker, landed 20th on Sports Illustrated’s list.

Durant just strung together one of the most impressive years in recent history: His dominance was undeniable, even if the injured Nets lost in the second round to the Milwaukee Bucks. That dominance translated over to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he led Team USA to yet another gold medal.

The Nets star averaged 27 points on 53.7% shooting from the field and 43.7% shooting from three-point range. On the same day he won gold with Team USA, Durant signed a four-year, $198 million contract extension that keeps him in Brooklyn through the 2025-26 season.

Durant’s ranking could inadvertently add fuel to the opposition’s fire. If his Nets are going to realize their championship aspirations this season, their path would likely include both Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers.