Getty Image / Cindy Ord
Kevin Durant is never content to sit back and be slighted by the world. When the new NBA 2K ratings came out and KD saw that he was a ’96’ in NBA 2K23, he complained that he should be a 99.
Shaquille O’Neal is the only player in the NBA 2K franchise to ever be rated a perfect ‘100’. Durant is clearly aware of this and doesn’t believe he’s yet earned the throne alongside Shaq, but Kevin Durant is rated behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (97).
With the 96 rating, KD is tied with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid. He’s just 1 point above Luka Doncic at 95. Either Kevin Durant is bored or he genuinely believes he’s a significantly better player than LeBron, Steph, Jokic, and Embiid.
Shannon Sharpe Responds To Kevin Durant’s Beef With ‘NBA 2K’
On Wednesday’s Undisputed, co-host Shannon Sharpe destroyed Kevin Durant’s argument that he should be a 99. KD will certainly not want to see this. Shannon’s argument is simple: 99-rated players don’t get swept.
.@ShannonSharpe explains why Kevin Durant isn’t a 99 overall in NBA 2K23 after KD called his rating 'laughable':
"99 overall players don’t get swept in the First Round. Giannis is the best player in the NBA. Whatever rating KD wants, give it to him, but rate Giannis higher." pic.twitter.com/K8tGgq0dKG
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 7, 2022
“Shannon Sharpe (message to Kevin Durant): “Let me tell you why you’re not a ’99’, 99 Players don’t get swept in the First Round. That’s why you’re not 99. And you can be 99 as long as Giannis 100.”
Giannis is the best player in the NBA. 30-12-6 and he took Boston to 7 games without Khris Middleton, their second best player. So for me, yeah, Giannis should be rated the highest… Whatever grade you want to give Kevin Durant, as long as Giannis is higher than that, I’m cool with it.”
“Kevin Durant want to be 98, put him at 98. He want to be 99, put him at 99. As long as Giannis is rated higher than everybody else, I don’t care. Giannis is the best player.”
This isn’t the first time this Summer we’ve heard Shannon Sharpe sound off on the greatness of Giannis.
.@ShannonSharpe on where he currently ranks Kevin Durant among NBA players:
"I still have him in the Top 5, but I can't put him ahead of Giannis, Jokić, Steph and Luka." pic.twitter.com/rvpRFfWnBt
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 6, 2022
If the Brooklyn Nets weren’t so laughably dysfunctional last season, the conversations about Kevin Durant’s greatness might be going differently. But they got swept by the Boston Celtics in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs and almost blew up the entire team.
Durant is a 2-time NBA champion… With a super team. He’s a 2-time NBA Finals MVP… With a super team. He is without question one of the best players in the NBA but he’s not THE best and thus, doesn’t deserve the 99 over anyone else in the league. I don’t often say this but Shannon Sharpe is correct.