Every NBA Player on the 75th anniversary team

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The NBA recently celebrated its 75th anniversary season, and as part of the celebrations, a panel of experts was tasked with selecting a list of 76 players who have made significant contributions to the game of basketball. This list, known as the 75th Anniversary NBA team, includes players from different eras, positions, and countries.

The announcement of the list was made across TNT and ESPN from Oct. 19-21, 2021, coinciding with the start of the league’s landmark anniversary season. Notable players who made the list include basketball legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 75th Anniversary NBA team serves as a tribute to the most exceptional basketball players who have played a significant role in shaping the sport over the past seventy-five years.

The NBA has announced the names of eleven active players who have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team. It is worth taking into account that the following players still play today, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

Interestingly, all 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team. The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951, namely Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, and Dolph Schayes. Additionally, the team includes the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Bob Pettit, for the 1955-56 season, and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award, Jerry West, for the 1969 NBA Finals.

It’s worth noting that Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan, and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams. The 25th Anniversary Team, 35th Anniversary Team, 50th Anniversary Team, and 75th Anniversary Team. The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.

Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo, Tim Duncan , Patrick Ewing, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Hakeem Olajuwon.