NBA 75th Anniversary Team: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson among first 50 players announced

The NBA has officially kicked off its 75th season in existence, and to celebrate, the league has decided to name the 75 greatest players in league history. A panel of voters was assembled to build the list, which will be entirely distinct from the Top 50 list the league released for its 50th anniversary in 1996. However, like the ’96 list, the players will not be ranked. 

The NBA officially released the first 25 names on the list Tuesday, and on Wednesday they announced the next 25 names. Here are the players who’ve made the cut so far: 

1. Bill Russell
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Hal Greer
5. Bob Pettit
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo
7. Kevin Durant
8. Elvin Hayes
9. Jerry Lucas
10. Willis Reed
11. Nate Archibald
12. Bob Cousy
13. Dave Cowens
14. James Harden
15. Hakeem Olajuwon
16. Kevin McHale
17. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
18. George Mikan
19. John Stockton
20. Steve Nash
21. Charles Barkley
22. Julius Erving
23. George Gervin
24. Moses Malone
25. David Robinson
26. Paul Arizin
27. Rick Barry
28. Larry Bird
29. Wilt Chamberlain 
30. Clyde Drexler 
31. Tim Duncan
32. Patrick Ewing
33. Walt Frazier
34. Kevin Garnett
35. John Havlicek
36. Allen Iverson
37. Magic Johnson
38. Sam Jones
39. Michael Jordan
40. Karl Malone
41. Robert Parish
42. Chris Paul 
43. Scottie Pippen 
44. Bill Sharman
45. Isiah Thomas
46. Nate Thurmond
47. Wes Unseld
48. Bill Walton
49. Jerry West
50. James Worthy 

So far, 41 players on the Top 50 list from 1996 have made the cut, despite the fact Top 50 honorees weren’t guaranteed selection onto the Top 75 list. Every era and player type has been represented thus far, and the list will only get deeper when the final set of 25 names is unveiled Thursday.   

For Kevin Durant, one of the new selections that had not even reached the NBA when it named its top 50 players in 1996, the honor was among the greatest of his career. 

“It means a lot,” Durant said on TNT after being selected. “It means everything to be honest. You wanna leave your mark on this league, on the game of basketball itself. To be among the greatest that this game has ever seen, just to be in that same company is pretty sweet. As a kid I saw the 50th anniversary and always dreamed of having one of those jackets on, being amongst that group so it feels good to be a part of it now.” 

With 50 names down, the NBA still has 25 to go. The league has a number of celebrations planned for the season to honor the 75th anniversary, and players like Nowitzki, Pettit, Robertson, Magic Johnson and Clyde Drexler will serve as ambassadors for the diamond anniversary.