Kevin Durant put Klay — not Booker — in his NBA2K25 Dream Starting Five?

It’s not a real team, but putting 81 overall Klay in over 93 overall Devin Booker is just…strange.

NBA2K25, as we’ve covered here on Bright Side, is a place where gamers can pick up the sticks and feel like they are a part of the game. In MyNBA and MyLeague modes, you can play through the team’s schedule, assume the role of general manager and re-make the roster, and navigate a franchise to a championship. For Phoenix Suns fans, it’s the closest we’ve ever felt to lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

We are not the only ones who play the game, as I’m sure you well know. During the pandemic, it was Devin Booker vs. Deandre Ayton in the first-ever NBA2K Player Tournament. Book won 74-62 over his fellow teammate.

Book’s current teammate Kevin Durant was recently asked who his ideal starting five would be on NBA2K25, he responded with himself, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Joel Embid. Oh, and Klay Thompson, who he played alongside in Golden State.

It’s important to clarify that this isn’t intended to be an ‘all-time’ list, nor does it reflect the current top players in the NBA. Instead, this is a personal ‘Dream Starting Five’ curated by KD for a video game, reflecting his unique preferences and vision for an ideal lineup, rather than a definitive ranking of talent. This revision adds more clarity on the subjective nature of the list while acknowledging KD’s individual perspective.

KD tweeted out his list, stating, “y’all can debate”. Okay. Let’s debate. I’ve got one thing to debate, which I’ll get to in a moment.

Duran’ts Dream Starting Five is sold. He has himself, and if you’ve ever played with KD on NBA2K, you know he’s an absolute bucket. The mechanics in the game mirror his practically perfect form, and shooting jumpers or three-balls with him can sometimes feel unfair. You hit the perfect meter nearly every time.

LeBron James is a perfect fit for this starting five. His versatility allows him to run the point, dominate the boards, and knock down threes with ease. On NBA2K, his skill set is just like his real-life dominance, making him almost unstoppable. A true cheat code. Much like Luka Dončić, LeBron’s ability to seamlessly adapt to any role on the court transforms the dynamic of the game, offering a blend of power, finesse, and basketball IQ that few can match.

So far, KD’s Dream Starting Five is pretty damn solid.

Joel Embiid’s inclusion in this lineup might spark debate, but in the context of a video game, health isn’t a concern, so you can count on him being at his dominant best. While Nikola Jokić might be the more conventional choice given his unmatched playmaking and back-to-back MVP-caliber seasons, you can hardly blame anyone for opting to add Embiid, the 2023 MVP, to their roster. His blend of power, footwork, and elite scoring makes him an intimidating force, and on a virtual court, his potential is limitless.

And then there’s Klay Thompson.

Klay, in NBA2K25, is an 81 overall. Sure, he was at his peak when KD was in town, but as a player and a video game player, his skills have diminished over time.

So, ahem, he is my question: why not include your teammate Devin Booker? He plays the same position as Klay Thompson and — checks notes — is substantially better in the video game!

Devin is a 93 overall player and would be a perfect fit for KD’s Dream Starting Five! We just witnessed how he can be a complementary player on a team full of stars. See: 2024 Paris Olympics. And on the video game, if you don’t plan on using your shooting guard for much (which must be the case, considering Klay was the choice here), why not have someone like Devin Booker as that quinary option on the team?

I’m not going to speculate as to why Devin Booker was left off this list, being replaced with someone Durant won two championships with. It’s not my place to assume intent. But KD said, “debate”, so I will debate for Booker being on this fake team!

Ughh…I need basketball to start…