Jun 12, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) talks to point guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter of game one in the 2012 NBA Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The next few months are a great time for retrospective pieces as the NBA offseason enters its slow portion. ESPN took advantage of the ample free time by publishing its top 25 NBA players of the 21st century.
Since they arrived in 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the more successful franchises in the league. They have made four Western Conference Finals trips and one NBA Finals appearance. They have also rostered two MVP winners.
The Thunder have collected the sixth-most wins since their inaugural season of 2008-09. This means they’ve surely had several former players make ESPN’s best 25 stars since 2000. Let’s look at those names.
March 6, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Key accomplishments, via ESPN: NBA 75th Anniversary team, two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP, 2013-14 MVP, 10-time All-NBA, four-time scoring leader, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year.
Years in OKC: 2007 to 2016
What ESPN said: “He had proved himself as one of the best scorers to ever play the game, a four-time scoring champion who had won the previous two NBA Finals MVPs, a blend of size and skill that had never been seen before. Then he averaged 41.5 points the rest of that series as the Warriors finished off the Clippers. As he has bounced from team to team, there has been one constant about KD’s identity: When he’s healthy, he has always been impossible to guard.”
No. 13: James Harden
March 29, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) after a 3-point shot in the second half of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. Thunder won 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Key accomplishments, via ESPN: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 2017-18 MVP, 10-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, three-time scoring leader, two-time assists leader, 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year
Years in OKC: 2009 to 2012
What ESPN said: “Harden will go down as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, but The Beard and his step-back were nearly unstoppable from 2017 to 2020. He started his scoring spree with an MVP season in 2017-18, averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds. And he was even better the following season, averaging 36.1 points in 2018-19 — the eighth-highest average in NBA history.”
Jan 29, 2020; Sacramento, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Key accomplishments, via ESPN: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defense, 2013 All-Star Game MVP, 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, six-time steals leader, five-time assists leader.
Years in OKC: 2019 to 2020
What ESPN said: “Paul has run thousands of pick-and-rolls to perfection and dished the ball out for nearly 12,000 assists, but his greatest accomplishment might have been transforming the LA Clippers from annual punching bags to perennial playoff contenders while orchestrating the unforgettable Lob City teams.”
Nov 18, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) waits for a teammate to shoot free throws against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Key accomplishments, via ESPN: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 2016-17 MVP, nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, three-time assists leader, two-time points leader, all-time leader in triple-doubles.
Years in OKC: 2009 to 2019
What ESPN said: “Westbrook may be a polarizing figure for his aggressive style of play which is beloved by his fans but also criticized by others. But there’s no denying that no one has accomplished what the fiery point guard did during the span of 2016 to 2021. He became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double in a season when he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists during his MVP season in 2016-17.”
Thunder All-Stars who didn’t make the list
Oct 27, 2022; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and LA Clippers guard Paul George (13) walks down the court during a time out during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
The Thunder had a pair of multi-time All-Stars who didn’t make the 25-player cut. Both players finished top-three in MVP voting on separate occasions:
ESPN’s complete 2000-and-beyond list
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Several Thunder players included in ESPN’s top 25 NBA players of 21st century
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/several-thunder-players-included-espn-190000552.html
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Publish date : 2024-07-26 15:00:00
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