5 notable omissions from the NBA 75 team: Dwight Howard, Klay Thompson, and more
The start of the 2021-22 season marked the 75th anniversary of the NBA, and therefore, 75 players were selected to honor the milestone. The league did something similar on their 50th anniversary, naming 50 players who could be called the best at the time.
The 75th Anniversary Team was selected by current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers, team executives, WNBA legends, sportswriters and broadcasters.
#NBA75
The complete NBA 75th Anniversary Team ⬇️ #NBA75 https://t.co/v8Tz5ixaab
The 75th anniversary team surprisingly retained all 50 players from the previous list, and added 26 names – due to a tie breaker. While the list contains some of the greatest to ever play in the NBA, some stars being left out stirred a debate.
Below are a few notable omissions from the NBA 75 Team
#5 – Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard has one of the most stellar resumes in the NBA. The eight-time All-Star established himself as one of the most dominant big-men, adding tremendous value on both ends of the floor.
Howard has been the rebounding champion fives times and also led the league in blocks in back-to-back seasons. Due to his elite rebounding and shot blocking ability, Howard was named Defensive Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons – between 2008 and 2011.
Dwight Howard on being left off NBA 75: "I knew I wasn't going to be on it." 👀
Watch his live interview with @TaylorRooks now in the B/R app: br.app.link/wOXrMRiZYjb https://t.co/f2SklEyuDU
To add to that, he won the championship with the LA Lakers in 2020. With a resume like that, it was surprising to see his name left out from the NBA 75 team.
#4 – Tony Parker
Tony Parker was a big part of the San Antonio Spurs’ success in the league. He was instrumental along with Tim Duncan for the Spurs, winning four championships in the process.
Parker played for 18 seasons and finished with a career average of 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He always upped his game in the playoffs and missed the postseason only once in his long career. Parker was named the 2006-07 Finals MVP after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers.
#3 – Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady's opponents were often left amazed every time they matched-up against him. He was a seven-time All-NBA team member and also made the All-Star team the same number of times.
McGrady had one of the toughest shots to guard as he scored with ease. He won the scoring title twice during his time with the Orlando Magic. T-Mac was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, which strengthens his case to be in the NBA 75 Team.
#2 – Nikola Jokic
With back-to-back MVPs, Nikola Jokic has proved he can do it all on the floor.
Nikola Jokic is...
- Tied for 9th all time in MVPs
- 2nd all time in career box plus/minus
- 3rd all time in career playoff box plus/minus
- the 2nd player in NBA history with career averages of 19+ PTS, 10+ REB & 6+ AST
Nikola Jokic was not...
Selected as a top 75 player
In seven seasons in the league, Jokic has averaged 19.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. Some analysts argued that the Joker’s potential should also be taken into consideration. "The Joker" led the league in both triple-doubles (19) and double-doubles (66) in the 2021-22 season.
#1 – Klay Thompson
Given his role in the Warriors’ dynasty, Klay Thompson's omission from this team was surprising. In nine seasons, Thompson has won four titles and even earned a spot on the 2018-19 All-Defensive team.
"Maybe I'm just naive in my ability to play basketball, but in my head, I'm top 75 all-time."
—Klay Thompson after not being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team https://t.co/989vLpJI9v
Klay’s ability to make catch-and-shoot 3's is uncanny and it is difficult to say that the Warriors would have titles without him. He suffered multiple serious injuries that kept him out of action for a couple of years, which was probably taken into consideration.
However, he bounced back and made a big impact to help the Warriors lift their fourth title since 2015.