The NBA honored its 75 greatest players — 76 to be exact because of a tie — on Feb. 20, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. LeBron James was one of 45 members of the all-time 75 team who came in person and participated in the festivities.

For LeBron, being a part of an event to honor basketball’s greatest fraternity was like seeing the posters on his bedroom wall come to life. “To see those guys and then be on stage with those guys — it’s just crazy,” he said.

Bill Russell was one of the living legends who were honored in Cleveland. Russell won 11 championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics. The man has more rings than fingers. Commissioner Adam Silver summed it best when he called Russell basketball’s Babe Ruth.

The NBA 75th anniversary team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers, team and league executives, WNBA legends, sportswriters, and broadcasters. Voters were asked to select the 75 greatest players in NBA history without regard to position. Panelists did not rank their selections. Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.

Choosing the 75 greatest players in the history of the NBA was no easy task. For the most part, the blue-ribbon panel got it right. But there were a few notable misses.

OneManFastBreak thought it would be fun to revisit the list and rank them in order from 1 to 75, with some editing to make the list our own. The benchmarks were based on individual accomplishments, team success (with more weight placed on postseason resume and titles), how they performed against other great players in their era, overall influence and impact on the game, and legacy. But more importantly, the question we have to ask while ranking the best of the best is this: can you write the story of the first 75 years of the NBA without this player?

Here are the 75 greatest basketball players of all time, based on one man’s opinion.

1-Michael Jordan

2-Kobe Bryant

3-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4-Bill Russell

5-Magic Johnson

6-LeBron James

7-Shaquille O’Neal

8-Tim Duncan

9-Larry Bird

10-Stephen Curry

11-Wilt Chamberlain

12-Julius Erving

13-Hakeem Olajuwon

14-Kevin Garnett

15-Jerry West

16-Dirk Nowitzki

17-Moses Malone

18-Oscar Robertson

19-David Robinson

20-Kevin Durant

21-Dwyane Wade

22-Giannis Antetokounmpo

23-Nikola Jokic

24-John Havlicek

25-Isiah Thomas

26-Willis Reed

27-Bob Pettit

28-Scottie Pippen

29-Rick Barry

30-Bob Cousy

31-Karl Malone

32-Charles Barkley

33-Kawhi Leonard

34-Jason Kidd

35-Dave Cowens

36-Bob McAdoo

37-Bill Walton

38-Allen Iverson

39-Wes Unseld

40-John Stockton

41-Dennis Rodman

42-Clyde Drexler

43-Elgin Baylor

44-Walt Frazier

45-Elvin Hayes

46-Gary Payton

47-Kevin McHale

48-James Worthy

49-Joe Dumars*

50-George Mikan

51-James Harden

52-Russell Westbrook

53-Klay Thompson*

54-Patrick Ewing

55-Manu Ginobili*

56-Tony Parker*

57-Dwight Howard*

58-Dennis Johnson*

59-George Gervin

60-Paul Pierce

61-Nate Archibald

62-Steve Nash

63-Earl Monroe

64-Ray Allen

65-Dikembe Mutombo*

66-Sam Jones

67-Hal Greer

68-Draymond Green*

69-Billy Cunningham

70-Bernard King*

71-Alonzo Mourning*

72-Reggie Miller

73-Pete Maravich

74-Dominique Wilkins

75-Paul Arizin

* Wasn’t included in the original NBA 75th anniversary team

Honorable mention: Lenny Wilkens, Nate Thurmond, Robert Parish, Dolph Schayes, Jerry Lucas, Bill Sharman, Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Artis Gilmore, Sidney Moncrief, Adrian Dantley, Dan Issel, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, Rudy Gobert, Chris Paul, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard.

OMFB’s top-12 list is rock solid. The gap between each of them is minuscule. You won’t hear pushbacks here if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was placed ahead of Michael Jordan, or LeBron James ahead of Kobe Bryant, or Shaquille O’Neal ahead of Magic Johnson. The order can be rearranged but the history of basketball can’t be written without mentioning Jordan, Kobe, Kareem, Bill Russell, Magic, LeBron, Shaq, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving, and Stephen Curry.

Jordan is universally recognized as the Greatest of All Time — aka the GOAT. Air Jordan’s resume speaks for itself. MJ was a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and named Finals MVP six times. Once he dethroned Magic in 1991, he never relinquished the crown until he retired.

Kobe is No. 2 on the OMFB list. Black Mamba was a facsimile of Air Jordan. He was the closest thing to MJ. Kobe and Mike were the same height and had the same body type. Kobe even sounded like Mike. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Jordan gave rare praise to his contemporaries, but he made an exception for Kobe. “He was a mentally tough kid, maybe even tougher than I was,” Jordan said of Kobe, who tragically died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Jordan spawned millions of ballers who wanted to be Just Like Mike. Kobe gifted the next generation of hoopers the “Mamba Mentality.” If you’re still not convinced that Kobe deserves to be No. 2 on the all-time list, pull up the YouTube video from Jan. 22, 2006. Kobe authored arguably the greatest individual performance in NBA history when he scored 81 points in 42 minutes. Phil Jackson, who coached Michael Jordan in Chicago, was sitting on the Lakers bench for Kobe’s 81-point game. He put it in proper perspective. “It was another level,” Jackson said. “I’ve seen some remarkable games, but I’ve never seen one like that before.”

Some LeBron fans might be aghast seeing their beloved king at No. 6. But here are the cold, hard facts. LeBron lost six times in 10 trips to the NBA Finals. He has a 22-33 win-loss record in The Finals. Magic (24-26), Erving (10-12) and Wilt (16-19) are the other top-12 players who had sub-.500 records in the NBA Finals. LeBron lost to Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs twice and he could have been 0-3 against Duncan if Ray Allen hadn’t made a ridiculous late-game 3-pointer, saving the Heat’s season and forcing a Game 7. LeBron is 1-3 against Steph Curry. It’s an unfair record because Curry teamed up with Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2018 against James, but they were “Ls” on LeBron’s resume nonetheless.

LeBron’s place among basketball’s all-time greats is secure. To say he’s had a better career than Jordan, Kobe, Kareem, Magic, Russell, or even Duncan is up for debate.

Steph Curry broke into the top 10 after winning his fourth NBA title. Curry is considered the best long-range shooter in the sport, and the numbers back it up. When Steph hangs up his Under Armour sneakers, a strong case could be made that he was the most influential. Because of Steph — the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made — there’s a generation of players at various levels launching shots from beyond the arc.

OMFB made the difficult decision to remove 10 players from the league’s original top-75 list and inserted 10 new names: Joe Dumars, Dennis Johnson, Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo, Klay Thompson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bernard King, Alonzo Mourning and Draymond Green.

Dumars was a two-time NBA champ and Finals MVP in 1989. Thompson is a four-time NBA champ and arguably the second-greatest 3-point shooter we’ve ever seen. Thompson pulled off an unthinkable feat in 2017 when he scored 60 points in 29 minutes, using just 11 dribbles. Dennis Johnson earned three championship rings and was Finals MVP in 1979. Larry Bird considered DJ the best player he ever played with. Howard was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), carried the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009, and won a title with the L.A. Lakers in 2020. Mount Mutombo was a four-time DPOY and pulled out the “finger wag” each time he blocked a shot.

Parker inspired a generation of new-age point guards. Aside from winning the 2007 Finals MVP, the four-time NBA champion’s biggest contribution to the game was his signature shot: the tear-drop floater. The vast majority of guards in today’s game, from high school to college to the pros, have a floater in their bag of shots. Parker’s backcourt mate in San Antonio, Ginobili, sacrificed personal statistics in order for the Spurs to win titles. Ginobili posted modest numbers throughout his career (13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists), but his 72% winning percentage ranks among the all-time best. Ginobili also introduced one of the best basketball moves in recent memory — the Eurostep.

Alonzo Mourning was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. Pat Riley’s famed “Heat Culture” in Miami wouldn’t exist without Zo. He embodies what Heat Culture is all about. The Heat prided itself on being the hardest-working, best-conditioned team, and that defined Mourning’s career until a rare kidney diseased robbed him of his athletic prime.

Bernard King was a scoring machine until he wrecked his knee at the peak of his powers. Armed with a smooth turnaround jumper that was nearly impossible to stop, King put on a show in the 1984 playoffs as he averaged 34.8 points and almost single-handedly led the New York Knicks to the conference semifinals.

Outside of Dennis Rodman, four-time champ Draymond Green might be the most unique player. The 2017 DPOY won’t blow you away with individual stats but he’s arguably the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. Green is the primary playmaker on offense as the point forward and the anchor on defense.

The first 75 years of the NBA can be broken down into six eras.

From the 1950s through the 1960s, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell were the pioneers.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Rick Barry, and Julius “Dr. J” Erving carried the torch through a rough patch in the 1970s when the ABA and NBA canceled each other and the audience dwindled.

Magic and Bird revived basketball in the 1980s, arguably the league’s golden era that also included the rise of Isiah Thomas’ “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons. Moses Malone teamed up with Dr. J during the 1982-83 season and together they co-authored one of the most dominant playoff runs, sweeping Magic’s Lakers in the ’83 Finals and capping off a 12-1 postseason.

Michael Jordan took the baton from Magic and Bird and ruled the 1990s. Jordan won six championships in eight years, pulling off the three-peat twice and denying peers Sir Charles Barkley and Karl “The Mailman” Malone from winning rings. Hakeem Olajuwon benefited from Jordan’s brief retirement, leading the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. David “The Admiral” Robinson teamed up with Tim “Big Fundamental” Duncan in San Antonio, winning titles in 1999 and 2003.

The immediate post-Jordan era was dominated by five players: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Duncan. Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan combined to win 13 NBA titles, four regular season MVPs, and eight Finals MVPs from 1999 to 2010. For a decade, the road to the NBA Finals went through Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan.

Dirk and KG revolutionized the game and ushered in a new era of big men. The Big Ticket made it possible for high schoolers to skip college and turn pro at 19. Nowitzki opened the door for European bigs who preferred to face the basket instead of having their back to it. Nowitzki and Garnett were instrumental in the game’s evolution, as more and more teams shifted away from traditional power forwards and opted for stretch-4s.

Nowitzki bridged the gap between the Kobe Bryant era and the LeBron James era. Nowitzki ended Kobe’s reign as the world’s best player when Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks squad knocked off Kobe’s Lakers in the 2011 playoffs. In the same playoff run, Nowitzki put a pause on LeBron’s title hopes when his Mavs defeated LeBron’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

LeBron’s appearance in the 2011 Finals started a run of eight consecutive trips. He put together a super team in Miami, winning two titles in 2012 and 2013, but lost to the Mavs in 2011 and Duncan’s Spurs in 2014. After a four-year run in South Beach, LeBron returned to Cleveland to fulfill his promise of bringing a championship to his hometown team. He delivered on the promise by winning a title in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional title drought.

LeBron took the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals but could muster just one victory in four matchups against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. Curry led the Warriors to four championships in eight seasons — two of those championship banners were aided by the addition of Kevin Durant.

The Warriors opened the portal to the “small ball” era and advanced metrics. Analytics experts preferred shooting 3s over 2s — it’s either a layup or dunk or a 3-ball — and the midrange shot was viewed as somewhat of a dinosaur idea.

The modern day NBA put a premium on pace and space. The traditional back-to-the-basket center is becoming extinct and today’s game is dominated by versatile wing players like LeBron, Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All of whom can anchor a defense like a center and initiate the offense like a point guard. We are now in the era of positionless basketball.

Basketball is cyclical. What may be considered old school could swing back to new school. The next generation of players will determine what the NBA will become in 25 years when we celebrate the league’s 100th anniversary.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

When the NBA announced the 76 players on its landmark diamond anniversary team, it caused a major debate on all corners of the basketball universe. The list was voted on by a blue-ribbon panel consisting of current and former NBA players, coaches, executives, WNBA greats, sportswriters, and broadcasters. It was purely subjective. But nonetheless, there were some who felt disrespected.

Klay Thompson was one of them. The Golden State Warriors’ 6-foot-6 sharpshooter took to social media to voice his frustration. He wrote on Instagram, “Maybe I’m just naive in my ability to play basketball, but in my head, I’m Top 75 all time.”

Thompson was so bothered by the snub it lingered the followed day when he posted another message on social with a bit more context on why he should have been named to the all-time team. “Woke up this AM, still pissed about this stupid ass list. Ga damn I can’t wait to hoop again. Sick of the disrespect. Winning isn’t everything to some people like it is to me I guess,” Thompson wrote.

Thompson is absolutely right. There should have been more weight placed on playing for championships and winning championships, especially for the still-active players. Thompson is a three-time NBA champion and a crucial component of the Warriors dynasty from 2015-19. Based on that evidence, Klay more than deserved a spot on the 75th-anniversary team. If we want to debate Thompson’s individual accomplishments, his resume speaks for itself. He’s been named to the All-NBA team, made the all-defensive team, and holds the record for most 3-pointers made in a regular-season game (14), and his 11 threes in the 2016 playoffs is second behind Damian Lillard (12). Klay’s 11 3-pointers helped the Warriors stave off playoff elimination against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that same 2016 season, Thompson pulled off one of the most amazing feats in terms of efficiency. He dropped 60 points on the Indiana Pacers in 29 minutes and used 11 dribbles.

The bottom line is you can’t tell the story of the NBA’s first 75 years without Klay Thompson. Thompson is one-half of the Splash Brothers. Klay and Steph Curry are forever linked. They are the two greatest shooters in the world. You can skip guys like Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, and Damian Lillard, but you can’t revisit the history of the NBA without the Splash Brothers.

Some anti-Klay voters will point to the fact that Thompson took a backseat to Steph Curry and Kevin Durant in the Warriors championship runs. It’s a fair point. But here’s the counterpoint. Do the Warriors win three championships without Klay Thompson? The answer is, no.

When Durant was sidelined for much of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors were still competitive. After Thompson went down with a torn ACL in the series, it was game over. Curry had one of the greatest offensive seasons in 2020-21. But without his fellow Splash Brother, Curry and the Dubs could only go as far as the play-in games.

Here are the five players OMFB believes should have made the NBA 75th anniversary team and the five who should have been taken off the list.

Add these names to the all-time 75th-anniversary team:

Klay Thompson — Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson made the comment back in 2011 that Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history. Many scoffed at Jackson for making that bold statement on the air. Now, no one is debating Jackson anymore. Curry is widely regarded as the greatest pure shooter in basketball history, and his backcourt mate is clearly No. 2. Thompson and Curry are either at the top or near the top of the leaderboard for 3-pointers. They share the record for most 3-pointers made in a single postseason (98). “[Klay’s] a Hall of Famer, no question,” Warriors great Chris Mullin said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “His legacy is set in stone.”

Joe Dumars — If Curry and Thompson are universally regarded as the best shooting backcourt in history, the Detroit Pistons dynamic duo Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars are a solid second. Dumars, who played his entire career in Detroit, was a pillar of sportsmanship and one of the NBA’s greatest defensive players. Michael Jordan said Dumars was the toughest defender he ever faced. Dumars helped the Pistons make three NBA Finals appearances in six seasons, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1989 when the Pistons swept the Los Angeles Lakers. Dumars was also a member of the gold-medal winning USA Basketball squad at the 1994 FIBA world championship. The Hall of Famer served as a mentor to NBA rookies and others for his classy demeanor and is the namesake for the league’s sportsmanship award.

Dwight Howard — If we’re going to have a real conversation about Dwight Howard’s credentials and qualifications on the NBA’s landmark list, you have to strip away all the antics on and off the court and the histrionic gestures. When it comes down to pure agility, power, physique, and vertical jump, the 6-foot-10, 265-pound Howard might be the most physically gifted center to play the sport. In the post-Shaq era and at the height of his powers, Howard was the dominant big man in basketball. He was a three-time defensive player of the year, took the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals on his broad shoulders in 2009, was named to the All-NBA team eight times, and anchored the Redeem Team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Howard played for a host of teams during his career while chasing a championship, finally earning that elusive chip in 2020 as a member of the L.A. Lakers. Even though Howard is still active, his basketball autobiography is pretty much written.

Tony Parker — Parker is part of the golden age of European superstars arriving in the NBA, a heralded group that includes Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili. Parker came into the NBA as a 19-year-old phenom and was instrumental in changing the way the San Antonio Spurs play. With Parker running point, the Spurs ditched the slow-moving two-headed center attack with Tim Duncan and David Robinson to a more up-tempo attack featuring Parker and Ginobili. Tony P’s contributions to the game go beyond statistics. He racked up 137 playoff wins as Gregg Popovich’s lead orchestrator and won four NBA titles. He was named 2007 Finals MVP after the Spurs swept LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers. But Parker’s biggest contribution on the court was his signature shot: the floater. Parker may not have invented the floater (or teardrop) but he nearly perfected it. Now, almost every point guard at all levels — high school, AAU, college, pros — has the floater in the paint in their bag.

Dennis Johnson — D.J. was underappreciated and underrated throughout his fantastic pro career. He was a second-round pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1976 (29th overall). Three years later, Johnson led the Sonics to their first and only NBA title and was named Finals MVP. He was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1980 for Paul Westphal. Johnson was an All-Star in Phoenix and helped the Suns reach the Western Conference semifinals twice. In 1983, Johnson was traded to Boston where he thrived as the Celtics’ point guard and defensive stopper. Johnson was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team nine times in his career. Johnson hounded Magic Johnson in an epic Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals matchup in 1984. Celtics beat the Lakers in ’84, and won it all again in 1986. The 1986 Celtics are considered one of the NBA’s greatest teams. Larry Bird said DJ was the best player he’s ever played with.

Remove these names from the 75th-anniversary team:

Carmelo Anthony — Carmelo will go down as one of the best scorers in NBA history. There’s no denying his ability to put the ball in the basket. But what can be debated is his ability to lead a team as the lead actor. His best years were spent in Denver, and the farthest his Nuggets got in the postseason was the conference finals. Carmelo also has never won an NBA MVP. Melo was part of the famed 2003 draft class that included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. At the time of this post, Melo is the only top-five pick from the 2003 draft without a championship ring. Even Darko Milicic has a ring.

Anthony Davis — AD and Dwight Howard are now teammates with the L.A. Lakers. If you do a side-by-side comparison of Davis’ career resume and Howard’s resume, Dwight has the clear edge. Davis won a championship in 2020 with the help of his good friend LeBron. Sans LeBron, AD couldn’t get a sniff of the NBA Finals. Davis is still in the prime of his athletic career, so his basketball diary is still being written. He’ll be a lock for the NBA’s 100th-anniversary team.

Damian Lillard — Lillard was another surprise selection on the diamond anniversary team. For all the spectacular plays Dame has made in the postseason (waving good-bye to Paul George in the 2019 playoffs after nailing the game-winning 3-ball was priceless), he has yet to get a taste of the NBA Finals. The closest Lillard got was in 2019 when the Portland Trail Blazers reached the conference finals, where they got swept by the Golden State Warriors. Much like Anthony Davis, Dame’s story is still being written. It’s not Dame Time, yet.

Chris Paul — Charles Barkley has repeated said that Chris Paul is the greatest leader in sports. Hmm. If CP3 is a great leader then why can’t he lead his teams to the conference finals and NBA Finals more often? Up until the 2021 season, Paul never got past the conference semifinals. Paul kept getting knocked out of the playoffs by his contemporaries — Tony Parker’s Spurs, Steph Curry’s Warriors. CP3 finally broke through by leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021. CP3 is an all-time great. There’s no denying his place history. But he’s more of a candidate for the top 100 than the top 75.

Dave DeBusschere — As much as we love a good bruiser or a glue guy on a championship squad, the inclusion of DeBusschere on the NBA’s golden anniversary team and diamond anniversary team was questionable at best. DeBusschere was probably the fourth-best player on the New York Knicks championship teams in the early 1970s. Playing in New York certainly aided his credentials.

Here’s the full list of the 76 players named to the 75th-anniversary team (listed in alphabetical order).

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ray Allen

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Carmelo Anthony

Nate Archibald

Paul Arizin

Charles Barkley

Rick Barry

Elgin Baylor

Dave Bing

Larry Bird

Kobe Bryant

Wilt Chamberlain

Bob Cousy

Dave Cowens

Billy Cunningham

Stephen Curry

Anthony Davis

Dave Debusschere

Clyde Drexler

Tim Duncan

Kevin Durant

Julius Erving

Patrick Ewing

Walt Frazier

Kevin Garnett

George Gervin

Hal Greer

James Harden

John Havlicek

Elvin Hayes

Allen Iverson

LeBron James

Magic Johnson

Sam Jones

Michael Jordan

Jason Kidd

Kawhi Leonard

Damian Lillard

Jerry Lucas

Karl Malone

Moses Malone

Pete Maravich

Bob McAdoo

Kevin McHale

George Mikan

Reggie Miller

Earl Monroe

Steve Nash

Dirk Nowitzki

Hakeem Olajuwon

Shaquille O’Neal

Robert Parish

Chris Paul

Gary Payton

Bob Pettit

Paul Pierce

Scottie Pippen

Willis Reed

Oscar Robertson

David Robinson

Dennis Rodman

Bill Russell

Dolph Schayes

Bill Sharman

John Stockton

Isiah Thomas

Nate Thurmond

Wes Unseld

Dwyane Wade

Bill Walton

Russell Westbrook

Lenny Wilkins

Dominique Wilkins

James Worthy