Kyrie Irving seems to have expressed his strong displeasure online regarding his lower-than-expected ESPN ranking for this year.
The star player for the Dallas Mavericks, Irving, found himself ranked surprisingly low on ESPN’s annual list of the top 100 NBA players. He landed at the 34th spot, just one position lower than his 33rd ranking by ESPN last year.
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In a recent Instagram comment, Irving fired back at ESPN with a resounding response, saying, “Why should anyone even care? I certainly don’t. Rankings hold little significance, especially when they come from ESPN or any other media outlet. In my view, most analysts lack credibility, and I don’t hold their opinions in high regard.”
While these rankings are inherently subjective and intended to provoke discussion and reactions, Irving, an eight-time All-Star, does have a compelling argument for being undervalued.
He maintained solid statistics with an average of 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game for the Mavericks last season, and he boasted an impressive 51.0 percent field goal percentage, despite the Mavericks finishing with a 38-44 record and missing the play-in tournament.
Irving isn’t the first NBA player to dispute his ESPN ranking, and he certainly won’t be the last. However, considering his known aversion to mainstream media, it’s unsurprising that Irving took this ranking personally.
