Three Notable Suns Named to Top 100 Athlete List

Three Phoenix Suns were placed on ESPN's Top 100 athletes list.

Oct 28, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns legend Steve Nash greets fans during a Ring of Honor half time ceremony of the game against the Utah Jazz at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- A trio of Phoenix Suns - a current megastar, a former floor general maestro and a franchise icon - have been named to ESPN's Top 100 athletes of the 21st century list.

Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Steve Nash were all named in the middle quartile of the ranking, which encompassed all sports.

Nash came in at number 51, while Durant came in at number 39.

The rationale for Nash is right below:

"Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time MVP, eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, five-time assists leader.

"Before words like "efficiency" and "pace" became as common part of the NBA parlance as "slam dunk" and "pick-and-roll," there was a diminutive guard from Canada who, as a contemporary of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in the late 1990s through early 2000s, ended up with as many regular-season MVPs as the two of them combined. Under the revolutionary tutelage of coach Mike D'Antoni with the Phoenix Suns, Nash won the award in 2005 and 2006 as the point guard on the heralded "7 Seconds or Less" teams that made it to three Western Conference finals in six years. While Nash never won a ring, he maximized his talents as a 6-foot-3 point guard, shooting 50% overall, 40% from 3 and 90% from the free throw line in four seasons and leading the league in assists five times."

- Tim McMahon

Nash is still widely considered the greatest player in franchise history. He won two NBA MVP's with the Suns. He played a large hand in revolutionizing the way the game was played. He was arguably a couple of bad breaks away from winning multiple titles for the franchise.

Nash's impact on the game and how good he was at his peak won't be forgotten - it is evidenced by his placing on a list that is obviously insanely difficult to make - as evidenced by Chris Paul's placement at 83.

Paul's placement featured no mention of his contributions to Phoenix, but fans will not soon forget the rags-to-riches story of the franchise after acquiring him from Oklahoma City.

For Durant:

"Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP, 2013-14 MVP, 10-time All-NBA, four-time scoring leader, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year.

""I'm Kevin Durant. You know who I am. Y'all know who I am." That was Durant's conclusion to a lengthy answer about pesky Patrick Beverley's defense against him (with a whole lot of help, as Durant noted) early in a 2019 playoff series. Durant's point: He had proved himself as one of the best scorers to ever play the game, a four-time scoring champion who had won the previous two NBA Finals MVPs, a blend of size and skill that had never been seen before. Then he averaged 41.5 points the rest of that series as the Warriors finished off the Clippers. As he has bounced from team to team, there has been one constant about KD's identity: When he's healthy, he has always been impossible to guard."

- Dave McMenamin

Durant is one of the 15 greatest players in the history of the NBA, point blank. Although his time in Phoenix has only spanned for around 18 months at this point, the city has been energized by his presence. It feels like one is witnessing history whenever he steps onto the Footprint Center court in a Suns uniform.

While this placement could still feel a tad low, it is undeniable that his impact has transcended any ranking - Durant has solidified his legacy as an all-time great in any scenario.

Durant, Nash, and Paul are all instrumental in the story of basketball for various reasons - Phoenix is extremely fortunate to have had all three grace the city at different times.

The final question of this process is: will Devin Booker join this exclusive list of athletes in due time? It certainly is possible, but he will first need to bring an NBA title to Phoenix while also garnering longevity in the league.