Kevin Durant Names 'Pure Hooper' NBA Starting 5, With No Michael Jordan | CPT PPP Coverage

Cryptopolytech (CPT) Public Press Pass (PPP)
News of the Day COVERAGE

200000048 – World Newser
•| #People |•| #World |•| #Online |•| #Media |•| #Outlet |

View more Headlines & Breaking News here, as covered by cryptopolytech.com

The Phoenix Suns have had a rough first half of the 2024-25 NBA season, currently sitting a game under .500 after Tuesday evening’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Despite this, Kevin Durant has continued to put up elite numbers and is a virtual lock to secure another All-Star berth in a few weeks when the teams are announced.

Durant has long been known as one of the best bucket getters in NBA history, and recently, the two time Finals MVP named his list of the five players who he considers to be the most “pure hoopers” ever to play in the league, per Kyrie Center on X.

Starting at point guard for Durant’s squad was his former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving. At shooting guard was the late great Kobe Bryant. Durant’s choice for small forward might raise some eyebrows, as he went for former All-Star Tracy McGrady. Unsurprisingly, Durant named himself for the power forward position, and decided to slot in former Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett at center.

Two notable omissions from Durant’s list are his long time rival LeBron James, and NBA legend Michael Jordan, who are widely considered to be the frontrunners in the “greatest player of all time” discussion.

While there is no consensus definition of what constitutes a “pure hooper,” some general attributes typically associated with the term include an ability to thrive in any system, as Durant has proven to be able to do time and again throughout his career, as well as a willingness to create one’s own shot when the offense breaks down.

The names on Durant’s list certainly check those boxes. One could argue that another criterion used to distinguish “pure hoopers” is how impressive their highlights reels look, as highlights don’t get much more entertaining than those of Kyrie Irving or Kobe Bryant.

In any case, Durant may perhaps be looking for the Suns to add some more pure hoopers of their own at this year’s trade deadline as the team flounders in the standings.