Jan 2, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Paris Saint-Germain and French national forward Kylian Mbappe (left) and PSG teammate defender Achraf Hakimi (right) pose for a photo with Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) after the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Kylian Mbappe showed up in Brooklyn to marvel at Kevin Durant and the Nets. But he also paid tribute to LeBron James when asked to name his favorite players.
Kylian Mbappe is one of the greatest soccer players in the world, at 24 he’s already played in two World Cup Finals, winning one and scoring a total of 12 goals across the two tournaments. But the PSG star was in Brooklyn Monday night to marvel at the best in the world in a different sport.
Mbappe and teammate Achraf Hakimi had a chance to meet with Kevin Durant and receive a pair of jerseys.
The pair of soccer stars were also treated to a vintage performance from Durant — 25 points on just 14 shots, along with 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in a 36-point win over the Spurs. As impressed as he might have been by Durant, that was not the first name that came to mind when he was asked to name the best players in the NBA
Kylian Mbappe named LeBron James before Kevin Durant when asked for his NBA top 5
It’s hard to argue with any part of Mbappe’s list, including the order. Still, you’d think Durant might be the first name from his lips considering the circumstances.
Still it’s clear that Mbappe knows his basketball, valuing players a bit like himself — unique physical talents with a gift for scoring and a flair for the dramatic. Now lets see Kevin Durant pick the five best players in club soccer right now and see where he starts and ends the list…
Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.