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The NBA will celebrate its 75th Anniversary during the 2021-22 season, and with it comes the task of selecting players who will join the ranks of its 75 greatest players.
“The unveil of the NBA’s 75 greatest players in league history will occur this October,” Nick Kairys wrote for NBA.com. “The storied list will be created by a blue-ribbon panel of media, current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives”.
The NBA’s 75 greatest players
The NBA had previously made a selection of its 50 greatest players during the league’s 50th anniversary during the 1996-97 season. Though there were a few questionable selections and some notable omissions, most of the players rightly deserved to be on the prestigious list.
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Ahead of the announcement of the top 75 NBA players, here's a look at ten who are virtual locks to join the 75 greatest players list.
#10 Dominique Wilkins
Career average: 24.8 points / 6.7 rebounds / 26,668 career points.
One player who was snubbed from the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list, Dominique Wilkins should make it to the Greatest 75 players team. Many of his peers wondered aloud why he wasn’t named in the 50th anniversary list.
He’s the 1985-86 season scoring champion and a seven-time All-NBA team player. Enshrined in the Hall of Fame, the Human Highlight Reel is a nine-time All-Star, and a two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner.
#9 Chris Paul
Career average: 18.3 points / 9.4 assists / 2.1 steals
Chris Paul is on track to pass Mark Jackson and Steve Nash on the all-time assists list next season to claim third place. He’s a four-time assists champion and a record six-time steals leader, accomplishing both in the same year three times during his career.
In his 16th year in the NBA, Paul led the league in free-throw percentage last season. He’s arguably one of the top five point guards ever, and a sure-fire first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
#8 Dwyane Wade
Career average: 22 points / 4.7 rebounds / 5.4 assists
The 2005-06 NBA season was Dwyane Wade’s coming out party, and he has not looked back since then.
That year, he won the first of his three titles as well as the Finals MVP award. A former scoring champion, Flash was named to eight All-NBA teams, and is a three-time All-Defensive team member, making him one of the best two-way guards to have played the game.
D-Wade played 16 seasons in the NBA, and is undoubtedly the best player to lace up his sneakers for the Miami Heat.
#7 Kevin Garnett
Career average: 17.8 points / 10 rebounds / 3.7 assists
Kevin Garnett and Larry Bird are the only players in NBA history to have averaged at least 20 points, ten rebounds and five assists per game for five consecutive seasons.
On the fifth occasion he did so, Garnett won the NBA MVP Award in 2004 with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After moving to the Boston Celtics, the Big Ticket anchored their defense for years and won the 2008 NBA championship in his first season with them. Garnett also won the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award, making him one of only five players in NBA history to win both the MVP and DPOY awards.
#6 Russell Westbrook
Career average: 23.2 points / 8.5 assists / 184 career triple-doubles
Owner of the most triple-doubles in NBA history, Russell Westbrook was the NBA MVP in 2017, and is a nine-time member of an All-NBA team. He was the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson did so in the 1960s, but Westbrook has repeated the feat two more times since then.
The nine-time All-Star is one of seven players to lead the NBA in scoring (2x) and assists (3x). Now he has an excellent opportunity to win his first championship with the LA Lakers next season.
#5 Stephen Curry
Career average: 24.2 points / 6.5 assists / 2,832 career 3-pointers
Stephen Curry is the only player to win the NBA MVP Award unanimously in league history, doing so in 2016; he’s a back-to-back winner as well. The three-time champion changed the game with his greatest weapon - the three-pointer.
He is arguably the greatest shooter to have ever played the game. There is no place on the court Curry cannot shoot from, and very few can match his accuracy. Moreover, Curry is a two-time scoring champion, and has been selected to an All-NBA squad on seven occasions.
#4 Kevin Durant
Career average: 27 points / 7.1 rebounds / 4.2 assists
One of the most talented players in NBA history, Kevin Durant is as tall as a center, is built like a small forward, shoots like a guard and defends like a power forward. Durant is the 2014 NBA MVP, who many believe,e is the best player in the game today.
The Brooklyn Nets forward won two championships with the Golden State Warriors and has earned two NBA Finals MVP Awards too.
#3 Tim Duncan
Career average: 19 points / 10.8 rebounds / 2.2 blocks
Tim Duncan is the undisputed greatest NBA player in San Antonio Spurs' history. He was the 1997-98 Rookie of the Year, has two NBA MVP and three NBA Finals MVP awards, and has won five championships.
The Spurs never missed the NBA playoffs throughout his 19 years in San Antonio. Duncan is considered by many to be the greatest power forward in the history of the league.
#2 Kobe Bryant
Career average: 25 points / 5.2 rebounds / 4.7 assists
An NBA MVP with five championship rings, Kobe Bryant is arguably the greatest player in the LA Lakers' history. Bryant has been the driving force in keeping the Lakers relevant during his 20 years in the purple and gold uniform.
The Black Mamba is an 18-time All-Star and a 15-time All-NBA team member, and won two NBA Finals MVP awards. The Lakers legend has 33,643 points for his career, which is fourth in league history. He is one of three players who should be a unanimous selection to the NBA 75 greatest list.
#1 LeBron James
Career average: 27 points / 7.4 rebounds / 7.4 assists
With four regular season NBA MVP and four NBA Finals MVP awards, four NBA championships, and a slew of awards and accomplishments in his resume, LeBron James is a shoo-in for the 75 greatest list.
The 18-year veteran is on pace to end off his career as the league’s all-time scoring leader, supplanting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Moreover, he could become the first player in the league’s 75-year history to record 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists if he stays healthy. James is unquestionably going to be on the NBA’s 75 greatest players list.
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