FanSided 250 shows anti-New York sports sentiments toward athletes
By Ed Stein
One on the list
The only area athlete to make the top 250 was injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant who came in 94th overall and 19th among sports figures. The funny thing is, Durant hasn’t even played a minute of basketball for Brooklyn this year. While I think number 94 is on the low-end of close, let’s face it, he was the most “buzzed” about athlete on earth from late spring to early summer. KD lit up the first round and a half of the NBA playoffs for the Golden State Warriors before going down with a calf injury.
For weeks NBA fans were on pins and needles to see when or even if he would come back to help Golden State win another title. Durant made his epic comeback in Game 5 of the finals, scoring 11 points in the first quarter. Unfortunately, he tore his right Achillies two minutes into the second. It was the most infamous injury of 2019 and most talked about of the decade.
As if he wasn’t the most debated athlete on the planet at the time, KD followed that up with one of the most anticipated free agent waiting periods by anyone not named Lebron James. He and bestie Kyrie Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets on June 30 and in the process made the cross-town Knicks the second team in New York City. A feat that most basketball fans anywhere would have said was unthinkable until it happened.
With all due respect to Kris Cyborg (71st overall, 15th sports figures) and Aaron Rodgers (63, 12), the star forward should have been higher. FanSided wants BUZZ – he goes by the initials KD.