Did The NBA 2K Video Game Disrespect This Brooklyn Nets’ Star?
Let's get philosophical for a moment...how much do you think you're worth?
Well, if you ask Brooklyn Nets' superstar Kevin Durant, the NBA 2K video game franchise severely undervalued him.
It's an exciting time for video game players, as the fall brings the annual release of 2K Sports' NBA video game franchise. Within each year's game, each NBA player is given a rating, out of 100 points, as a way to compare their skill to the skill of their peers. The closer you get to 100, the better player you are.
It's widely accepted that a "perfect 100" is impossible to reach, as only one NBA player in history has been ranked that high. Therefore, the best players in each year's game are given a ranking of 99 overall. It's reserved for the absolute best, and often only given to retired Hall-of-Fame players like Michael Jordan.
The rankings for NBA 2K22 were released, and Durant wasn't overly pleased with how he ranked among his peers.
Here are the top players in the game, per an article from Sporting News:
Player | Overall rating |
Lebron James | 96 |
Kevin Durant | 96 |
Stephen Curry | 96 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | 96 |
Joel Embiid | 95 |
Kawhi Leonard | 95 |
Nikola Jokic | 95 |
Luka Doncic | 94 |
James Harden | 94 |
Damian Lillard | 94 |
Jayson Tatum | 90 |
Uh oh, KD isn't going to be happy.
As it turns out, he wasn't happy about his 96 overall rating at all. Here's what he said when asked about his rating, per Brianna Williams' article on ESPN:
"I work extremely hard. I pretty much do everything great. That's why I should be a 99." - Kevin Durant, courtesy of Brianna Williams
It's a fairly bold claim for Durant to make about himself, even if every bit of it is true. Durant is one of the best players the game has never seen, and plays at a consistent MVP caliber year-in-and-year-out. That being said, no player has reached the 99 overall clip since 2014, with that spot reserved for the retired NBA greats.
This story feeds into the narrative that Durant is often self-conscious, and does not like to be compared to others. If he and someone else were given 99 overall ratings, he would want a 100 rating instead. No one can compare to him in his mind.
That being said, I think 96 overall is right on the nose. I would've accepted a 97 as well, but given the players that were also given 96 ratings, he's in pretty good company. I don't think 2K Sports disrespected Durant in the slightest.
He, however, would likely disagree.