Here is the third group of players on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, announced on Thursday and listed in alphabetical order (there are 26 players instead of 25 because there was a tie in the voting):
I still disagree with the NBA's phased release of this list--the whole list should have been released at once--but now that we know the complete list it makes sense to list all of the players in alphabetical order before making some preliminary observations and comments:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Ray Allen
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Carmelo Anthony
Nate Archibald
Paul Arizin
Charles Barkley
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Dave Bing
Larry Bird
Kobe Bryant
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Cousy
Dave Cowens
Billy Cunningham
Stephen Curry
Anthony Davis
Dave DeBusschere
Clyde Drexler
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Julius Erving
Patrick Ewing
Walt Frazier
Kevin Garnett
George Gervin
Hal Greer
James Harden
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
Magic Johnson
Sam Jones
Michael Jordan
Jason Kidd
Kawhi Leonard
Damian Lillard
Jerry Lucas
Karl Malone
Moses Malone
Pete Maravich
Bob McAdoo
Kevin McHale
George Mikan
Reggie Miller
Earl Monroe
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal
Robert Parish
Chris Paul
Gary Payton
Bob Pettit
Paul Pierce
Scottie Pippen
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Dennis Rodman
Bill Russell
Dolph Schayes
Bill Sharman
John Stockton
Isiah Thomas
Nate Thurmond
Wes Unseld
Dwyane Wade
Bill Walton
Jerry West
Russell Westbrook
Lenny Wilkens
Dominique Wilkins
James Worthy
I already selected--but have not yet published--my 75 Greatest Players List, but now that the NBA has expanded its 75th Anniversary Team to 76 players I will also expand my list by one so that I can make a direct, head to head comparison of the two lists. I will devote an entire, separate article to an in depth analysis of both lists.
As the entire basketball world processes the NBA's list, congratulates the honorees, and grumbles about real or perceived snubs, here are a few preliminary notes:
1) All of the members of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List are members of the 75th Anniversary Team. The 75th Anniversary Team voters were not required by rule to do this. It is nice that the NBA has not completely succumbed to recency bias.
2) Four players who established their Hall of Fame credentials prior to 1996 but were not selected to the 50 Greatest Players List are members of the 75th Anniversary Team: Bob McAdoo, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, and Dominique Wilkins.
3) The 75th Anniversary Team includes three players who began their careers prior to October 1996 (when the 50 Greatest Players List was announced) but cemented their Hall of Fame credentials after 1996: Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton. Garnett was a rookie in 1995-96. Kidd had one All-Star season prior to the creation of the 50 Greatest Players List. Payton earned three All-Star selections prior to the creation of the 50 Greatest Players List, but he is also a player who cemented his Hall of Fame status after 1996.
4) The 75th Anniversary Team includes 19 players whose entire careers took place after October 1996: Ray Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, and Russell Westbrook.