ESPN has come under fire from fans and players following the release of their annual Top 100 NBA players list.<\/p>\n
Each year, the sports broadcasting giant brings together its brightest minds to carve out an extensive list of the NBA's top players.<\/p>\n
As is the case with any list, every opinion and statement is subjective but this time around, many have been left puzzled with a number of the rankings.<\/p>\n
Lakers superstar LeBron James was crowned No.1, which based on his NBA Finals performance is difficult to argue against, but the No.2 spot handed to his All-Star teammate Anthony Davis was a huge point of contention, especially as it came at the expense of the MVP of the last two seasons, Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo who came in at No.3.<\/p>\n
Davis is undoubtedly a superstar with No.2 potential but it's worth noting that Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard all finished ahead of him in last season's MVP voting.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/twitter.com\/espn\/status\/1337035570590212096<\/a><\/p>\n In other spots that left fans scratching their heads, former MVPs Kevin Durant (6) and Stephen Curry (8), who are both coming off injuries, were listed outside the top five.<\/p>\n It's easy to accept that their injuries may have played a part in a slightly lower ranking, but with Curry having won three championships and Durant with two in the past five years, it's hard to see how neither could crack the top five at least.<\/p>\n It was especially tough for Golden State Warriors fans to see Portland point-guard Damian Lillard ahead of Curry, with the two-time MVP getting the wood on him in recent times. Curry and the Warriors, with Durant injured for the series when he was a member of Golden State, famously swept Lillard's Trail Blazers in the 2019 Western Conference Finals. The Warriors also swept Portland in the 2017 NBA playoffs.<\/p>\n San Antonio star and four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan was left so unhappy with his ranking of 82, he took to Twitter to let ESPN know about it.<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/DeMar_DeRozan\/status\/1336386894121345026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1336386894121345026%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportbible.com%2Faustralia%2Fnba-news-espns-nba-top-100-list-has-raised-a-few-eyebrows-20201211<\/a><\/p>\n "This was atrocious," ESPN host Chiney Ogwumike said on The Jump.<\/p>\n "This was blasphemy. DeMar DeRozan deserves some respect put on his name."<\/p>\n Although Lakers star Markieff Morris was happy his two teammates took out spots No.1 and No2., he was among a host of fans left unhappy with the overall list produced by ESPN, labelling it as "trash."<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/Keefmorris\/status\/1337060403117953027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1337060403117953027%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxsports.com.au%2Fbasketball%2Fnba%2Fnba-2020-espn-top-100-players-reaction-full-list-lebron-james-steph-curry-lonzo-ball%2Fnews-story%2F467278142cd61920e3926e153f6f4e6b<\/a>https:\/\/twitter.com\/famouslos32\/status\/1336340969508106244<\/a>https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnthonyIrwinLA\/status\/1336333879662108676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1336333879662108676%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxsports.com.au%2Fbasketball%2Fnba%2Fnba-2020-espn-top-100-players-reaction-full-list-lebron-james-steph-curry-lonzo-ball%2Fnews-story%2F467278142cd61920e3926e153f6f4e6b<\/a>https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheHoopCentral\/status\/1336355379706413056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1336355379706413056%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxsports.com.au%2Fbasketball%2Fnba%2Fnba-2020-espn-top-100-players-reaction-full-list-lebron-james-steph-curry-lonzo-ball%2Fnews-story%2F467278142cd61920e3926e153f6f4e6b<\/a><\/p>\n ESPN NBA Player Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n 100. Joe Harris<\/p>\n 99. Marcus Morris Sr<\/p>\n 98. Otto Porter Jr<\/p>\n 97. Derrick White<\/p>\n 96. Marc Gasol<\/p>\n 95. LaMarcus Aldridge<\/p>\n 94. Jarrett Allen<\/p>\n 93. Ricky Rubio<\/p>\n 92. Mitchell Robinson<\/p>\n 91. Seth Curry<\/p>\n 90. Patrick Beverley<\/p>\n 89. Joe Ingles<\/p>\n 88. Jerami Grant<\/p>\n 87. Buddy Hield<\/p>\n 86. Brook Lopez<\/p>\n 85. Danilo Gallinari<\/p>\n 84. John Collins<\/p>\n 83. Dejounte Murray<\/p>\n 82. DeMar DeRozan<\/p>\n 81. John Wall<\/p>\n 80. Josh Richardson<\/p>\n 79. Dennis Schroder<\/p>\n 78. Aaron Gordon<\/p>\n 77. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope<\/p>\n 76. Montrezl Harrell<\/p>\n 75. Duncan Robinson<\/p>\n 74. Myles Turner<\/p>\n 73. Bojan Bogdanovic<\/p>\n 72. PJ Tucker<\/p>\n 71. Mike Conley<\/p>\n 70. Steven Adams<\/p>\n 69. D'Angelo Russell<\/p>\n 68. OG Anunoby<\/p>\n 67. Eric Bledsoe<\/p>\n 66. Serge Ibaka<\/p>\n 65. Blake Griffin<\/p>\n 64. Kevin Love<\/p>\n 63. TJ Warren<\/p>\n 62. Bogdan Bogdanovic<\/p>\n 61. Davis Bertans<\/p>\n 60. Robert Covington<\/p>\n 59. Tyler Herro<\/p>\n 58. Goran Dragic<\/p>\n 57. Tobias Harris<\/p>\n 56. Zach LaVine<\/p>\n 55. Christian Wood<\/p>\n 54. Lonzo Ball<\/p>\n 53. Jusuf Nurkic<\/p>\n 52. Deandre Ayton<\/p>\n 51. Michael Porter Jr<\/p>\n 50. Domantas Sabonis<\/p>\n 49. Spender Dinwiddie<\/p>\n 48. Kemba Walker<\/p>\n 47. Vitor Oladipo<\/p>\n 46. Caris LeVert<\/p>\n 45. Gordon Hayward<\/p>\n 44. Draymond Green<\/p>\n 43. Jaren Jackson Jr<\/p>\n 42. Nikola Vucevic<\/p>\n 41. Kristaps Porzingis<\/p>\n 40. Fred VanVleet<\/p>\n 39. Malcolm Brogdon<\/p>\n 38. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/p>\n 37. Marcus Smart<\/p>\n 36. Russell Westbrook<\/p>\n 35. Khris Middleton<\/p>\n 34. De-Aaron Fox<\/p>\n 33. Jrue Holiday<\/p>\n 32. Jaylen Brown<\/p>\n 31. Ja Morant<\/p>\n 30. Kyle Lowry<\/p>\n 29. Trae Young<\/p>\n 28. Brandon Ingram<\/p>\n 27. CJ McCollum<\/p>\n 26. Rudy Gobert<\/p>\n 25. Kyrie Irving<\/p>\n 24. Pascal Siakam<\/p>\n 23. Karl Anthony-Towns<\/p>\n 22. Bradley Beal<\/p>\n 21. Jamal Murray<\/p>\n 20. Paul George<\/p>\n 19. Zion Williamson<\/p>\n 18. Donovan Mitchell<\/p>\n 17. Devin Booker<\/p>\n 16. Ben Simmons<\/p>\n 15. Chris Paul<\/p>\n 14. Joel Embiid<\/p>\n 13. Bam Adebayo<\/p>\n 12. Jimmy Butler<\/p>\n 11. Jayson Tatum<\/p>\n 10. Nikola Jokic<\/p>\n 9. James Harden<\/p>\n 8. Stephen Curry<\/p>\n 7. Damian Lillard<\/p>\n 6. Kevin Durant<\/p>\n 5. Kawhi Leonard<\/p>\n 4. Luka Doncic<\/p>\n 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/p>\n 2. Anthony Davis<\/p>\n 1. LeBron James<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"