NBA reveals 75th Anniversary Team

In 75 NBA seasons, there have been a lot of great players. The NBA unveiled the 75th Anniversary Team on Thursday night, selected by a panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers, team and league executives, WNBA legends, and sportswriters and broadcasters.  

As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th Anniversary Team features 76 players. Team highlights include:

Eleven active players have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. 

  • All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.

  • The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).

  • Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team.  (The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.)

  • Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).

  • The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson.  Representing different eras of the league’s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.

Here is a complete list of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team:

NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM

 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

 

Clyde Drexler

 

Damian Lillard

 

Scottie Pippen

 

Ray Allen

 

Tim Duncan

 

Jerry Lucas

 

Willis Reed

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

 

Kevin Durant

 

Karl Malone

 

Oscar Robertson

 

Carmelo Anthony

 

Julius Erving

 

Moses Malone

 

David Robinson

 

Nate Archibald

 

Patrick Ewing

 

Pete Maravich

 

Dennis Rodman

 

Paul Arizin

 

Walt Frazier

 

Bob McAdoo

 

Bill Russell

 

Charles Barkley

 

Kevin Garnett

 

Kevin McHale

 

Dolph Schayes

 

Rick Barry

 

George Gervin

 

George Mikan

 

Bill Sharman

 

Elgin Baylor

 

Hal Greer

 

Reggie Miller

 

John Stockton

 

Dave Bing

 

James Harden

 

Earl Monroe

 

Isiah Thomas

 

Larry Bird

 

John Havlicek

 

Steve Nash

 

Nate Thurmond

 

Kobe Bryant

 

Elvin Hayes

 

Dirk Nowitzki

 

Wes Unseld

 

Wilt Chamberlain

 

Allen Iverson

 

Hakeem Olajuwon

 

Dwyane Wade

 

Bob Cousy

 

LeBron James

 

Shaquille O’Neal

 

Bill Walton

 

Dave Cowens

 

Magic Johnson

 

Robert Parish

 

Jerry West

 

Billy Cunningham

 

Sam Jones

 

Chris Paul

 

Russell Westbrook

 

Stephen Curry

 

Michael Jordan

 

Gary Payton

 

Lenny Wilkens

 

Anthony Davis

 

Jason Kidd

 

Bob Pettit

 

Dominique Wilkins

 

Dave DeBusschere

 

Kawhi Leonard

 

Paul Pierce

 

James Worthy

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