Jaylen Brown Ranked Ahead Of LeBron James On Top 100 List

Jaylen Brown was No. 19 on ESPN’s annual “NBA Rank,” counting down the top 100 players in the Association.

“JB” was notably ranked ahead of the likes of former MVP James Harden and fellow Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

On Tuesday, Brown was placed 17th on HoopsHype’s top-100 player ranking for the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Boston Celtics star is somewhat surprisingly ranked ahead of all-time greats Kevin Durant (No. 22 on the list) and LeBron James (No. 19).

“With (Jayson) Tatum set to miss all of 2025-26, a player we could see taking a step forward — production-wise, at least — is four-time All-Star Jaylen Brown. Perhaps the best two-way player on this list, Brown is coming off three straight All-Star appearances, although last season was his weakest in some time, as Brown shot a career-worst 32.4 percent from three, posting his worst BPM since his third season in the NBA in the process,” Frank Urbina wrote. “The big question for Brown this season will be: Can he improve his efficiency while taking on some of Tatum’s now-missing offensive load? If Brown proves that he can, he’ll likely reach All-NBA honors for just the second time in his career.”

For comparison, Durant was ninth on ESPN’s list while “King James” was eighth.

Urbina wrote that while James is still HoopsHype’s “GOAT,” it’s notable that the 40-year-old recorded a “negative swing rating” for the first time in his career last season, with “his presence on the floor actually making the Lakers 5.3 points per 100 possessions worse than when he sat.”

“Could that be a fluke, a one-off that we can ignore? Or is it the first potential sign that James is finally starting to feel that fight against Father Time?” Urbina said.

“KD” of course is no spring chicken either by NBA standards, as the 15-time All-Star turned 37 in late September.

Brown, meanwhile, is in the prime of his career and will turn 29 in late October.

Other current or former Celtics to crack HoopsHype’s countdown included Jrue Holiday (No. 92), Kyrie Irving (No. 79), Anfernee Simons (No. 78), Payton Pritchard (No. 69), Kristaps Porzingis (No. 65) and Derrick White (No. 30).