1) Lenny Wilkens (born 1937)

Born in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn to working class mixed-race parents, Wilkens played only briefly on the varsity basketball team at Boys High School due to perceived disrespect from coach Mickey Fisher. This willingness to set aside personal glory for moral austerity was a defining trait of Wilkens’ life and career, as a disciplined Black man in a white world. He went on to become the greatest player in the history of Providence College, a nine-time NBA All-Star, and eventually the winningest coach in NBA history, a record he held for nearly 15 years. Initially unappreciated by the largely racist St. Louis Hawks fan base, Wilkens found adoration in Seattle as a player and especially as a coach, guiding the SuperSonics to the 1979 title. In turn, Wilkens gave back to the Seattle community, founding the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children, which raises funds for healthcare for at-risk youth. Just a few months before his passing at age 88, the city of Seattle unveiled a statue of Wilkens in front of Climate Pledge Arena. When the NBA unveiled its 75th anniversary lists in 2021, Wilkens was the only person named as one of the 75 greatest players and one of the 15 greatest coaches

2) Drazen Dalipagic (born 1951)

A soccer devotee in his youth, Dalipagic didn’t take up organized basketball until the age of 19 but eventually developed in arguably the biggest legend in Yugoslavian history. Nicknamed “Sky Jumper” for his athleticism, Dalipagic holds the record for most points in Yugoslavia national team history and earned gold medals at the 1980 Olympics and 1978 FIBA World Cup (where he was named tournament MVP), silver at the 1976 Olympics, bronze at the 1984 Olympics, and three EuroBasket titles. Most of Dalipagic’s pro career took place in his hometown of Belgrade, leading Partizan to two league titles and earning the award for Europe’s best player three times. He averaged 27.1 points per game over 10 seasons with Partizan then later won a scoring title and set the Italian Serie A single game scoring record with 70 points at age 37. Red Auerbach invited Dalipagic to Celtics training camp in 1976 after watching him dominate the Montreal Olympics. But the Yugoslavian superstar declined, as playing in the NBA would preclude his national team eligibility. Known affectionately as “Praja” in his homeland (which is now Bosnia and Herzegovina), Dalipagic was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2004 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.

3) Frank Layden (born 1932)

Something of a clown prince of basketball, Layden brought levity to the game both on and off the court just as the NBA was developing into a serious business. Beloved for his animated behavior and sharp wit, Layden was also successful coaching at every level. He started off with St. Agnes High School in Long Island, then led his alma mater Niagara University to the second round of the 1970 NCAA Tournament. As general manager and head coach of the Jazz, Layden was responsible for acquiring Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Adrian Dantley, and earned Coach of the Year honors in 1984 as he led the franchise to its first ever playoff appearance. When he stepped down as head coach during the ’88-’89 season, replaced by Jerry Sloan, Layden cited the increasingly calculated nature of the sport overtaking his freewheeling approach. He remained with the franchise in various front office roles for another decade before stepping away from the NBA completely. There are way too many Layden wisecracks and witticisms to comprehensively cite here, so we’ll just pick our favorite. When once asked about a difficult player, Layden quipped “I asked him ‘what is with you, son? Is it ignorance or apathy?’ He said ‘coach, I don’t know and I don’t care.’”

4) Oliver Miller (born 1970)

He averaged just 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during a somewhat brief NBA career but anyone who saw him play remembers “Big O.” Miller was certainly a unique sight. A 6’9″ center whose weight fluctuated but usually hovered around 315 pounds, Miller played with a surprising grace and was an uncommonly great passer. One of the first major recruits of the Nolan Richardson at Arkansas, Miller was the sixth man on the ’89-’90 Razorbacks Final Four team, the second leading scorer when they reached the Elite Eight in 1991, and still holds the program record for career blocked shots. Drafted in the first round by the Suns in 1992, Miller played in the NBA Finals as a rookie but his pro career was itinerant from there. He played for six different NBA teams over nine seasons and additionally spent time playing pro ball in Greece, China, Poland, Puerto Rico and numerous secondary American leagues. Miller settled with his family in Phoenix after retiring, becoming a car salesman and running youth basketball camps in the area. He tragically passed away from cancer at the age of 54.

5) Larry Jones (born 1941)

One of the greatest players in Mid-American Conference (MAC) history, Jones led the conference in scoring three times for the University of Toledo. He was drafted by the 76ers in 1964 but found playing time limited, so instead absconded to the EPBL for two years before joining the Denver Rockets in the nascent ABA. Finally feeling fully appreciated as a player, Jones became one of the league’s earliest stars, averaging 25.1 points per game in his first four ABA seasons, getting named 1st-Team All-ABA three times, and finishing as high as third in MVP voting. Jones was the first player to score 50+ in an ABA games, the first to reach 2,000 points in a season, and the first to surpass 5,000 career points. He also served as the inaugural president of the ABA Players’ Association and led a near strike of the 1970 All-Star Game until owners recognized the union. Jones eventually did make it back to the NBA, playing the ’73-’74 season with the Sixers before retiring. He later served as an assistant coach on the Pistons and director of player personnel for the short-lived Women’s Professional Basketball League.

6) Tom Cousins (born 1931)

Basketball was a sort of accidental pursuit for Cousins. Born and raised in Atlanta, he was an accomplished swimmer at the University of George before becoming the city’s most prominent property developer during the ’60s. Seeking to reinvigorate Atlanta’s downtown finance center, Cousins launched a development called the Omni International Complex. He needed some sort of centralized anchor for the project and settled on a sports arena, which eventually became known as The Omni Coliseum. Next step was finding a team to fill it and lucky for Cousins, St. Lous Hawks owner Ben Kerner was desperate to unload his financial boondoggle of a franchise. Cousins purchased the Hawks in 1968 and relocated them to Atlanta immediately. Cousins also landed an expansion NHL team called the Flames but both franchises proved economically disastrous for the mogul. He ultimately sold the Hawks in 1977 to Ted Turner and the Flames in 1980 to a consortium in Calgary. Though that was the end of Cousins’ sports ownership career, he did have more athletics project in him, purchasing and revitalizing the East Lake Golf Club, which now hosts the yearly PGA Tour Championship.

7) Elden Campbell (born 1968)

It was shocking news when basketball fans found out in early December that Campbell had passed away at age 57. The later announcement of cause of death was even more stunning, as the 15-year NBA veteran died by accidental drowning. The all-time leading scorer at Clemson, where he was an All-American in ’89-’90, Campbell returned to his hometown of Los Angeles when the Lakers drafted him in the first round. While many Lakers fans think of Campbell as a disappointing underachiever, feuding with coaches and teammates and almost constantly injured, he was actually the team’s leading scorer for the ’90s and is still third in franchise history in total blocks. Traded away in 1999 due to his feuding with Shaquille O’Neal, Campbell eventually got some measure of revenge on the Lakers, helping the Pistons upset his former team in the 2004 NBA Finals by providing solid defense on Shaq. After his playing career ended, Campbell settled with his family in the Miami area, spending much of his time fishing.

8) John Shumate (born 1952)

He overcame a serious blood clot condition to become a two-time All-American under Digger Phelps at Notre Dame and the school’s all-time leader in field goal percentage. But Shumate’s true legend amongst Fighting Irish fans is his central role in one game, the stunning 1974 upset of UCLA that broke an unprecedented 88-game win streak. An efficient and menacing power forward, Shumate had a perfect style for the ’70s NBA and was 1st-Team All-Rookie for the Suns in ’75-’76. But the blood clots and subsequent heart concerns that had plagued him in South Bend continued into Shumate’s pro career. He lasted just five partial NBA seasons, averaging 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game before retiring at age 29. Shumate transitioned immediately into coaching, first as an assistant for Phelps at Notre Dame, then later as head coach at Grand Canyon University and SMU, which he led to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1993. One more Shumate claim to fame: While playing for the Pistons, he got a cameo role as himself in the 1979 basketball film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, starring Julius Erving.

9) Junior Bridgeman (born 1953)

Nicknamed “The Torch” for his explosive bench scoring, Bridgeman was one of the premier sixth men of his era. He averaged 12+ points per game for nine consecutive seasons despite mostly coming off the bench and would have won at least one Sixth Man of the Year award if it existed before 1983. But the real headline of Bridgeman’s life was what he did with his NBA earnings after retiring, turning down a front office role with the Bucks and instead purchasing several Wendy’s restaurants in the Milwaukee area. This was ultimately the start of a fast food empire, which at its peak included owned over 400 restaurants plus numerous Coca-Cola bottling plants. Despite having earned less than $3 million total during his NBA career, Bridgeman eventually became one of the wealthiest pro athletes of all time thanks to his shrewd business investments. The NBA took notice and often collaborated with Bridgeman, who served as NBPA president during his career, on financial literacy and investment conferences for incoming rookies. Just before his passing, Bridgeman’s investment career came full circle, as he purchased a 10% ownership stake in the Bucks franchise, which is now inherited by his children.

10) Richie Adubato (born 1937)

His NBA head coaching debut couldn’t have been more burdensome or more disastrous but Adubato ultimately persevered for a successful career. He was promoted from assistant coach of the Pistons in 1979, replacing the calamitous Dick Vitale. Detroit won its first game under Adubato but then lost 58 of its next 69 and he was subsequently fired. Adubato returned as an assistant on the Knicks two years later and spent the next 15 years in continuous NBA coaching roles. His second interim coaching role was much more successful, taking over for Brian Hill and turning around the ’96-’97 Magic season. Adubato was later a successful WNBA coach as well, guiding the New York Liberty to Finals appearances in 1999, 2000, and 2002.

11) David Greenwood (born 1957)

When the Lakers won a coin toss for the first pick of the 1979 NBA Draft, Greenwood was the consolation prize for the losing Bulls, picked second overall behind Magic Johnson. He was nonetheless a terrific player for Chicago for several seasons, including being named 1st-Team All-Rookie alongside Johnson, before injury issues sidetracked his career. Greenwood later spent time with the Spurs, Nuggets, and Pistons, with whom he was an NBA champion in 1990. Born and raised in south central Los Angeles, Greenwood was the first big recruit of the post-John Wooden era at UCLA and was a two-time All-American for the Bruins. After retiring as a player, Greenwood returned his high school alma mater as head coach, leading Verbum Dei to California state titles in 1998 and 1999.

12) Charley Rosen (born 1941)

A basketball lifer, Rosen spent significant time playing the game, coaching it, and then waxing prophetic about it in books and media journalism. Born in The Bronx, Rosen played college basketball at Hunter College in New York and then professionally in the Eastern Professional Basketball League before moving into coaching, mostly in the CBA. Rosen’s writing career started with co-writing The Maverick with Phil Jackson in 1975, striking up a lifelong friendship with the eventually legendary coach. Rosen published over 30 books, including a sequel with Jackson in 2002 (More Than a Game), and wrote regular basketball opinion columns for years for ESPN and Fox Sports. Rosen’s most infamous piece came in 2002, when he predicted a then 17-year-old LeBron James would become a role player, at best, in the NBA.

13) Slick Watts (born 1951)

Seattle was a long ways away from his hometown of Rolling Forks, Mississippi, but Watts became a SuperSonics fan favorite for his joyous style of play, defensive intensity, and signature style of a bald head and crooked headbands. In turn, he became a fixture in the community and an unofficial ambassador of Seattle basketball. Signed as an un-drafted free agent out of the HBCU Xavier University, Watts had a brief but impactful NBA career, including becoming the first player to ever lead the league in both assists and steals. After retiring, he settled in the Seattle area and worked for decades as an elementary school teacher and high school basketball coach. Watts also ran a youth basketball camp with his sons Tony and Donald, who both played college basketball, as does his grandson, Isaiah, who is currently with the Maryland Terrapins.

14) Rodney Rogers (born 1971)

Such a powerful force at Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina that he was christened “The Durham Bull,” Rogers was the state’s player of the year honoree in 1990. At Wake Forest, Rogers was an All-American and ACC Player of the Year, and the school retired his #54 jersey soon after his departure. Over 12 NBA seasons, his main highlights were earning Sixth Man of the Year with the Suns in ’99-’00 and helping the Nets reach the 2003 NBA Finals. After retiring, Rogers eventually settled back in Durham with his family and was working for the city’s Public Works Department and coaching girls’ middle school basketball up until a tragic ATV accident in 2008. It left Rogers paralyzed from the shoulders down and complications from his numerous spinal cord surgeries eventually caused him to pass away at age 54.

15) Dick Barnett (born 1936)

Renowned for his basketball IQ and for his unconventional jumper that was nonetheless so reliable Chick Hearn called it “fall back” (as in “fall back on defense because this is definitely going in”), Barnett was a basketball legend at the collegiate and pro levels. He was a three-time All-American at HBCU Tennessee State (then Tennessee A&I) and a centerpiece of one of college basketball’s first great dynasties, with three straight NAIA titles. Though he spent notable time with the Lakers and with the Cleveland Pipers of the short-lived ABL, Barnett is most remembered by NBA fans for his stint with the Knicks. A key part of both the 1970 and 1973 championship teams, Barnett was also an All-Star for the Knicks in 1968 and retired as the franchise’s fifth all-time leading scorer (he’s still ninth, as of 2025). Having left Tennessee State early to go pro, Barnett resumed his studies during his NBA career, earning a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly while on the Lakers, a master’s degree from NYU while on the Knicks, and eventually a doctorate in education from Fordham. Shortly before his passing, Barnett was on hand for his 2024 Naismith Hall of Fame induction.

16) Larry H. Miller (born 1944)

It was a risky move in 1985, investing more than twice his net worth to keep an NBA team from moving to Miami. That $8 million investment would pay off and then some for Miller, who went on to own the Jazz for over three decades before selling them in 2020 for $1.6 billion. In those 36 years of ownership, Miller shaped the Jazz to match his cultural identity, for better or worse. The longtime Church of Latter Day Saints elder claimed to be interested only in players of “good moral character.” That interestingly included Karl Malone, whom Miller stood by as he was the defendant in two separate paternity lawsuits and accused multiple times of sexual harassment. But there’s no denying Miller’s ownership success not just financially but also in results on the court. The Jazz had the second most wins in the NBA over the stretch of his ownership and made NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998. In addition to the Jazz, Miller also at some point owned the Utah Starzz of the WNBA, a minor league baseball team, a minor league hockey team, and a sports gear retail chain called Fanzz.

17) Wlamir Marques (born 1937)

Maybe the greatest basketball player ever who never participated in a pro league in the U.S. or Europe, Marques instead dominated in his native Brazil in the ’50s and ’60s. Before Oscar “Holy Hand” Schmidt, there was the “Blonde Devil” Marques leading his national team to back-to-back FIBA World Cup titles in 1959 and 1963. Marques earned MVP honors in the latter in front of his home crowd, a pinnacle of his extraordinary career. Marques also led Brazil to bronze medals in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, holding his own in each case against the top NCAA players on the American squads. In his club career, Marques spent nearly two decades playing for teams in the Brazilian basketball league, earning three championships in the ’60s with Corinthians. His pro career likely would have been more decorated but Brazil didn’t have a major basketball league until 1965, when Marques was already 28 years old. After retiring as a player, Marques spent time coaching basketball and commentating on television.

18) Gus Williams (born 1953)

Before the Lakers had “Magic” and the Sonics had Gary Payton, there was “The Wizard.” A basketball maestro with his signature behind-the-back passes and unstoppable drives to the basket, Williams was beloved by Seattle fans for his time with the Sonics. A free agent signee in 1977, Williams orchestrated the offense on a team that otherwise lacked play makers was the leading scorer for both the 1978 Sonics NBA Finals and the 1979 title squad (when he arguably deserved Finals MVP over Dennis Johnson). Williams remained one of the NBA’s premier point guard in the early ’80s but never got the respect he deserved, largely due to a highly publicized contract dispute that left him holding out for the entire ’80-’81 season. When Williams suffered a significant stroke in 2020 and his insurance didn’t cover the necessary assisted living care, some Seattle business leaders started the Sonics Legends Fund to assist former players with medical expenses. In addition to having his #1 retired by the SuperSonics in 2004, Williams was also honored as such by his alma mater, USC.

19) Stan Love (born 1949)

There’s numerous people on this list who are enshrined in Springfield but only one with a brother in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That would be Mike Love, founding member of the Beach Boys along with cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson. The Love family was otherwise an athletic one, most notably Stan, who was a standout at Morningside High School in Inglewood, California and for the University of Oregon, where he set numerous scoring records. Despite being drafted ninth overall by the Bullets in 1971, Love’s pro career was ultimately a disappointment and he stepped away from the game after just four seasons to become something of a caretaker for his notably mercurial and intractable cousin Brian. But this was only the beginning of the Love family’s success in basketball, as Stan’s second son Kevin is a five-time NBA All-Star. Kevin certainly inherited his dad’s basketball talent but patterned his game more on his middle namesake, Stan’s Bullets teammate, Wes Unseld. In an unfortunate bit of kismet, Stan passed away just a few weeks before his longtime charge Brian Wilson.

20) Micheal Ray Richardson (born 1955)

His presence hung like a pall over the NBA long after he played his final game but Richardson should be best remembered for his accomplishments on the court. In ’79-’80, he became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in assists per game and steals per game, a feat that only John Stockton and Chris Paul have matched since. Richardson also made his first of four All-Star appearances that season, and was named 1st-Team All-Defensive for the first of two times. But the New York lights shone bright on the youngster and pressure was heavy to replace Walt Frazier as not just starting point guard but face of the franchise. Richardson turned to cocaine to cope and forever altered his career. He was traded twice during the ’82-’83 season after failing drug tests, and in 1986 became the first active player banned for life under the new substance abuse policy. Richardson had chances to return to the NBA but opted instead to spend the rest of his pro career in Europe, becoming especially popular in Italy. His connection to that country lives on in his son Amir, who is a pro footballer currently with the Italian club Fiorentina.

21) George Raveling (born 1937)

He was a team captain and star player for Villanova in the late ’50s, but this was only the prelude of a long and eventful life in basketball for Raveling. In over three decades of coaching, Raveling was not just successful but also a trail blazer, becoming the first Black coach in ACC history as an assistant with Maryland in 1969 and in Pac-10 history in 1972 as head coach of Washington. Raveling was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year three times, twice with Washington and once with USC, led three different programs to multiple NCAA Tournament berths, and was an assistant coach on the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medal team. When complications from a major 1994 car accident forced Raveling to quit coaching, he still kept busy as a marketing director for Nike, as a color commentator for CBS college broadcasts, as the author of two instructional books on coaching rebounding, and getting inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2015. But the two most incredible elements of Raveling’s life were his central role in recruiting Michael Jordan to Nike in 1984, and his ownership of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Raveling was on stage that day at the Lincoln Memorial as a security guard and asked Dr. King for the handwritten speech as the event ended. Raveling eventually donated the artifact to his alma mater, Villanova, and it’s now on display at the National Museum of African American History in D.C.

---