LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 19: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles during the first half of an NBA Tournament Play-In game against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on May 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LeBron James took to Twitter to give a sarcastic response in reaction to an ESPN offseason survey of 10 NBA scouts and executives asking who is the best player in the NBA. The results ultimately left James without a single vote.
“THANK YOU! As if I didn’t need more to fuel ME!” he said.
In the survey, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant evenly split the voting for the title of the best player in the league. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a championship as did Durant with his clutch performance in Brooklyn’s second-round loss to the Bucks.
James was another candidate in the survey, but his age and injuries were significant reasons why he wasn’t voted. The 36-year-old dealt with major injuries that caused him to miss large chunks of two of the past three seasons.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.
This wasn’t the first time that James was overlooked as the best player in the league. After the Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs in James’ first season in 2019, this same survey canvassed 20 people, and again James didn’t receive a single vote. Kawhi Leonard received 12 votes, Antetokounmpo received six, and James Harden got the other two.
James responded to this survey by winning an NBA title and being named Finals MVP. We’ll see what he has in store this upcoming year.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke bluntly on Thursday about the 2025 All-Star tournament format, which…
The Buffalo Bills maintained their strategy of securing their own draft picks long-term, reaching an…
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Friday that they have fired head coach Taylor Jenkins, despite the…
The New York Mets lost their first game of the 2025 season to the Houston…
The Michigan Wolverines punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 round of men's March Madness…
There has been no shortage of thinkpieces regarding future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady's…