NBA Top 75 List

A new season begins for the NBA (National Basketball Association), and a momentous accolade has been achieved as the NBA turns 75 years old. The first game between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knicks happened on November 1 in Toronto, Canada, and just as it did for the 25 and 50 anniversaries, the NBA tasked a panel of judges including past players and coaches, general managers, owners and media personal to list the 75 best NBA players of all time.

This list consists of NBA greats such as LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Erving “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. The list has ex-champs, MVP’s and scoring champs, among a plethora of award and nomination winners. However, like with any list, some people had to be left off, including the likes of Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Chris Bosh and Pau Gasol.

The most concerning person left off the list was Dwight Howard, current LA Lakers center. His his prime was found in Orlando in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, and his most notable achievement was helping bring the Orlando Magic all the way to the NBA Finals in 2009 where they fell to the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers. Howard’s resume speaks for itself: 8x All-Star, 8x All-NBA, 5x All-Defense, 3x DPOY, 5x Rebound Leader, 2x Block Leader and 2020 NBA champ, with career totals including 19k points, 14k rebounds and 2k blocks.

However, Howard’s production fell after his departure from Orlando in 2012 when he signed with the Lakers. He bounced around the league as his role diminished from being best player on a contender, to solid starter, to solid veteran backup, which is where he resides today in his now third stint with the Lakers.

When asked about these rankings, BHS senior Uriah Wade talked about Howard’s absence from the list saying, “I don’t understand how he is not on the list. He has had a better career than most of the active players on the list.”

Wade also talked about the people placed over Howard, including fellow Laker teammate Anthony Davis (AD) who made it. “If AD  made it then there should be no debate over Howard. He should easily be in.”

Of course with any list, there is always going to be some controversy and disagreement amongst the fans, but overall, the NBA’s list of the top 75 players honors the league’s history and the players who have helped it grow.