In honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season, the NBA has revealed its selections for the 75 best players in league history — actually, as a result of a tie, 76 names show up on the NBA’s list.
The list features all 50 players who were named to the NBA’s 50th anniversary team in 1996, as well as 11 players who are currently active: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Damian Lillard.
The full list can be found here.
The fact that the NBA didn’t rank the members of the 75th anniversary team from No. 1 to No. 76 will limit the debate over the list to some extent, but there will still be push-back on some of the players selected and plenty of advocating on behalf of those who missed the cut.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, and Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report were a few of the many writers who identified players they felt were snubbed. Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, and Vince Carter showed up on all three of their lists, while Dikembe Mutombo, Bernard King, Grant Hill, and Pau Gasol were also named multiple times.
Long-retired players like Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Artis Gilmore, and Walt Bellamy were cited by at least one writer, as were more recent stars like Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, and Nikola Jokic (who is one of just two MVP winners not on the list, along with Derrick Rose). And, as Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report writes, Klay Thompson was one of the players who publicly griped about his exclusion, having felt he deserved a spot.
Of course, coming up with a list of snubs is easier than deciding which of the 76 players who made the cut didn’t deserve it. Asked which player they were most surprised to see among the 76 selections, a couple ESPN panelists suggested that they might need to see more from Lillard and Davis before giving them a spot on this list. ESPN’s Marc Spears also wondered if a player with more longevity than Bill Walton might be more deserving of Walton’s spot.
We want to know what you think. Are you generally in agreement with the NBA’s 76 choices? Were there any questionable selections or glaring omissions?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
So AI is in but TMac isn’t? Thats BS
11 players on the list spent a part or most of their careers with the Rockets.
All those great players they must have won 6 or 7 championships? Just playing with you brother :)
Funny. I only saw 6 Warriors, and they have 6 Championships.
Mutumbo and Howard should be on there….not sure who to pull off.
Both of them played for Houston as well, and T-Mac was also snubbed.
Dantley should DEFINITELY be on this list. If Lakers don’t trade him they win every single title in the 80s. Worst trade they ever made
Dantley would have clogged the lane and slowed down Showtime. Dantley was more of a grinder suited for the Detroit Pistons.
If post prime Kareem didn’t slow down showtime what makes you think prime Dantley would have? AD was a pure scorer & Magic woulda got him the ball in great spots just like he did for everyone else. And if they kept AD they probably would took Terry Cummings instead of Worthy & TC would probably be on the top75 list too tbh
Dennis Johnson, Alex English & Klay Thompson all drunk on a roof screaming “How are we not invited?”
Klay Thompson? You are joking, right?
In a few yrs he’ll be top50 easy
Dennis Johnson was an incredible basketball player.., in the playoffs. He scored when it counted his defense was Top Notch and he was an amazing floor leader. During the regular season Dennis Johnson shot a very poor percentage and was malcontent.
Alex English was one of the greatest pure scorers that the league has ever seen. Every other part of his game was average.
Klay Thompson is one of the greatest pure Shooters the league has ever seen. His defense is also top-notch and among the best. Klay Thompson is deficient in most other areas. He cannot create his own shot off the dribble, he’s not a very good creator for his teammates and he’s a poor rebounder for 6-7.
I admire and respect all three guys and they’re amazing NBA superstars. But only 75 guys can make the list.
DJ was a 2way beast in the reg season & post season
Nevermind, I now see he complained and that’s what you are probably referencing. He is definitely drunk to think he’s even in the conversation.
I was referencing the show Workaholics. When all 3 of them are on their roof saying how are we not invited
No real criteria other than “best player” makes it difficult to take seriously. Obviously, longevity was prioritized over dominance or impact. Active (or recently active) players over others.
Even so, the NBA embarrasses itself by putting out any material that suggests Carmelo Anthony is a better player than Bernard King. Diminishes the credibility of the rest of the list.
King’s issues with rape & violence against women most likely played a factor. As far as him vs Melo, those guys are extremely similar except when it comes to longevity. Neither guy had much playoff success but Melo clearly had more. In the biggest game of his life King was outplayed by Larry Bird (Boston also had the better overall team). If that game went the other way then King would have a stronger argument
Not really.
BK and Melo were both power 3’s who scored a lot and that’s about all their games had in common. BK was an elite athlete (one of the top 3 or so in the league from the time he arrived), and great transition player in addition to his half court game. Melo, a pedestrian athlete by NBA wing standards. BK’s power game was “extremely” (as you would say) high percentage. Melo’s low percentage. BK was an intimidator on the defensive end. Melo, an accommodator, to be kind.
Not sure where you’re getting information on the 1984 playoffs, but here are the facts: BK was the best player on the court in the Boston series (Boston papers said this) and had perhaps the best playoff run (between the Boston and Detroit series’) in NBA history to that point. Bird is Bird, but what he did in game 7 had nothing to do with BK. He didn’t (wouldn’t) cover BK. BK was covered by all league defender Maxwell, who he destroyed for most of the series, to the point immediate double teams. If losing to the Celtics (or Lakers) teams in that era is disqualifying than many other lesser players than BK shouldn’t be on the list either.
Melo (like most on that list) never had a playoff run like BK did in 1984. Never did anything as impressive as taking that Celtic team to 7 games almost single handedly.
Melo has longevity, that’s about it. BK’s prime was a little late in coming (his doing) and early to end (fate). If it helps, BK did begin to resemble Melo late in his career (of course, he was playing on one leg).
Smh… King & Melo are extremely similar. Play same position, born in same city, played most of prime with same team after starting out west, both electric scorers & had similar games, similar size, neither got to the Finals tho both were individually great in the playoffs. Carmelo’s 2009 postseason was as great or better than King’s 84 postseason. King was great in gm6 & throughout that series but like I said he was outplayed by Bird in the most important game & Im pretty sure never got that far again. Injuries are obviously the reason that King isn’t on the list. Karl Malone did horrible things to women and he’s on the list & there are guys on the list like Nique who have alot of team success. But even with the injuries and the off court stuff King probably makes it if he has a huge game 7 & gets to the Finals evenif they lose. Also King wasn’t as athletic as you seem to think lol. He was about as athletic as Melo was. You are heavily sleeping on Carmelo Anthony lol. Him being the best player in the nation & leading his team to a title in his freshman year of college was arguably more impressive than King leading NY to an almost upset over a very good Celtics team
didn’t have*
Melo’s amateur record (impressive) is relevant to his HOF candidacy, not an NBA all time team.
I’m not sleeping on Melo. The opposite. I’ve seen his career and BK’s from their origins. Often up close. I know their games, not just their stats. Their body language. The body language of the players playing with them and against them. Most importantly, their impact. Both players are a common subject of discussion among Knick fans who saw both. We rarely agree on much, but there’s no disagreement on the simple fact that Melo was no BK (even among my two favorite the Syracuse alums with a special affinity for Melo). If you want to believe otherwise, have at it. But nobody who really saw them both, and knows the game, will find it anything but amusing. One was a force of nature, who impacted every game he played merely by stepping on the court. The other was a gifted scorer who could impact a game when he went off. BIG difference.
IMO
Embiid is better than Melo and Westbrook.
Saying Joel Embiid belongs on this list because of taking the league by storm for two incredible seasons would be the same as saying Jeremy Lin should be on the list because of taking the league by storm for two incredible weeks.
Lin on the list? You must be joking.
Exactly. Just like Embiid on the list. A joke. Get it?
Grant Hill, T-Mac, Pau Gasol, KAT, Jokic & Doncic must be in the list otherwise can’t be a serious & credible one!
How is James Harden on this list? Also, among others that were snubbed…Dwight Howard was one of the greatest defensive players of all time. I also think there are guys there based on what they might do in the future more than what they’ve already done, where guys like Ginobli, Bosh, Pau Gasol, Alonzo Mourning, T-Mac, Vince Carter, and a couple of the previously mentioned older players likr Dantley, didnt get in b/c of that
…also Tony Parker is one of the greatest paint scoring guards of all time, and probably should have been on the list of guys I mentioned
MVP, 3 scoring titles and currently 38th all-time scoring. He’ll probably end up top 25-30. of course he belongs
I feel like there are a lot of variables to what my response is, and I dont feel like it can entirely be articulated without everything, plus its subjective depending on who you are I guess. I’ve talked about it before, but it would be hard to argue with if you care about certain things I dont necessarily care that much about. I personally dont see it, especially with guys not on that list. I’m not saying he isnt what he is. I just dont think he is as good as he could have been, b/c of the gimmicks. Credit to him for taking advantage of how the game is currently played, and being officiated differently from everyone else in the history of sports though
Yeah and worst defender on this list. He’s not top 100. I would never take him on my team. This is a 2way sport.
divide that by 5 tho
Best players of all time. Is not about individual talent. This is a team sport. And this sport is about winning as a team. Bill Russell is the poster for this. Could of had greater stats. Could of been bigger individually. He chose to play to win and won 11 chips in 13 yrs. That’s what best of all time wins. Melo doesn’t belong. Dame doesn’t belong. Real talent plays to win. Even if they are only true talent on team. Like the Big O. Like Malone and Stockton, Ewing. Team player and 2way player. Is as important as big time scorer. Now if you do all three. Then you have Goats.
Klay definitely disrespected.
The “Pearl” revolutionized the game for guards. Another Goat who doesn’t get enough respect.
The “Point God” ………
Prior to Paul, fellow 75th Anniversary Team member Oscar Robertson was the closest to crack the 20,000/10,000 barrier, ultimately coming up short with 9,887 assists. John Stockton, another 75th Anniversary honoree, also came close with 19,711 points.
Stockton never won a Chip. Cause he faced Bulls n MJ twice. Big O won a Chip at end of career with a young Lew Alcindor. It’s a team game. Not a statistics game.
Iverson – 24,368 pts, 5,624 ast
Kidd – 17,529 pts, 12,081 ast
Nash – 17,387 pts, 10,335 ast
Westbrook- 21,880 pts, 8,074 ast
Isiah – 18,822 pts, 9,061 ast
Magic – 17,707 pts. 10,141 ast
Those are considered greatest PGs ever. Magic does have highest avg at 11.2 per gm. That’s just incredible to me. These are PG GOATS. Yet NONE that’s None have done what “CP3” has done. “RECOGNIZE”
Carmelo Anthony is NOT all time great player!!!!
He’s just a great selfish offensive player who couldnt ever in postseason and who was NEVER clutch scorer. NY, OKL, Houston all gave up on him and no other team wanted him except for Portland. And, his Nuggets head coach Karl still thinks he was a terrible player. Anybody can score in NBA, that doesnt make you Top 75 all time.
Should be in (from article):
Pau Gasol
Dwight Howard
Vince Carter
Nikola Jokic
Klay Thompson
In, but should be out:
Carmelo Anthony #10 scorer
Russ Westbrook #34 scorer
Ray Allen #24 alltime scorer
Dennis Rodman
Rbt Parrish from top 50 list