Rethinking the NBA 75

You might think, with my milestone 5,000th post coming up, I would would have used it to discuss another milestone. And I did.

You might think the milestone in question would be the 75th Anniversary of the NBA's 1st game, which is coming up on November 1; or the announcement last week of the 75th Anniversary 75 Greatest Players. But that wasn't it: I used the milestone to cover a the 25th Anniversary of the 1996 Yankees. I am, however, covering the 75 Greatest Players.

The 75 Greatest Players were not ranked, 1 to 75. In fact, 76 were chosen. Really?

Here they are, arranged by decade:

* From the 1950s: George Mikan, 1947-56; Dolph Schayes, 1949-61; Bill Sharman, 1950-61; Paul Arizin, 1950-62; Bob Cousy, 1950-63 (plus a brief comeback in 1969-70); Bob Pettit, 1954-65.

* From the 1960s: Bill Russell, 1956-69; Sam Jones, 1957-69; Elgin Baylor, 1958-71; Hal Greer, 1958-73; Wilt Chamberlain, 1959-73; Oscar Robertson, 1960-74; Jerry West, 1960-74; Lenny Wilkens, 1960-75; Dave DeBusschere, 1962-74; John Havlicek, 1962-78; Jerry Lucas, 1963-74; Nate Thurmond, 1963-77.

* From the 1970s: Willis Reed, 1964-74; Billy Cunningham, 1965-76; Rick Barry, 1965-80; Dave Bing, 1966-78; Walt Frazier, 1967-80; Earl "the Pearl" Monroe, 1967-80; Elvin Hayes, 1968-71; Wes Unseld, 1968-81; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1969-89; Pete Maravich, 1970-80; Dave Cowens, 1970-83; Nate "Tiny" Archibald, 1970-84; Julius "Dr. J" Erving, 1971-87.

* From the 1980s: Bob McAdoo, 1972-86; George Gervin, 1973-86; Bill Walton, 1974-87; Moses Malone, 1974-95; Robert Parish, 1976-87; Earvin "Magic" Johnson, 1979-91 (with a brief comeback in 1995-96); Larry Bird, 1979-92; Kevin McHale, 1980-93; Isiah Thomas, 1981-94; James Worthy, 1982-94; Dominique Wilkins, 1982-99; Clyde Drexler, 1983-98.

* From the 1990s: Charles Barkley, 1984-2000; Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984-2002; Michael Jordan, 1984-2003; John Stockton, 1984-2003; Patrick Ewing, 1985-2002; Karl Malone, 1985-2004; Dennis Rodman, 1986-2000; Scottie Pippen, 1987-2004; Reggie Miller, 1987-2005; David Robinson, 1989-2003; Gary Payton, 1990-2007.

* From the 2000s: Shaquille O'Neal, 1992-2011; Jason Kidd, 1994-2013; Kevin Garnett, 1995-2016; Allen Iverson, 1996-2010; Ray Allen, 1996-2014; Steve Nash, 1996-2014; Kobe Bryant, 1996-2016; Tim Duncan, 1997-2016; Paul Pierce, 1998-2017; Dirk Nowitzki, 1998-2019; Dwyane Wade, 2003-19.

* Still active: LeBron James, 2003; Carmelo Anthony, 2003; Chris Paul, 2005; Kevin Durant, 2007; Russell Westbrook, 2008; Stephen Curry, 2009; James Harden, 2009; Kawhi Leonard, 2011; Anthony Davis, 2012; Damian Lillard, 2012; Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2013.

Mikan, Schayes, Sharman, Arizin, Baylor, Greer, Chamberlain, DeBusschere, Havlicek, Thurmond, Unseld, Maravich (the only one who died before the 50th Anniversary), Moses Malone and Bryant have died. The remaining 62 of the 76 are still alive, leaving Cousy as the oldest and the earliest selection.

Nowitzki, Wade, and the 11 active players are not yet eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame. All of the others are in. If their actions against women have not kept Kidd, Bryant and Karl Malone out, it's unlikely any of those not yet eligible will be kept out, barring a gambling scandal, as could well have sunk Jordan.

Every NBA Championship team has been represented except for 4: The 1947 Philadelphia Warriors, the 1948 Baltimore Bullets, the 1951 Rochester Royals, and the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics. When the NBA selected the 50 Greatest Players in 1996, they also selected the 10 Greatest Coaches. One of those was Red Holzman of the 1970 and '73 Knicks. He had played for the '51 Royals, but that's not the same thing.

For the '79 Sonics, Wilkens was their coach, but no player was chosen: Not Dennis Johnson (who later starred for the Boston Celtics), not Gus Williams, not Fred Brown, not Nate McMillan, not Jack Sikma.

Every player selected for the 50 Greatest was selected for the 75 Greatest. No one was demoted. (I had previously thought that Bob Lanier was dropped, but, it turns out, he wasn't selected for the 50 Greatest.) Two players eligible but not selected for the 50 were added to the 75: McAdoo (justifiably) and Wilkins (less so).

As with the 50, the greatest controversy with the 75 is with the active players, and the question over whether they had yet sufficiently proven themselves. In 1996, Shaq hadn't; by 2000, he had.

Which players selected did not win a Championship? Baylor (0-8 in NBA Finals), Wilkens (lost the 1961 NBA Finals), Thurmond (lost in 1964 and '67), Bing (never made it), Maravich (never made it), Gervin (never made it), Barkley (lost in 1993), Stockton and Karl Malone (lost together in 1997 and '98), Ewing (lost in 1994 and '99), Miller (lost in 2000), Iverson (lost in 2001), Nash (never made it); and, so far, Westbrook (lost in 2012), Harden (also lost in 2012), Paul (lost in 2021), Anthony (has never made it) and Lillard (has also never made it).

So, looking at the players who made a Finals but never won one: Are the still-active Westbrook, Harden and Paul worthy to stand alongside Baylor, Wilkens, Thurmond, Barkley, Stockton, Karl Malone, Ewing, Miller and Iverson? I think so.

And, looking at the players who never made the Finals: Are the still-active Anthony and Lillard, and the recently-retired Nash, worthy to stand alongside Bing, Maravich and Gervin? That's a tougher one.

Gervin made 9 All-Star teams, and led the NBA in scoring 4 times. He was a fantastic player who deserved to be on better teams. Bing made 7 All-Star teams, led the league in scoring once, and received the league's Citizenship Award while still active.

Maravich, despite the institution of the 24-second shot clock and the 3-point shot after his graduation, is still the all-time leading scorer -- both total and per game -- in the history of college basketball. That doesn't matter here.

In the NBA, he was a 5-time All-Star, and led the league in assists per game in 1973, and scoring (points per game) in 1977. Like his hockey contemporary Bobby Orr, he seemed to singlehandedly change the game. He even had similar hair. Unfortunately, also like Orr, injuries caught up to him and cut his career short. And, unlike Orr, who won 2 Cups and reached 1 other Finals, he never reached his sport's Finals. He last played in 1980, with the Celtics. Had he hung on 1 more season, he would have gotten a ring, along with a 50/75 honoree who'd been sensational without getting a ring until then, Archibald.

Nash was an 8-time All-Star, a 2-time MVP, and a 5-time assists leader. His style was similar to Maravich's, so leave him in. 

Anthony is a 10-time All-Star. The only guys with 10 or more ASGs who were not selected for the 75 are Chris Bosh and Artis Gilmore, both with 11. Anthony won a scoring title, and had higher points and assists per game averages than both Bosh (who won 2 titles) and Gilmore (who won an ABA title), neither of whom won a scoring title. Both had more rebounds per game than Anthony, but then, they were forwards, and Anthony is a guard. Anthony leads both in free throw percentage, but trails both in field goal percentage.

Honestly, I can't say for sure that either Bosh or Gilmore belongs in the 75. And if I can't say that either of them does, then I can't say that Anthony does.

So drop Carmelo, and now, it's an even 75.

That leaves Lillard. Dame has played 9 seasons (he's just started his 10th), and has been an All-Star in 6 of them. He was awarded the Citizenship Award in 2019 and Teammate of the Year in 2021. By all accounts, he's a terrific guy. That should matter for this. But it really doesn't.

He's never been an MVP. Aside from games played in his rookie season of 2013 and minutes per game in 2020, he's never led the NBA in a significant category. Per game, career: 24.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.0 steals, .438 FG percentage, .893 FT percentage. He's 31. He looks like a good bet for the Hall of Fame. But the Top 75? With those stats, and without even a Finals berth, he doesn't look like he should have been chosen.

And let's not kid ourselves: People who wanted Dominique Wilkins on this list were swayed by the dunks, his reputation as "The Human Highlight Film." He was a one-dimensional player. Drop him.

So that's who I take out. Who do I put in? Who are Number 74 and Number 75? I fully agree with promoting McAdoo, though not Wilkins. As a native of the New York Tri-State Area, I am tempted to add Bill Bradley; and believe that, had Bernard King not gotten hurt, he would surely have been on the list. He had 2 sensational seasons, and 9 very good ones, and deserves his place in the Hall. But can I really put either Nard or the Senator on the Top 75?

A lot of people think the San Antonio Spurs have gotten short shrift: Robinson and Duncan were named, but Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili were not. Parker made 6 ASGs, Ginóbili only 2, but both helped the Spurs win 4 titles, including the 2007 Finals MVP for Parker.

There is one other active player whose worthiness has been questioned: Anthony Davis. At 28, he's the 2nd-youngest on the list (Giannis is 26), and is already an 8-time All-Star. But there's a perception that he only has a ring because he was along for LeBron's ride in 2020. I don't think so: He's made NBA All-Defensive First Team and Second Team twice each, and has led the league in blocked shots 3 times. He's headed for the Hall of Fame, and if he isn't worthy of the 75, then he's certainly a better choice than Nard, Nique and Dame.

So, I drop Wilkins, Anthony and Lillard, and add King and Ginóbili. That's my list.

The Era of LeBron Is Over

UPDATE: In 2020, this headline was proved to be premature.

I have a tendency to reject things that are shoved into the public's face by the media, no matter how good they might be.

It's why I still don't listen to any music by any former member of NSYNC or One Direction, no matter how many people say that Justin Timberlake is incredibly talented (Spoiler alert: He's good-looking and can dance, but that's it, he's the male Madonna) or that Harry Styles is soooo hot... (as if that does me, a middle-aged straight man, any good).

LeBron James has been shoved in our faces since he was in high school, in 2002 -- 17 years ago. Yes, it's been that long.

Many of us laughed at his failures before he finally won an NBA Championship in 2012. Many of us ripped him for the way he handled his hometown of Cleveland before that. Then, he finally won 2 titles in Miami, and went back to Cleveland, and got the city its 1st World Championship in any sport in over 51 years. Now, with the assistance of playing legend turned executive Earvin "Magic" Johnson, he's trying to turn the Los Angeles Lakers back into a champion.

All along the way, NBA Commissioners -- first David Stern, and now Adam Silver -- have pretty much let him have his way. On everything. As they previously did for Michael Jordan.

Now, I applaud LeBron for what he's done for humanity, especially calling Donald Trump "U bum."

But, in a reversal of the usual line, I'm going to say, "LeBron, stick to politics, leave sports out of it."

*

Yesterday was the NBA's trading deadline. LeBron and Magic wanted Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Now, let's get something out of the way: The rant in this post has nothing to do with Davis. As far as I can tell, there is nothing wrong with wanting a healthy Anthony Davis on your team, and he is not injury-prone, although he has sat out much of this season with an injury.

In 2012, the native of the South Side of Chicago helped the University of Kentucky win the National Championship. He was named National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Winning one of those could be a mistake by the voters, but a player doesn't win all 3 unless he deserves all 3. Then, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team, captained by LeBron, that won the Gold Medal at the Olympics in London.

He was just a freshman. He had a title. Aside from an education, which he could still pursue while playing professionally, there was absolutely no reason for him to stay in Lexington.

He was the 1st pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, taken by the Pelicans, about to start their last season under the New Orleans Hornets name. In 2013, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, although Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers was named Rookie of the Year.

In 2014, he made his 1st All-Star Game (he's now been to 6) and led the league in blocked shots for the 1st time (of what's now 3 seasons). In 2017, he was named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game. In 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the 1st time.

He has never been involved in a scandal, on the court, in the locker room, or in his personal life. The only bad thing anybody can say about him is that he has a "unibrow," and he's even turned that into a marketing tool.

Given that Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Chris Paul didn't stay long, he may already be the greatest player in the history of the Hornets/Pelicans franchise. He turns 26 on March 11. He should be just entering his prime. He could be in the NBA for another 15 years, injuries permitting. He looks like a serious candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

One problem, though: He plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. That franchise began in 1988, as the original version of the Charlotte Hornets. In their 1st 30 seasons of play, they've won exactly 6 postseason series. The Lakers, on occasion, have done that in just 2 years.

And, given the size of the New Orleans market, which still hasn't fully rebounded from Hurricane Katrina, 14 years ago, and the State of Louisiana's obsession with football, the Pels are considered one of the major league sports franchises most likely to move. In other words, if Davis isn't traded by the Pels, and stays with the organization his entire career, he doesn't know where he's going to end his career. And he has no control over that, unlike in a trade, where he would have some say in it.

So Davis has requested a trade. I don't think he can be faulted for that. He has said that, failing that, he would play out his contract, to the end of next season, and leave via free agency. In other words, if the Pels don't trade him before Summer 2020, they will get nothing for him. And they want something for him. As well they should.

*

LeBron wants to win, and he wants the glory that will come from winning in L.A. He might have preferred the glory that would come from winning in New York, but the Knicks are so dysfunctional. (How dysfunctional are they?) Their NBA Championship drought began in 1973 -- 11 1/2 years before LeBron was born -- and nobody has been able to save them.

LeBron didn't want to risk his reputation on saving them, as had such legends as Willis Reed (the Captain of their titles, but a bad coach), Red Holzman (the coach of their titles couldn't do it again), Spencer Haywood, Marvin Webster, Bernard King, Rick Pitino, Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, Don Nelson, Larry Johnson, Lenny Wilkens, Dikembe Mutombo, Penny Hardaway, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, Tracy McGrady, Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd, Derek Fisher, Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose.

So when LeBron's 2nd contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers ended, there was only one option that made sense: The Lakers. L.A. Hollywood. Showtime. The team of Mr. Clutch and Wilt, of Kareem and Magic, of Shaq and Kobe. If he led the Lakers to a title, he would be seen by history as being the greatest player in the history of basketball, ahead of Michael Jordan.

Yeah, Wilt Chamberlain demands an explanation for that bullshit.

So LeBron signed with Magic and the Lakers. LeBron has been used to getting what he wants since 2002. He was born in 1984. By that point, Magic had already been used to getting what he wanted.

As of right now, the Lakers are 27-27. That's .500. If the current NBA standings hold until the end of the season, the Lakers would not make the Playoffs -- and the 8th and last seed in the Western Conference would go to the Los Angeles Clippers. That would be humiliating. The Lakers are currently 2 1/2 games behind the Clips for that last slot.

So they need something. And LeBron said they need Anthony Davis. And Magic had no problem agreeing with that.

The Lakers offered the Pelicans package after package. The last one was as follows: You give us Davis, and we give you Lonzo Ball (their most-hyped player between the retirement of Kobe Bryant and the arrival of LeBron), Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Ivica Zubac, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and our 1st round picks in the 2019 and 2020 NBA Drafts.

Think about that: The Lakers get one guy, the Pelicans get 6 guys and 2 big draft picks. If you're an NFL fan age 35 and up, this will ring a bell: The Dallas Cowboys trading Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, for 5 players and 6 draft picks, one of which turned out to be Emmitt Smith. It was a big factor in the Cowboys becoming World Champions again, and turned the Vikings into a mediocre team.

LeBron and Magic were betting that the Pelicans would take the deal, and that both franchises would benefit. Betting that, in this context, the team giving away the draft picks would become "the Cowboys," not "the Vikings."

It could have worked. The Heat built a superteam in 2010, getting LeBron together with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Juwan Howard, Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers, and made 4 straight NBA Finals, winning 2 of them. The Boston Celtics built a superteam in 2007, bringing in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, together with Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, and going from 24 wins to 66 in 1 year, and winning a title, and reaching the Finals again 2 years later.

On the other hand, you know who this didn't work for? The Lakers. In 2003, after a season in which they tried and failed to win a 4th straight title, they went for broke, adding Karl Malone, Gary Payton and Bryon Russell to Kobe, Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher and Rick Fox. They won 56 games, and breezed through the Playoffs... and then got smacked in 5 games by the Detroit Pistons in one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.

The Lakers then got broken up, as Shaq couldn't stand playing with Kobe anymore, and the team was rebuilt around Kobe. It took another 4 years for them to get back to the Finals, and an additional year to win another title. Meanwhile, the Pistons made their 2004 win look like less of a shock by getting to the Finals again the next season.

So the trade of 6 guys and 2 1st round draft picks for Anthony Davis could have worked. But we will never know, because the Pelicans turned the trade down.

Why? If Davis is going to play his last game for the team sometime in the next 14 to 16 months anyway (depending on how far they go in the 2020 Playoffs), why not take the best possible offer?

Because Pelicans general manager Dell Demps and owner Gayle Benson (who recently inherited the team, and the NFL's New Orleans Saints, from her late husband Tom) believe they can get a better deal this Summer, from the Celtics.

The names being rumored are Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford -- exactly which combination of these guys depends on who's spreading the rumor -- and draft picks. The Celtics currently hold 3 picks in this year's 1st round. If the current standings hold, they will have the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, and home-court advantage in at least the 1st Round of the Playoffs, meaning they probably won't need all 3 of those picks. They have a lot of flexibility, much more than the Lakers.

So the Pelicanes refused the Lakers' huge, Herschel-type offer. Essentially, LeBron and Magic, 2 of the biggest names in NBA history, now working together at the most attractive (if not best) franchise in the NBA, were both told, "Take a hike, son." (Ball Four reference.)

This is the biggest F.U., the greatest humiliation, for the Lakers since that 2004 Finals loss.

At this point, LeBron's name, his pull, his clout are probably bigger than Magic's. Aside from a brief comeback in 1996, Magic hasn't been an active NBA player since before Davis was born. This isn't really on him. This is on LeBron.

And, as far as we can tell, Commissioner Silver did not lean on the Pelicans to take the deal. He could have. He didn't. In short, the NBA did not force anyone to let LeBron have his way.

Which means he won't automatically have it ever again. He might get it, but it won't be automatic. And even if he gets it, there's no guarantee that it will work.

For all intents and purposes, LeBron, not Jeanie Buss, is the Lakers' owner: Jeanie is just the lady with the money.

LeBron, not Magic, is the Lakers' GM: Magic is just the guy who hands the money out.

And LeBron, not Luke Walton (a guy with his own pretty good NBA pedigree, to which he has added), is the Lakers' head coach: Luke is just the guy in the suit who waves his hands and gives signals, which the players ignore, because LeBron runs the show.

Given that the Commissioner usually lets LeBron have what he wants, LeBron may be the most powerful man in the NBA -- the most powerful person in any sports league in North America.

And the New Orleans Pelicans, a team that has never reached the Conference Finals in 30 years, has told him, "No, you can't have that."

The Era of LeBron is over. If he ever wants to see so much as the Conference Finals again, he may have to pay his cable bill.

UPDATE: Four months after this, on June 15, 2019, the Lakers got their man: The Pelicans sent them Davis in exchange for Ball, Ingram, Hart, and 3 1st round draft picks, including the Number 4 overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, which turned out to be De'Andre Hunter, who led the University of Virginia to the National Championship -- and whom the Pelicans immediately traded to the Atlanta Hawks, with Solomon Hill, for draft picks that turned out to be Jaxson Hayes, Nickell Alexander-Walker and Marcos Louzada Silva.


So the Pels gave up Davis, and got 3 good players and 3 draft picks. Whether that ends up being worth more to them than 6 players and 2 draft picks, we shall see.