1) George McGinnis, born 1950

Few people have endeared themselves to the Indiana basketball community as much as McGinnis, who was state player of the year and a champion in high school, a star for one season with the Hoosiers, and then a centerpiece of the Pacers teams that won back-to-back titles in 1972 and 1973. He was also MVP and scoring champion of the ABA in ’74-’75, then a three-time NBA All-Star and arguably the second best player on the ’76-’77 76ers that reached the NBA Finals. Though he was nicknamed “Baby Bull” for his intimidating physique, McGinnis’ statuesque body ultimately failed him and he was forced to retire at age 31 due to nagging injuries. The Pacers retired McGinnis’ #30 jersey in 1985 and in 2017, he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

2) Chris Ford, born 1949

On the same night in 1979 that Larry Bird made his Celtics debut, a Boston teammate also etched his name in history books, albeit at a lesser degree. About eight minutes into the opening night game against Houston, Ford lined up and drilled the first three-pointer in NBA history. The league had just instituted the three-point line for the ’79-’80 season and Ford beat Washington’s Kevin Grevey to the punch by about 90 seconds or so (though this remains somewhat disputed). A solid defender and shooter, Ford was the starting shooting guard on the ’80-’81 championship Celtics, then later earned two more rings as the team’s assistant coach in 1984 and 1986. Ford later took over as Boston’s head coach in the early ’90s, part of a long basketball life that also included stints as a scout, front office executive, and consultant.

3) Simone Edwards, born 1973

Not the basketball court but the track was Edwards’ sports venue of choice growing up in Jamaica. In fact, she didn’t even play basketball until coming to America for college, first at junior college Seminole State and later at Iowa, where she became the first All-American in school history. It took quite a while post-graduation for Edwards to catch on with a WNBA team, with the expansion Seattle Storm finally taking a chance on the “Jamaican Hurricane” in 2000. Six years and one title later, Edwards retired as the franchise’s all-time leading rebounder. Later in life, Edwards did some coaching for Radford, George Mason, and the Jamaican national team. She sadly passed away at age 49 from ovarian cancer.

4) Terry Dischinger, born 1940

How good was Dischinger as an NBA rookie? So good that he earned Rookie of the Year despite playing part time for the Chicago Zephyrs, appearing in only 57 games so that he could simultaneously finish his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Purdue. That rookie season would turn out to be Dischinger’s pro peak, due in large part to missing a bulk of his prime to serve two years in the U.S. Army. Once his NBA career finished in 1973, Dischinger returned to academics again, earning a doctorate in dental surgery and subsequently opening an orthodontist practice in the Portland area.

5) Cincinnatus Powell, born 1941

One of the greatest American pro basketball players of all time who never reached the NBA, Powell instead spent his entire career in the ABA, joining the nascent Dallas Chaparrals for the league’s inaugural season. A powerful, dominant combo forward, Powell averaged 18.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his first four seasons, was named to two ABA All-Star teams, and was one of the star players of the ’70-’71 Kentucky Colonels who reached the ABA Finals. He was also unrepentant, often clashing with teammates, coaches, opposing players, and even once with a young television announcer named Bob Costas. Having joined the league at age 25, Powell failed to make it to the merger, retiring instead in 1975 to become a longtime restauranteur in the Dallas area.

6) Terry Holland, born 1942

While Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith were building dynasties on Tobacco Road in the early ’80s, Holland was quietly leading ACC rival Virginia to new heights. A star player in his own right at Davidson, Holland joined his coach Lefty Driesell’s staff immediately upon graduating and eventually took over the top spot for the Wildcats for four seasons. Virginia hired Holland as head coach in 1974 and he eventually led the school to its first ACC Tournament title (in 1976), first NCAA Tournament appearance (in 1976), first #1 AP ranking (in 1980), and first Final Four (in 1981). His signature recruit was Ralph Sampson, whom Holland surprisingly snagged away from North Carolina and Kentucky in 1979. Over 16 seasons, Holland set the Virginia coaching record with 326 wins (which was only recently broken by Tony Bennett) before shifting into a second career as an athletic director at Davidson, Virginia, and East Carolina.

7) Bingo Smith, born 1946

Any member of the ’75-’76 “Miracle at Richfield” Cavaliers will be forever legendary to Cleveland fans but Smith’s connection to the franchise and city goes even further. He was part of the team’s inaugural roster in ’70-’71, selected from the Rockets in the expansion draft. An excellent scorer, especially from long range thanks to his patented “rainbow” jumper, Smith was an All-American at Tulsa and sixth overall pick of the Rockets in 1969, but struggled in his rookie season before finding his niche with the Cavs. Smith spent nine seasons with the Cavaliers and is still sixth in franchise history in total scoring, with 9,513 points. Born Robert Smith in Memphis, he gained his nickname from Tulsa television announcer Len Morton, who would exclaim “Bingo!” whenever Smith scored a big basket. Tulsa retired his jersey in 2020, as did the Cavaliers in 1979, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame.

8) Nikki McCray-Penson, born 1971

An All-American and SEC Player of the Year while at Tennessee, and a gold medalist with Team U.S.A. at the 1996 Olympics, McCray-Penson was at the forefront of the mid ’90s women’s basketball craze which led to the creation of the WNBA. By the time that first major women’s league started, McCray-Penson was right in her prime at 26 years old and became one of the premier WNBA guards, finishing in the top five in scoring twice and making three All-Star appearances, representing the Washington Mystics each time. After her playing career ended, McCray-Penson took an assistant coaching job at South Carolina, under her former Olympic teammate and longtime friend Dawn Staley. McCray-Penson eventually took head coaching jobs for Old Dominion and Mississippi State before stepping away in 2021 due to the cancer that eventually took her life.

9) Brendan Malone, born 1935

When the Nuggets raised their championship banner to kick off the ’23-’24 season, it was an emotionally mixed moment for coach Michael Malone. For the first time in his pro career, he wouldn’t be receiving encouragement and feedback from his father, Brendan, who had passed away just a couple weeks prior. The elder Malone was a longtime NBA coach himself, including brief stints as the head coach for the Raptors and Cavaliers. But his most notable position was as an assistant under Chuck Daly on the “Bad Boys” Pistons, when Malone crafted the infamous “Jordan Rules,” a defensive strategy for slowing the Bulls superstar. Over nearly four decades of coaching, Malone also had gigs with the Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Yale, Syracuse, Rhode Island, and Fordham.

10) Felton Spencer, born 1968

His NBA career may have been relatively disappointing but Spencer is a legend all the same in Louisville. That’s where he starred for Eastern High School, being named all-state while leading his team to state tournament runs. Then, Spencer matriculated at University of Louisville, playing on teams that made back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 1988 and 1989. Though he had only started for the Cardinals as a senior, Spencer was the sixth overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, with the Timberwolves banking on the potential of his size and athleticism. Though he never rose to All-Star level, Spencer did put in a solid 12 pro seasons, most notably in the mid ’90s as starting center for the Jazz.

11) Bud Grant, born 1927

Minnesota Vikings fans mourned the passing of Grant, their longtime head coach who led the franchise to four Super Bowl appearances. But he meant something to Minneapolis basketball fans as well. A three-sport athlete at the University of Minnesota, Grant was drafted by both the Philadelphia Eagles and Minneapolis Lakers in 1950 and opted for the latter, so he could stay closer to home. He played light minutes for the Lakers as a backup forward for just two seasons but got to be part of the ’49-’50 championship team. He shifted gears in 1951, joining the Eagles and kicking off a long, legendary career in football as both player and coach. At age 95, Grant was the oldest living NBA champion at the time of his passing. Those reins have now been handed over to his Lakers teammate (and fellow 1927 baby) Bob Harrison.

12) Mirko Novosel, born 1938

Though the Slavic nation had established itself as a world basketball power through performances in the FIBA World Cup, Yugoslavia had yet to accomplish much at the Olympics by the mid ’70s. Enter Novosel, a member of the national team in his playing days who took over as coach in 1973. Guiding a strong new generation of players in Kresmir Cosic, Drazen Dalipagic, and Dragan Kicanovic, Novosel led Yugoslavia to their first EuroBasket title in 1973, a surprise silver medal at the 1976 Olympics, their second FIBA World Cup title in 1978, and then their first and only Olympic gold in 1980 (albeit in a tournament the United States boycotted). In addition to his success with the national team, Novosel also built a powerhouse club at Cibona Zagreb, winning seven Yugoslav Cups, two EuroLeague titles, and incubating the career of a young Drazen Petrovic. In 2007, Novosel became the first Yugoslavian/Croatian coach to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

13) Johnny Green, born 1933

Between their three straight NBA Finals appearances in the ’50s and their two titles in the early ’70s, the Knicks went through an extended fallow period. But a rare bright spot in that era was Green, a prototypical power forward who averaged 14.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game between 1961 and 1964, while making three All-Star appearances for New York. A late bloomer, Green didn’t take up competitive basketball until age 21, when he turned heads playing on-base pick-up games while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He hit Michigan State campus as a walk-on in 1955 and left four years later as the school’s first All-American and all-time rebounding leader (he’s still third on that list). After six-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks, Green later revived his career with the Cincinnati Royals, leading the NBA in field goal percentage twice and making a fourth All-Star appearance in 1972 at age 37.

14) Bobby Knight, born 1940

There have been few characters more polarizing in college basketball history than Knight. His coaching career is like a Rorschach test, with some seeing a demanding but brilliant tactician and leader deserving of respect, while others spot the ultimate petty tyrant, a bully in khakis and a red sweater. Either way, there’s no denying Knight’s incredible accomplishments as a coach. His 902 total wins was the all-time record at the time of his 2008 retirement and remains sixth as of 2023. In 29 seasons as head coach of Indiana, Knight led the team to 11 Big 10 titles, 26 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Final Fours, three national titles, and one undefeated season in ’75-’76. There’s also no denying his contentious nature, from confrontations with referees, players, media, and faculty, to his disgustingly flippant comments on rape, to his post-career support of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

15) Eric Montross, born 1971

It was a true shock to the North Carolina Tar Heel community when Montross’ death was announced in December of 2023. The tough, athletic center seemed indestructible as a player but passed away at age 52 after a lengthy battle with cancer. A McDonald’s All-American while playing for Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Montross spurned the Hoosiers to matriculate under Dean Smith at North Carolina. He was the starting center, leading scorer, and second in rebounding on the ’92-’93 Tar Heels that won the national title. A ninth overall pick of the Celtics, Montross was named to the NBA All-Rookie team but never matched those heights again, mostly relegated to the bench in eight seasons with the Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, 76ers, Pistons, and Raptors. After retiring as a player, Montross became a longtime television personality for North Carolina basketball, as well as a major fundraiser for the Chapel Hill children’s hospital.

16) George Wilson, born 1942

Inspired by the exploits of his favorite player, the recently graduated Oscar Robertson, Wilson opted to attend Cincinnati in 1960. He eventually bested Robertson in one respect, becoming the only player in Bearcats history to win an NCAA title and an Olympic gold medal. That college championship came in ’61-’62, when Wilson was a sophomore and the starting power forward on Cincy’s title team. Two years later, he graduated college, was drafted as a territorial pick by the hometown Royals, and played on the 1964 U.S. Olympic that dominated its way to a gold medal. Wilson’s pro career wasn’t nearly as memorable, averaging just 5.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in seven seasons with the Royals, Bulls, SuperSonics, Suns, 76ers, and Braves. He settled back into the Cincinnati area after retirement, becoming a longtime director of a nearby YMCA.

17) Dick Groat, born 1930

Long before Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders, there was Groat, a two-sport superstar at Duke. He could have likely become an NBA All-Star with the Fort Wayne Pistons, who drafted him third overall in 1952 despite his simultaneous commitments to playing baseball, finishing school, and enlisting in the U.S. Army. Groat’s NBA career wound up lasting just 26 games over one season, averaging 11.6 points per game, until his tour of duty pulled him away. When he returned home, Groat was given an ultimatum by his other employer, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Branch Rickey: pick a sport. He chose baseball and embarked on a legendary career, winning two World Series titles, making eight All-Star appearances, and earning NL MVP in 1960. But Groat’s basketball accomplishments at Duke are also worth touting, as the school’s first player to be selected in the NBA Draft and first to have his jersey retired.

18) Walter Davis, born 1954

A true legend at North Carolina and with the Phoenix Suns, Davis was one of the most underrated basketball stars of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Some of that lack of recognition was self-inflicted, as Davis struggled throughout his pro career with drug and alcohol abuse. But he was a five-time All-Star for the Suns, Rookie of the Year in ’77-’78, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, and is still the franchise’s all-time scoring leader (he’s also top five in assists, steals, and free throws). In Chapel Hill, Davis (a local recruit from Charlotte) teamed up with Phil Ford as a one-two punch that led UNC to the 1977 National Final, earning the nickname “Sweet D” for his seemingly effortless style of play. Davis was also teammates with Ford on the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that brought home gold from Montreal. Despite his time in Phoenix ending contentiously with a drug scandal, Davis eventually mended ties with the franchise, who retired his jersey and inducted him into its Ring of Honor. Just a few weeks after his passing, Davis was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame for the first time.

19) Denny Crum, born 1937

A California boy, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Crum played his college ball at UCLA under the tutelage of John Wooden. But his coaching career would take off in a vastly different basketball hotbed, Louisville, where Crum was the coach for three decades. Crum took over as Louisville coach in 1971, after spending some time as Wooden’s assistant and lead recruiter (he’s credited specifically with bringing Bill Walton to campus). In his first season with the Cardinals, they reached the Final Four and lost to UCLA in the National Semifinals. But Crum would eventually get the better of his alma mater (whom he turned down in 1975 when they approached him to coach after Wooden’s retirement), when Louisville defeated UCLA in the 1980 National Final to earn the first title in program history. Crum and Louisville were champions again in 1986, and made additional Final Four appearances in 1975, 1982, and 1983. He compiled 675 wins during 30 seasons with the Cardinals, earned national Coach of the Year honors three times, and recruited numerous legendary players, including #1 overall pick Pervis Ellison and NBA Rookie of the Year Darrell Griffith. Crum was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1994 and Louisville now plays basketball on the Denny Crum Court, christened as such in 2007.

20) Whitey Von Nieda, born 1922

If you’re reading this, then you now know the answer to the trivia question “who was the longest lived NBA player?” Born in 1922, Von Nieda became the first NBA player to reach the age of 100, eventually passing away this past September at 101. A standout player at Penn State, Von Nieda had his college career cut short by enlistment as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army during World War II. Upon being discharged, he wound up with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, then members of the National Basketball League. The Blackhawks eventually joined the NBA via merger and Von Nieda spent one season in the league, during which he was traded to the Baltimore Bullets. He then returned home to central Pennsylvania, splitting his time between coaching and various odd jobs including a longtime bartending gig.

21) Willis Reed, born 1942

It’s been over a half century now and Reed’s signature moment is still one of the premier highlights in NBA history. If you’re a Knicks fan, then it’s basically scripture. Suffering from a torn thigh, Reed missed game six of the 1970 NBA Finals and was considered doubtful for game seven. But he shocked and uplifted his teammates by jogging out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel to start the game, playing just a handful of minutes but inspiring the Knicks to a win to clinch the first title in franchise history. Reed was both league MVP and Finals MVP that season and would win a second of the latter trophy in 1973. He was also Rookie of the Year in ’64-’65, an All-Star seven times, and is top five in Knicks franchise history in points, rebounds, and win shares. Prior to his pro career, Reed was an All-American at the HBCU Grambling, which was located near his family farm in rural Louisiana. Also a longtime head coach and front office executive after his playing career ended, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1982 and was named to the NBA 50th and 75th anniversary teams. As an ode to his Louisiana roots, the NBA unveiled the Willis Reed Trophy in 2022, awarded to the winners of the Southwest Division.

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