10 players most likely to join NBA's 75 greatest players list
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.
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.