This week, ESPN has been revealing their top 100 pro athletes of the 21st century. Voters were told to only consider what the athlete has done from 2000 on. They revealed 25 athletes per day with the top 25 being named on Thursday. Overall, there were 16 NBA players who made the cut. Here are 10 NBA players that can be considered as being snubbed from the list. This isn’t to say that all of these 10 should have made it, but they at least deserved consideration.
NBA Snubs From ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes Of The 21st Century
Carmelo Anthony
While Carmelo Anthony is still a much scrutinized player even in his post-playing career, nobody can argue that he was one of the most talented scorers of all time. Anthony won a scoring title in 2012-13, and his 28,289 career points are 10th-most in league history.
Anthony Davis
Twelve seasons into his NBA career, Anthony Davis is a nine-time All-Star and has been named to five All-NBA teams. The 31-year-old was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers 2020 championship team. Davis has led the league in blocks per game three times.
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid still looks to be one of the most productive big men the game has ever seen. The 2022-23 MVP is still just 30 years old and won back-to-back scoring titles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Embiid may have been dinged though for not yet getting the Philadelphia 76ers past the second round of the playoffs.
Dwight Howard
Another player who was often scrutinized, sometimes people tend to forget how good Dwight Howard was in his prime. The first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Howard led the league in rebounding five times and blocks twice. He was named Defensive Player of the Year three straight seasons from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Kyrie Irving
Selected with the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Kyrie Irving won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He also helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals this past season. In 13 seasons, Irving has made eight All-Star teams and has career averages of 23.6 points and 5.7 assists.
Allen Iverson
Known as ‘The Answer’, Allen Iverson was the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. From the 1999-00 season on, Iverson would play another 11 seasons. He was named MVP in 2000-01, a season he helped guide the 76ers to the NBA Finals. He also won three scoring titles over those 11 years.
Damian Lillard
A 12-year veteran, Damian Lillard has been named to eight All-Star and seven All-NBA teams. The point guard has finished in the top eight of MVP voting five times. He currently has career averages of 25.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
Paul Pierce
Nicknamed ‘The Truth’, Paul Pierce made 10 All-Star teams in an 11-season span from 2001-02 to 2011-12. He won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 where he was named Finals MVP. His 26,397 career points place him 17th all time in NBA history.
Klay Thompson
Seen by some as the second-best shooter of all time, Klay Thompson won four championships with the Golden State Warriors. His 2,481 (and counting) career made three-pointers place him sixth all-time. He has connected on more than 40% of his three-point tries in nine of his 11 NBA seasons.
Russell Westbrook
Likely to soon become a member of the Denver Nuggets, Russell Westbrook is the all time leader with 199 career triple-doubles. He is just one of two players to ever average a triple-double in a season, which he did four times. The 35-year-old was named MVP while with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016-17.
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