NBA veteran Lamar Odom takes dig at ESPN NBA rankings, reveals why Jalen Brunson should be No 1 or 2 over Nikola Jokic

Lamar Odom has questioned ESPN’s Top 100 NBA Players list for the 2026-27 season. The former Los Angeles Lakers star believes Jalen Brunson deserves to be much higher after helping the New York Knicks win the NBA championship. Brunson was ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s top 10, while Nikola Jokić took the No. 1 spot.Odom made his feelings clear when TMZ Sports caught up with him at LAX. He particularly disagreed with Brunson’s position on the list. Odom argued that a player who has won a championship should not be ranked so low. He also revealed his own top five, placing Brunson at No. 1.Lamar Odom puts Jalen Brunson ahead of Nikola JokicLamar Odom did not hold back when asked about ESPN’s rankings. He questioned how Brunson could be ranked outside the top five after winning a championship with the Knicks.“How you gon’ be six if you won a championship?” Odom questioned. Gotta be one or two,” the ex- LA Laker icon said.Brunson was listed at No. 6 in ESPN’s top 10 players for the 2026-27 season. That ranking puts him behind several established stars and some of the league’s biggest young talents.Odom’s personal list looked very different. He put Brunson at No. 1, followed by Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo.ESPN’s list has Jokić at No. 1. The Denver Nuggets star is followed by Victor Wembanyama at No. 2 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 3. Luka Dončić is fourth, while Giannis Antetokounmpo completes the top five.Jalen Brunson is sixth, followed by Anthony Edwards at No. 7. Cade Cunningham is eighth, Jayson Tatum is ninth and Donovan Mitchell rounds out the top 10.The rankings also marked a notable change for James. The former Los Angeles Lakers star fell outside the top five and was ranked 18th. It is the first time he has been outside ESPN’s top 10 in the history of the list.ESPN also changed the way its rankings were decided this year. Seven ESPN experts voted on the 2026-27 rankings instead of using the larger panel seen in previous editions.The rankings are based on predicted individual performance and contributions during the regular season. They are not simply a ranking of a player’s entire career or past achievements.That distinction could explain some of the differences between Odom’s view and ESPN’s list. Odom placed strong importance on Brunson’s championship success, while ESPN’s criteria focus on expected regular-season impact for the upcoming campaign.Odom also acknowledged how difficult it is to rank the league’s best players, “It’s hard. They’re all great.”The debate is likely to continue once the new NBA season begins. Brunson will enter the campaign looking to lead the Knicks to another championship, while Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Dončić and Antetokounmpo will also be among the players expected to compete for major honours.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.