ESPN recently conducted a poll with anonymous NBA scouts and executives to see who they believe is the best player in the league heading into the 2021-22 season. The panel was split between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, as they received five votes each.
On Friday, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith shared his thoughts on this recent poll. He also revealed who he believes is the best player in the NBA, and it’s not even close in his eyes.
“Kevin Durant is the best player in the world. Period,” Smith said on First Take. “There is no NBA player, including LeBron James, at this point in time, who is a better player than Kevin Durant in the world. Nobody.”
That’s a pretty definitive statement from Smith, who has been saying Durant is the best player in the NBA for a few months now.
Kevin Durant is the BEST player in the WORLD. PERIOD! pic.twitter.com/VwryWnJXVO
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) August 20, 2021
Even though Antetokounmpo tied Durant in the voting for best NBA player, one anonymous Western Conference executive hinted that Durant is unstoppable.
“I think he’s the best scorer in the league, I don’t think it’s close, and he’s pretty good defensively too,” a Western Conference scout said, via ESPN. “The things he’s able to do offensively are generational, and I don’t know if you can stop him.”
Durant proved how lethal he can be during this year’s playoffs, averaging 34.3 points per game. He nearly led the Brooklyn Nets to the Eastern Conference Finals despite not having James Harden and Kyrie Irving at full strength.
Whether or not Durant is the best player in the NBA is somewhat debatable, but there’s no doubt he belongs in the conversation.
The post Stephen A. Smith Sends Clear Message About NBA’s Best Player appeared first on The Spun.
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