Absolute locks to be added

These 15 players were too young to be included on the original 50 Greatest Players list but are absolutely guaranteed to get added to the list of 75.

1) LeBron James

I mean, why even have a list if he’s not there?

2) Kobe Bryant
3) Tim Duncan

Two players whose careers are inexorably linked in terms of overlap, similar accomplishments, full tenures with one squad, and adulations across the board. Bryant gets the slight edge (not that it matters), because his untimely passing would make his lack of inclusion even more embarrassing.

4) Kevin Durant

The list of 50 Greatest Players who, like Durant, had earned both at least one league MVP and at least one Finals MVP, is surprisingly shorter than you may think. Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Wes Unseld, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only 10 players who had accomplished that feat by 1996. Granted, part of this is due to MVP not existing until 1956 and Finals MVP following in 1969. If they both were around earlier, then surely Bill Russell, George Mikan, Paul Arizin, and Bob Pettit would be on that list as well.

5) Dirk Nowitzki

Only two players on the original 50 Greatest list were born outside of the United States, and both emigrated to the U.S. before college and eventually became citizens. They are Patrick Ewing, from Jamaica, and Hakeem Olajuwon, from Nigeria. Nowitzki is one of two foreign-born players (along with Steve Nash) guaranteed to join them on the 75 Greatest list and may be the only one included that didn’t play college ball. 

6) Kevin Garnett

On the weekend that the 50 Greatest Players list was released, Garnett was making his All-Star debut at the age of 20. He is one of three players on our list of locks who joined the NBA straight out of high school. As that practice was technically not possible until the late ’70s and extremely uncommon until the mid ’90s, there were no such players on the 50 Greatest list.

7) Chris Paul
8) Stephen Curry
9) Russell Westbrook
10) James Harden

Four of the six active players that you can take to the bank will be amongst the 75 Greatest. When the 50 Greatest Players list was released, there were 11 active players as of the start of the ’96-’97 season (not counting Magic Johnson, who would make a comeback and be active when the players were feted at the 1997 All-Star Game). At age 32, Harden might be the youngest of the 75 greatest players, though we suspect at least one younger one will be additionally added (more on that later).

11) Gary Payton

Arguably the biggest snub on the 50 Greatest Players list, Payton had just led the Sonics to the NBA Finals, was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and a three-time All-Star. He was also just 28 at the time (he would have been the second youngest person on the list behind Shaquille O’Neal) and had not yet been named 1st-Team All-NBA. Now renowned as maybe the greatest defensive point guard in NBA history, Payton is an obvious and easy inclusion on the list of 75.

12) Steve Nash
13) Allen Iverson
14) Jason Kidd

Three guys that were active at the time of the 50 Greatest Players list release but way too young to even be considered. In fact, Nash was spending most of his time riding the bench for the Suns as a rookie at that point. He would eventually win two MVPs, which is good a benchmark as any for definite inclusion on this list. Iverson and Kidd may have been controversial choices at one point but both have had their reputations increase exponentially in retirement, as their unique and thrilling respective careers have been rightfully re-appraised as legendary.

15) Dwyane Wade

There was never a point where he could contend as the best player in the league, but for over a decade he was shining at an elite level and will be an easy inclusion on the list.

Here’s where it gets interesting

These four recent players absolutely deserve inclusion based on blind resumes but had polarizing careers that may turn off some voters.

16) Dwight Howard

Arguably the best center of the last 20 years, Howard had the bad luck of earning that superlative in an era when traditional big men were being phased out of the game. His stats and accolades speak for themselves: 11th in NBA history in career rebounds, 13th in blocks, 1st-Team All-NBA five times, Defensive Player of the Year three times, an All-Star eight times, and a champion with the ’19-’20 Lakers. But Howard has also earned a reputation as an aloof nuisance, alienating the teammates, alumni, coaches, execs, and the media whose votes he needs.

17) Tracy McGrady

Undoubtedly one of the best pure scorers in league history, McGrady averaged 25+ points per game five times and earned two scoring titles. But he also struggled with injuries and toiled for teams that mostly ranged from average-to-poor. In his first eight postseason appearances, McGrady’s teams were eliminated in the first round. He finally broke through to the NBA Finals in ’12-’13 but it was as a role player, logging light minutes for the Spurs.

18) Paul Pierce

Is there a player whose post-playing actions and decisions have more hampered their playing reputation? Pierce had a great career by any metric but the more you stare at his resume the more you question how much he deserves to be listed amongst the greats of his era. Sure, he was an All-Star 10 times, averaged 25+ points per game five times, and was Finals MVP in 2008. But that MVP trophy was a controversial one and Pierce was never 1st-Team All-NBA and never came close to winning league MVP (his best finish was seventh place in ’08-’09). He’ll most likely be included anyway but sometimes “The Truth” hurts.

19) Chris Webber

Webber had to wait through six years of eligibility before finally taking his rightful place in the Naismith Hall of Fame this year. Will his reputation be further rectified with a spot on the 75 Greatest Players list? The argument is similar to the one we made for his Hall inclusion: if you ignore all the other noise and base it on pure NBA playing merits, he’s in.

Too soon?

These four active players are arguably accomplished enough already to be included but are not locks.

20) Giannis Antetokounmpo

Here’s the full list of players with two or more league MVPs: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Antetokounmpo. Quite a group. Eight guys that were easy inclusions on the 50 Greatest Players list, four that are surefire additions to the list of 75, and the young Giannis. Is he too young? Probably not but it’s at least worth considering. He’ll be just shy of 27 when the 75 Greatest Players list is released. Only one player from the 1996 list was younger than that: Shaq, at 24.

21) Kawhi Leonard

Now let’s take a look at the list of players with two or more Finals MVP trophies: Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Leonard. Again, that’s some list. Putting everyone on it into the top 75 without including Leonard seems almost ludicrous when we put it that way, doesn’t it?

22) Damian Lillard

At age 31 and entering his 10th NBA season, Lillard is hardly too young for the list but the question is has he accomplished enough? Of all active players, he’s the most bellwether indicators. Including Lillard but not Carmelo Anthony or Anthony Davis would be an odd decision. A strong Lillard parallel on the original 50 Greatest Players list would be Tiny Archibald: an obviously elite point guard who was never the league’s best, and racked up stats and All-Star appearances for mediocre teams. However, Archibald got his late career ring as a bench scoring specialist for the Celtics and Lillard hasn’t reached that stage yet.

23) Anthony Davis

Injuries are the biggest deterrent for Davis. ’20-’21 was arguably a perfect microcosm of his legacy, coming off a career-making elite performance to earn a championship in ’19-’20, he struggled with injuries in the follow-up as the Lakers lulled in the standings. Davis has no doubt been one of the best big men of the 21st century but he’s still only 28 and doesn’t have a signature honor to his name, having never won MVP or Finals MVP or even Rookie of the Year (he finished second in voting behind Damian Lillard).

Has the opportunity passed them by?

These three players had the best resumes of anyone left off the 50 Greatest Players list in 1996. Will that be rectified in 2021?

24) Dennis Johnson

When the original 50 Greatest Players list was released in 1996, Johnson’s name was the most derided for its lack of inclusion. It came just a year after his initial snubbing from the Naismith Hall of Fame, a streak that would end up lasting over a decade until he was finally inducted in 2007. A Swiss-army-knife threat on both ends of the floor, Johnson was especially renowned for his defense, getting named 1st-Team All-Defensive six times. Advanced stats have also added to his greatness argument as his efficient style was ahead of its time. If he is added to the 75 Greatest Players list as expected, it will unfortunately, like his Hall induction, be a posthumous honor, as he passed away in 2007.

25) Dominique Wilkins

This feels egregious in retrospect, as Wilkins’ highlight films continue to awe on Youtube while his statistical output is undeniable on paper. But at the time, it made some semblance of sense, at least when you consider who was voting for the 50 Greatest Players list. Wilkins was still active at the time but was coming off a sojourning year playing in Greece, snubbing his nose at NBA royalty. This was on the heels of disappointing short stints with the Clippers and Celtics, which seemed to cement his legacy as an offensive whirlwind that couldn’t do enough to carry teams to postseason success (in 10 playoff appearances, his teams never advanced past the Conference Semifinals). All those arguments still stand to some extent but would look even sillier if they leave him off this latest list. Though, to be fair, he didn’t help his case by stating in an interview that “some of the player that were voted top 50 could not even hold my jock.”

26) Bob McAdoo

There was only one league MVP left off the 50 Greatest Players list in 1996 and it was McAdoo. He earned that award in what many consider the nadir of the NBA, ’74-’75, when the league was hampered by the ’60s legends retiring, the ABA poaching talent, and teams going stagnant. But an MVP is still an MVP and should be enough this time around. McAdoo’s European style of play was also still underrated in the ’90s but has reached full appreciation now, as most NBA big men match his skill set of mixing jump shooting and passing with rebounding.

Here’s where it gets interesting, part two

Though these six aren’t necessarily polarizing as players, their inclusion or exclusion from the 75 Greatest Players list might be topics of heated debate.

27) Ray Allen

His reputation as a player ahead of his time is certainly still assured, as Allen’s bombs away long range shooting would have racked even more impressive stats if he came along a decade or so later. He’s still the NBA’s career leader in three point field goals (though Steph Curry is poised to pass him soon) and top 30 in career points. But Allen wasn’t honored much in his career in relation to his peers. He was an All-Star 10 times, sure, but 2nd-Team All-NBA just once, finished ninth at best in MVP voting, and missed out on the 2008 Finals MVP award. If Allen does get included, his incredible clutch shot for the Heat in game six of the 2013 NBA Finals will surely be a factor.

28) Grant Hill

This is where it’s worth mentioning that this is at least somehow a popularity contest. That’s why this list from us feels different than our usual calculating scientific method of ranking players. Hill is quite popular amongst his peers, coaches, and the media, and that could be a difference maker. His career was marked by injuries but still undeniably great and for a stretch in the late ’90s and early ’00s he was consistently one of the half dozen best players in the NBA.

29) Tony Parker

“Sneaky good” is maybe the most apt way to describe Parker’s career as it measures up in considerations like the 75 Greatest Players list. He was overshadowed by teammates throughout it, first by all-time legends Tim Duncan and David Robinson, then by the more flamboyant Manu Ginobili and later the more talented Kawhi Leonard. But Parker was incredibly consistent throughout it all. In fact, with his four championships, his Finals MVP trophy in 2007, his four top 10 MVP voting finishes, and his three times getting named 2nd-Team All-NBA, he has a more impressive resume on paper than flashier peers like Ray Allen, Damian Lillard, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, and Ginobili.

30) Alex English
31) Carmelo Anthony
32) Adrian Dantley

Three players with strikingly similar profiles and comparable arguments for their spot on the list or their omission from it. English, Anthony, and Dantley all racked up massive statistics, especially in scoring, but were never considered amongst the truly elite ranks of their peers, spent most of their career on nominal contenders, and were blamed, fairly or unfairly, for their me-first offensive philosophy. Of the 22 NBA players who compiled over 25,000 career points, Anthony, English, and Vince Carter are the only non-locks on the 75 Greatest Players list.

Eligibility revoked?

These 10 players were included on the original 50 Greatest Players list in 1996 but due to either re-evaluation of their career or just modern stars surpassing them in terms of accolades, their reinstatement on the 75 Greatest Players list is far from guaranteed.

33) Bill Walton

One of the more controversial legacies in NBA history, Walton played in just 468 regular season games over 13 seasons due to various injuries. He also peaked in arguably the weakest era in the league’s history, the late ’70s, when an already diluted talent pool was additionally shattered by rampant drug abuse. But, as we mentioned above, Walton was one of just 10 players as of 1996 who had earned an MVP and Finals MVP in his career (six more players have done it since), and that, in addition to his breathtaking reputation amongst media members of a certain age, might be enough to keep him instated.

34) Earl Monroe

There is, of course, more to Monroe than just his NBA career, as he was prior to that a playground legend on the streets of Philadelphia and then a revelation at the HBCU Winston-Salem State. But even though the top pro league arguably stunted and dulled his flamboyant talents, Monroe was still exceedingly successful, with a Rookie of the Year award, four All-Star appearances, a 1st-Team All-NBA, and a championship in 1973 with the Knicks. His career resume as a whole is lacking though, and in fact he’s the lowest rated player on our overall list (at #141) amongst the names included in the 50 Greatest Players list. Will his reputation as a style icon overcome that?

35) Lenny Wilkens

Similar to Earl Monroe in that he was an early Black superstar encumbered by the rigidity of the ’60s NBA and lacking accolades as a direct result, Wilkens’ comparison ends there. Instead of Monroe’s bombastic style, Wilkens employed a workmanlike approach to the point guard position and became respected for his leadership, which served him well later in a lengthy coaching career. One more thing they both have in common: they’re the two lowest rated players on our list that were included in the 50 Greatest.

36) Bill Sharman

Easily one of the greatest players of the NBA’s first 25 years, Sharman had four 1st-Team All-NBA appearances, was an All-Star eight times, and was part of the first four Bill Russell championship teams in Boston. Is that enough to hold up in the list of 75? Our metrics say yes, just barely (he’s #69 on our greatest players list). But all modern evaluation of the Russell Celtics have shifted credit more and more solely to the legendary center himself and away from his teammates.

37) Dave DeBusschere

One of three members of the ’69-’70 champion Knicks named to the 50 Greatest Players list, DeBusschere is the only one at risk to miss the list of 75. An undeniably great defensive player, with six appearances on the 1st-Team All-Defensive list, he also made eight All-Star appearances. But he was only a tertiary offensive player on those early ’70s Knicks and even in his early days as a focal point for the Pistons, his stats were solid but far from incredible.

38) Pete Maravich

Perhaps no player besides Bill Walton has had a career so short be so completely outstripped by his reputation. Unlike Walton, Maravich was never league MVP or Finals MVP. In fact, he never came even close to the latter, reaching as far as the Conference Finals just once, as a bench role player for the ’79-’80 Celtics. “Pistol Pete” did do one thing unbelievably well and that was score, as he led the NBA in poits per game in ’76-’77 and finished in the top five in two other seasons. One interesting side note about Maravich: he was the only member of the 50 Greatest Players who was no longer alive in 1996, having passed away in 1988 from heart failure at age 40. 12 other members of the list have passed away in the 25 years since. 

39) Dave Bing
40) Nate Thurmond

An intriguing thing this pair has in common: they were two of seven players on the 50 Greatest Players list who never won a championship or earned league MVP. That also included Pete Maravich, whom we mentioned above, as well as John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, George Gervin, and Elgin Baylor, who are locks to return for the list of 75. That leaves Bing and Thurmond, who were both widely respected by their peers and the media at the time but had faded into the ether somewhat as the ’60s and ’70s NBA have similarly dulled over the years.

41) James Worthy

One of five players, along with Nate Thurmond, Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Bill Walton, Lenny Wilkens, and Earl Monroe that were on the 50 Greatest Players list but are outside the top 75 by our metrics, as of ’20-’21. Worthy ranks higher than most of those guys and his reputation is secure as a crucial member of the Showtime Lakers, peaking with his Finals MVP trophy in 1988. His career was also short, lasting just 12 seasons due to knee and ankle issues and during the entire time, he was at best the second best player on his team, let alone in the league.

42) Robert Parish

Though he’s higher rated on our list than James Worthy, Robert Parish has a similar concern: at no point in his career was he the best player on his team. In fact, for most of the ’80s he was only the third or fourth best player on the Celtics, behind Larry Bird, obviously, but also Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson at times. Parish also never really peaked much in his statistics but he did put up massive career numbers, still sitting top 10 all-time in career rebounds and blocks.

This is where it gets interesting, part three

You’re getting into unlikely territory at this point but these five players have some chance at inclusion for various reasons.

43) Bob Lanier

Unlike his longtime star-crossed Pistons teammate Dave Bing, Lanier was not part of the 50 Greatest Players list. An expansion to 75 gives him a chance, albeit a long shot one. With eight All-Star appearances, two MVP top five voting finishes, and career averages of 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game, he has a solid case in a vacuum. However, you also have to consider that he was never named to an All-NBA team, played his prime in the less-than-impressive mid-to-late ’70s, and reached the Conference Finals just once, at the end of his career with Milwaukee.

44) Alonzo Mourning

It’s never a good sign when your career peak coincides with arguably the worst season in NBA history and places you on one of the all-time most reviled teams. Mourning finished second in MVP voting in the lockout shortened ’98-’99 season and then third in ’99-’00, both while playing on Pat Riley’s grinding Heat. Miami was then upset early in each of the subsequent playoffs, a microcosm of Mourning’s career. He’s no doubt one of the greatest defensive centers of all time, earning Defensive Player of the Year in both ’98-’99 and ’99-’00 and did eventually earn a championship in ’05-’06, coming off the bench for a more aesthetically pleasing Heat team.

45) Sidney Moncrief

It took over two decades for Moncrief to have his long overdue Hall of Fame induction in 2019, a pertinent fate for someone who was arguably the most underrated player of the ’80s. It’s possible his Naismith enshrinement will spearhead his additional inclusion on the 75 Greatest Players list but it’s admittedly a long shot.

46) Neil Johnston
47) Cliff Hagan

Two great players from the early days of the NBA who were likely borderline cuts from the 50 Greatest Players list and whose reputation has waned further since. Hagan had a strong early career as the second best player behind Bob Pettit on the late ’50s and early ’60s Hawks, winning a championship in 1958 (when he was the postseason leading scorer) and getting named to five All-Star teams. Johnston was arguably the second best center of the ’50s after George Mikan, winning three scoring titles, getting named to six All-Star teams, and was the second best player on the ’55-’56 Warriors title team. 

Longer shots with good stories

These players are less likely to be included than anyone we’ve mentioned above but have an outside chance thanks in large part to a unique narrative that secures their legacy.

47) Dennis Rodman

For much of the media Rodman in his playing days was at best a curiosity and at worst a pariah, worthy of sneering scorn. But the further removed we are from his retirement, the more his reputation has been bolstered as arguably the greatest rebounder in NBA history and also one of the ultimate defenders. His athletic freakishness, humbling upbringing, and on-court consistency despite near constant off-court distractions all add to his allure.

48) Pau Gasol

There have certainly been foreign born players with better careers (Dirk Nowitzki) and flashier styles (Steve Nash) but Gasol arguably best represents the post-Dream Team international talent influx. Consistently one of the best big men in the NBA for nearly two full decades, he was simultaneously the face of FIBA, carrying his native Spain to success in World Cups, Olympics, and EuroBasket tournaments. His mental and physical toughness were also game changers in the reputation of European players, winning over his longtime Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, who granted him a rare dose of unlimited respect in return.

49) Spencer Haywood

Labor relations tell the story of the NBA almost as much as what happened on the court, and Haywood was as crucial in that narrative as anyone not named Oscar Robertson. Only 20 years old when he started his pro career, Haywood was the first mainstream player to challenge the NBA draft eligibility rule, a protracted battle that rendered him persona non grata amongst many of his peers and journalists. But Haywood eventually won and the ensuing power struggles in NBA labor relations shifting towards players have proven his doggedness correct. Though his actual time as a player was brief, it was spectacular, with five All-Star appearances, an ABA MVP, and an NBA title (with the ’79-’80 Lakers).

50) Ben Wallace

There’s some potential for recency bias here, as Wallace has been in the news quite a bit lately, between his 2021 Hall of Fame induction and his new role in the Pistons front office. His career story is also an inspiring one, from a small town in Alabama to an HBCU to going un-drafted (he’s the first un-drafted Naismith inductee of the modern era) to bouncing between several NBA teams before settling in with the Pistons and developing into one of the greatest defensive players ever. Stats are certainly not on Wallace’s side, especially when it comes to scoring, but he earned four Defensive Player of the Year awards and led the league in rebounding twice. 

51) Joe Dumars

One of the most popular players of all-time amongst the NBA media, as he was always willing to give insightful quotes for interviews and help wrangle some of his pricklier, more standoffish teammates on the “Bad Boy” Pistons. That, mixed with his 1989 Finals MVP trophy, his reputation as one of the great defensive stoppers, and his six All-Star appearances, might be enough to sneak him onto the list of 75.

52) George McGinnis
53) Artis Gilmore

There was some ABA representation on the 50 Greatest Players list, with Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and George Gervin included, but their stats and accolades in the secondary pro league were not taken into account (it is, after all the NBA’s anniversary, not the ABA’s). This impeded and continues to hamper the case for McGinnis and Gilmore, two run-of-the-mill stars in the NBA that were prior to that massive superstars in the ABA. Along with fellow ABA alumni like Dan Issel and Roger Brown, McGinnis and Gilmore will likely have to settle for their inclusion on the ABA All-Time Team, which was compiled in 1997, on its 30th anniversary. 

54) Manu Ginobili

The first NBA superstar from a continent dominated by soccer, Ginobili won over American fans with his enthusiasm, his basketball IQ, and his unique, herky-jerky “Euro step,” which has proven to be one of the most influential offensive inventions of the modern era. But the problem for Ginobili is that ultimately his resume, in terms of stats and accolades, pales in comparison not just to most of the other players on this list but to three of his own longtime teammates in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard.

55) Bernard King

In the intermittent period between Willis Reed/Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing, the Garden was dominated by a King. An absolute scoring machine with a cutting-edge offensive style, King was one of the league’s biggest superstars in the nadir of the mid-to-late ’80s, and was shining in the spotlight of New York. A major knee injury suffered at the height of his career kept him short of true legendary status and likely leaves him off the 75 Greatest Players list.

56) Connie Hawkins

Though his involvement was minimal, at best, Hawkins was the highest profile sufferer in the wake of the 1961 point shaving scandal. As a result, his brilliant pro career didn’t start until age 25 and it was cut further short by a serious knee injury. Hawkins doesn’t have much of a chance here but he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1992, partly thanks to has additional contributions with the Harlem Globetrotters.

57) David Thompson

An above-the-rim operator before Michael Jordan hit the league, Thompson set the prototype for decades of NBA shooting guards. But like many of the players in this section, his career was cut short by a major injury (to his foot) and was additionally handicapped by substance abuse. “Skywalker” is still beloved but his inclusion amongst the 75 Greatest is unlikely.

Seemingly unlikely but you never know… 

Don’t expect to see any of these names on the 75 Greatest Players list, but expect to see at least one person lament their lack of inclusion.

58) Amare Stoudemire

Our metrics have him #79 overall, which is just outside the list of 75 Greatest Players anyway, but his inclusion is even more of a long shot than that. This is evident in the fact that he wasn’t even a finalist for the 2021 Hall of Fame induction class, in what was now his second year of eligibility.

59) Chris Bosh

He’s even further down our list than Stoudemire, clocking in at #93, but Bosh’s reputation precedes him and he was not just a finalist but inducted in Springfield in 2021, in what was also his second year of eligibility. Just as Robert Parish, Bill Sharman, and James Worthy made the list of 50 as overqualified role players, it’s unlikely but possible that Bosh can do the same here.

60) Vince Carter

There’s an old adage in sports that if you last long enough, even your biggest haters will be forced to respect you. Carter’s career past the age of 40 proved that true, save for a few holdout Raptors fans. Now celebrated almost universally as one of the most thrilling dunkers and pure scorers of all time, Carter still has a weak case for the list of 75, as he never reached an NBA Finals and never came even close to an MVP award.

61) Reggie Miller

Even more so than Vince Carter, Miller is a player whose most famous exploits far outstripped his holistic career accomplishments. We all remember the “Choke Game” and Miller’s three-point shooting was certainly ahead of its time but he was never a legit MVP candidate, never 1st-Team or 2nd-Team All-NBA, made the NBA Finals just once, and has been knocked out of the top spot in career three-point field goals and out of the top 20 in career points scored.

62) Derrick Rose
63) Nikola Jokic

Assuming that Bob McAdoo and Giannis Antetokounmpo are part of the 75 Greatest Players list, that will leave Rose and Jokic as the only league MVPs not included. At age 26, Jokic is on track to be part of the 100 Greatest Players list in 2046 but Rose will likely never be celebrated at that level. Ever since he became the youngest MVP in league history at age 22 in ’10-’11, his career has been marked by injuries, contract disputes, and diminishing returns on the court.

64) Kevin Johnson

#83 on our list, Johnson’s career is all the more impressive when considering he racked up accolades in maybe the most competitive point guard era in league history. Johnson was 2nd-Team All-NBA four times and 3rd-Team All-NBA once, despite battling for those spots against the likes of Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, and Gary Payton. His inclusion on the 75 Greatest Players list would be much more likely if he could have stayed more healthy. A sports hernia largely defined Johnson’s career, especially in his struggles in the 1993 NBA Finals.

65) Walt Bellamy

In his rookie season, Bellamy took the NBA by storm, averaging 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds per game. Those would turn out to be career highs but he was still a superstar throughout the ’60s, albeit while toiling away mostly for mediocre teams in Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, and Atlanta. One exception came in his stint with the Knicks, where Bellamy teamed up nicely with Willis Reed in the front court of a burgeoning superpower before getting dealt to Detroit for Dave DeBusschere. His status amongst the old school media set is still secure and will likely garner Bellamy more votes than you’d expect.

66) Tom Heinsohn

There’s only one player, Dominique Wilkins, rated higher on our list than Heinsohn (who comes in at #54) that was eligible for the 50 Greatest Players list and not included. Wilkins is an easy sell for the 75 Greatest but Heinsohn is a total long shot. That’s because despite being the leading scorer on four championship teams, 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, and Rookie of the Year in ’56-’57, his reputation is of a player whose entire career is owed to his teammate, Bill Russell.

67) Tim Hardaway
68) Mitch Richmond

Teammates on the “Run T-M-C” Warriors for only a brief period, Hardaway and Richmond’s respective careers took a vast divergence in the mid ’90s. Hardaway became a hard-nosed floor general for Pat Riley’s title contending Heat, while Richmond was an elite scorer for years for the cellar dwelling Kings. Though Hardaway is ranked much higher on our list based on career metrics, it’s Richmond who was inducted into the Hall of Fame first, in 2014 (Hardaway was a finalist for the first time in 2021).

69) Chauncey Billups

Billups’ long, strange career included a Finals MVP, five All-Star appearances, a 2nd-Team All-NBA nod, and franchise legend status in both Detroit and Denver. But Billups didn’t have the signature style and inspiring narrative of Ben Wallace, and could only watch as his longtime Pistons teammate got inducted into the Hall of Fame first. Billups’ chances at a spot on the 75 Greatest Players list is similarly stunted behind Wallace.

70) Shawn Kemp

One of the great crash-and-burn stories in NBA history, Kemp would only be included on a list like this to be displayed as an example of too-much-too-soon wasted potential.

71) Gus Johnson

Long before David Thompson, Johnson was the original underrated, under accomplished above-the-rim superstar. He’s credited with inventing the tomahawk and the concept of shattering backboards, legends that still persist to this day despite the lack of dunk contests, YouTube, or even SportsCenter in his era. But his NBA career was brief and underwhelming compared to some of his peers like Elgin Baylor, and was spent mostly with fair-to-poor Bullets teams.

72) Dikembe Mutombo

Everybody loves Mutombo, from his finger wagging to his gregarious personality to his iconic image, laying on the court in celebration after the Nuggets stunned the SuperSonics in the 1994 playoffs. He’s second in NBA history in total blocks, an eight-time All-Star, a two-time rebounding champion, and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. He also spent much of his career on non-contenders and had a relatively brief prime, due in large part to starting off at age 25.

73) Chris Mullin

Of the 12 members of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, the vaunted “Dream Team,” 10 were amongst the 50 Greatest Players in 1996: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, and Clyde Drexler. Christian Laettner was then entering his fifth and ultimately best season of a relatively disappointing career. The other man in the equation is Mullin, who was on the downswing of his career by ’96-’97. Though he eventually joined his 10 Dream Team teammates in the Hall of Fame in 2011, there’s little chance Mullin is included on the 75 Greatest Players list, as his career really didn’t reach nearly the heights necessary.

74) Joe Fulks
75) Bob Davies

On the occasion of its 25th birthday in 1971, the NBA released an Anniversary Team. It was comprised of 10 players, all of whom had to be retired by that point (this eliminated otherwise surefire entries Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Oscar Robertson, as well as Jerry Lucas, Nate Thurmond, Hal Greer, and Willis Reed). A quarter century later, eight of those players made a repeat appearance on the 50 Greatest Players list: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit, George Mikan, Dolph Schayes, Paul Arizin, Bill Sharman, and Sam Jones. Fulks and Davies were left out the second time around, as the early influencers had seen the game pass them by. But they’re still worth remembering as progenitors of the jump shot and the behind-the-back dribble, respectively. Fulks is especially notable as the first NBA superstar, a man who led the Warriors to the first ever championship and would have won MVP twice in his day, if the award existed back then.