LeBron James being snubbed as the 19th best player in the NBA is just the latest example of engagement farming and ragebait culture running rampant in the basketball community.
When HoopsHype dropped its annual NBA Top-100 Players for 2025-26, I was expecting a comprehensive ranking for serious basketball fans. Instead, it was just another engagement farming list, hoping to cause a stir in the NBA community and spark conversations.
HoopsHype’s Top 50 players in the NBA:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Luka Doncic
5. Anthony Edwards
6. Jalen Brunson
7. Donovan Mitchell
8. Cade Cunningham
9. Victor Wembanyama
10. Jalen Williams
11. Stephen Curry
12. Pascal… pic.twitter.com/BZb1V33DDG— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 4, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 1? Ok. Jokić at two, Giannis at three? Fair. Luka Dončić at No. 4 — I would rank him higher with my Lakers bias, but it’s still understandable.
But LeBron James at No. 19 on a Top-100 list? That’s where the ranking lost all credibility and exposed itself for what it is: ragebait.
A Ranking Built to Provoke
This is the type of list I would expect from ESPN. But for some reason, I thought a site called HoopsHype would actually be dedicated to hoops and actually know ball. LeBron in the 2024-25 season averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds on 54% shooting over 70 games, and was 6th in MVP voting. Seeing him being ranked below players who haven’t yet shown they can control a playoff series feels less like objective analysis and more like headline-chasing.
At 39, LeBron was still the Lakers’ offensive hub, a closer, and a two-way presence. Burying him at 19 on a list of 100 feels like willful disrespect.
Who’s Jumping the Line — and Shouldn’t Be
- Devin Booker (No. 18): Averaged 25.6 points, 7.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds last season — great numbers, but he’s not the two-way engine or primary playmaker LeBron still is.
- Karl-Anthony Towns (No. 14): A skilled stretch-big, but inconsistent defensively and not the closer LeBron remains.
- Evan Mobley (No. 13): An outstanding young defender with huge upside, but nowhere near LeBron’s offensive gravity, playmaking, or postseason résumé.
- Stephen Curry (No. 11): A living legend with admirable longevity, but the only thing he does better than Lebron is shoot. Meanwhile, LeBron — three years older — continues to put up All-NBA-level numbers.
All four are excellent players, but they don’t compare to LeBron’s combination of scoring, playmaking, leadership, and postseason impact.
LeBron’s 2024-25 season wasn’t “good for his age” — it was elite, period. He’s still dictating tempo, bending defenses, taking over fourth quarters, and raising teammates’ ceilings. If you’re ranking players who help you win right now, putting him at 19 is indefensible.
Ragebait 101: Engagement Over Accuracy
If your goal is traffic, there’s a proven formula: provoke Laker Nation and LeBron stans. Shove him outside the top-15 — even on a Top-100 list — and you guarantee viral outrage: quote-tweets, debate-show segments, YouTube thumbnails, all from the biggest fanbase in basketball.
That’s classic ragebait — engagement farming masquerading as basketball insight.
Honest Analysis Is Hard to Find
That’s why I appreciate honest basketball analysis. The kind that sticks to what happens on the floor instead of trying to stir outrage. Unfortunately, that’s becoming rare. This type of ragebaiting is what gets boosted by algorithms, while genuine insight gets buried. It’s a shame that thoughtful evaluation isn’t what’s being promoted these days.
Final Takeaways
Rankings don’t decide championships, but they shape the season’s narrative. HoopsHype might have won the engagement game, but it cost them credibility — at least with me. But this is just more motivation for Lebron and the Lakers.
LeBron has spent two decades proving doubters wrong. Heading into 2025-26, it looks like he’s been handed fresh bulletin-board material to do it again.
