"Top 10 in stocks": Rockets’ Tari Eason fires back at ESPN’s Top 100 snub with pointed sarcastic digs

NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors - Source: Imagn
"Top 10 in stocks": Rockets’ Tari Eason fires back at ESPN’s Top 100 snub with pointed sarcastic digs. [photo: Imagn]

Tari Eason did not make it to ESPN’s top 100 players for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Eason, despite averaging 12.0 points, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 48.7% shooting, all career-high numbers, failed to make the list. The Houston Rockets' defensive ace blasted the rankings with a tweet on Thursday.

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“If I come off the bench and average the most off it in the playoffs.. it must of just been luck, I guess. Top 10 in stocks.. I must just be out here getting lucky yall.”
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Eason initially questioned who from the network came up with the list.

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A few minutes later, he added:

“If I play 24 minutes and average 12… it must of just been luck, I guess.”
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Tari Eason got his numbers right. He averaged 24.9 minutes per outing in the regular season, seventh among Rockets players. Despite seeing limited action, he significantly improved his averages and impact on both ends of the floor.

In the playoffs, he averaged 7.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 1.1 spg despite playing less than 20 mpg. Eason, who arguably outplayed Jabari Smith Jr., could not make it to the top 100 while his teammate nearly broke into the top 70.

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While Tari Eason failed to make the list, the Rockets, who made it into the rankings, moved up. Smith went from 92 last season to 74. Amen Thompson had the highest jump, from being unranked to No. 37. Alperen Sengun climbed to 25th from 54th a season ago. The newly acquired Kevin Durant stayed at No. 9 following his last season with the Phoenix Suns.


Tari Eason did not make it to ESPN’s “snubbed” list or players likely to join top 100 next season

ESPN’s top 100 list did not include five stars dealing with long-term injuries. Still, Tari Eason would not likely make it to the rankings over Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Dejounte Murray and Fred VanVleet.

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Rubbing salt to Eason’s injury are the next two lists that the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” released. The forward also failed to make the rankings of players “snubbed” and players likely to crack the top 100 next season.

ESPN named Keegan Murray, Jalen Duren, Herbert Jones and Jordan Poole, who could have made it to the top 100 but failed. Additionally, the network did not predict Eason’s inclusion in the rankings next season. The analysts predicted Donovan Clingan, Zaccharie Risacher, Ausar Thompson and rookie Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel to leapfrog Eason.

Tari Eason could disregard the exclusion and prove ESPN wrong by playing well. If he does, he will likely join next season’s top 100 group.

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Edited by Michael Macasero
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