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.
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All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.
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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).
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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.)
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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).
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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 |
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
Clyde Drexler |
Damian Lillard |
Scottie Pippen |
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Ray Allen |
Tim Duncan |
Jerry Lucas |
Willis Reed |
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Giannis Antetokounmpo |
Kevin Durant |
Karl Malone |
Oscar Robertson |
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Carmelo Anthony |
Julius Erving |
Moses Malone |
David Robinson |
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Nate Archibald |
Patrick Ewing |
Pete Maravich |
Dennis Rodman |
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Paul Arizin |
Walt Frazier |
Bob McAdoo |
Bill Russell |
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Charles Barkley |
Kevin Garnett |
Kevin McHale |
Dolph Schayes |
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Rick Barry |
George Gervin |
George Mikan |
Bill Sharman |
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Elgin Baylor |
Hal Greer |
Reggie Miller |
John Stockton |
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Dave Bing |
James Harden |
Earl Monroe |
Isiah Thomas |
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Larry Bird |
John Havlicek |
Steve Nash |
Nate Thurmond |
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Kobe Bryant |
Elvin Hayes |
Dirk Nowitzki |
Wes Unseld |
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Wilt Chamberlain |
Allen Iverson |
Hakeem Olajuwon |
Dwyane Wade |
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Bob Cousy |
LeBron James |
Shaquille O’Neal |
Bill Walton |
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Dave Cowens |
Magic Johnson |
Robert Parish |
Jerry West |
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Billy Cunningham |
Sam Jones |
Chris Paul |
Russell Westbrook |
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Stephen Curry |
Michael Jordan |
Gary Payton |
Lenny Wilkens |
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Anthony Davis |
Jason Kidd |
Bob Pettit |
Dominique Wilkins |
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Dave DeBusschere |
Kawhi Leonard |
Paul Pierce |
James Worthy |
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