To mark 75 years since its formation, the National Basketball Association announced a 75-member team. The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, as it is known, honors the greatest players to ever step on a basketball court. The team’s members span decades and dynasties. And legacies, some concluded, and some with much more to add.
The complete NBA 75th Anniversary Team ⬇️ #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/v8Tz5ixaab
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 21, 2021
Dating back to George Mikan in 1948, the pioneering superstar of NBA before there even was an NBA. The five-time champion quite literally changed the game, with the introduction of Mikan’s rule due to his imposing stature.
And to now rest the NBA’s appeal on its latest champion among its 75th Anniversary Team, Giannis Antetokounmpo. At only 27, he is recognized as an all-timer and has established himself with several accolades.
Although the league played it diplomatically and refrained from ranking any of the players, ESPN took the liberty of ranking the list. The rankings as voted for by ESPN’s NBA expert panel have sparked many debates at various different positions.
While there is little to no debate on who the top 2 players on any ranking in NBA history should be, it gets a little contentious after that. Michael Jordan and LeBron James comfortably precede anyone and everyone to have a single appearance in the NBA.
Their 10 combined championships and 10 Finals MVPs do not allow for any further discussion. Likewise, their 9 regular-season MVPs and scoring rate alongside their defensive acumen and winning mentality are just the icing on the cake.
After them, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell are safe choices. However, there are others further down on the list who have a strong case for being in the top 15.
Players who should be top 15
Dirk Nowitzki
Ranked at number 17, Dirk narrowly misses the cut by 2 positions. He ranks ahead of his only other European counterpart on the list, Giannis, and that alone is a testament to his greatness. Giannis himself praised Nowitzki for paving the way for European players.
He spent 21 years in the NBA and never was a player more loved unanimously. Except, maybe, Miami Heat fans. The once scrawny German drafted by the Mavericks in 1998, slowly stamped his authority in the league. And revolutionized the way big men scored.
The midrange jumper and the Eurostep were his patented shots, and Dirk terrorized the league with them for years. He averaged 24.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 78 games in his 2006-7 MVP winning season.
Perhaps his greatest achievement is the dismantling of the modern NBA’s first big three. Miami Heat’s trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh came into the 2011 NBA Finals as heavy favorites.
But a resolute Dallas side, led by an indomitable Dirk Nowitzki pulled off one of the greatest upsets ever. Dirk won Finals MVP in the process and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest bigs to ever play the game.
Karl Malone
Unanimously considered the greatest to ever play the game without ever getting his hands on the coveted NBA championship, Karl Malone averaged a near-perfect stat line across his career. At 10.1 rebounds and 25 points a game in 1476 games, he was as consistent as he was a lethal scorer. Malone is the second all-time leading scorer in the NBA.
His misfortune was that he lay in the way of the NBA’s greatest legacy, Michael Jordan’s. Both his NBA Finals appearances came against Jordan’s unstoppable Bulls where he and his Jazz team eventually folded, but not without a fight. The Mailman garnered 14 All-Star appearances and had 2 MVPs to his name.
Stephen Curry
Perhaps the bane of Stephen Curry’s legacy is the reductionist label of being the greatest shooter of all time, and not that he is one of the greatest guards of the game. Despite that, you cannot mention Steph without mentioning his 3083 3-pointers made, and a few hundred more to come.
Such is his mastery over the art of 3-point shooting that he has wowed fans at the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend, and recently set the record of most threes in an All-Star game with 16 3-pointers en route to scoring 50 points and securing the All-Star MVP trophy.
Beyond his stellar shooting, Curry has orchestrated NBA dominance like never before with his Golden State Warriors side. Alongside Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant, he set the record for wins in the regular season with a 73-9 record.
And this season, he continues to put up spectacular numbers and is in contention for a third MVP trophy alongside the Warriors’ challenge for the championship. And that is the best part. That Steph Curry is not done yet.
Regardless of their ranking, these players have well earned their spot in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and have etched their marks in the annals of NBA history.