The opening week of the new season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) League also marked the reveal of the new list of players that would complete the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
On October 19-21, 25 members each day were announced to the public. Along with this, the first games of the season were held simultaneously with fans finally allowed to watch on-site. But the festive spirit was soon replaced with mixed reactions as the last 25 players (26 due to a tie in votes) were unveiled. Some fans were excited, others were dismayed. While experts had one thing to say: Dwight Howard should have been on the list.
Below is the summary of how basketball experts (who were also part of the voting panel) responded to the final announcement of the 75th Anniversary Team:
On who should have been included:
Chris Herring: Though I’d like a unique answer, like Joe Dumars or someone like Alex English, the answer is Dwight Howard. It’s mind-blowing that he’s not part of the NBA75 list.
Michael Pina: It’s almost next to impossible to whittle thousands of NBA players down to 75. Nevertheless, Dwight Howard should be here in the NBA75 team. He’s an eight-time All-star who cracked eight All-NBA teams and won three Defensive Player of the Year trophies.
Howard Beck: I’d say the biggest snub is Klay Thompson. He’s the one player I voted for who didn’t make the NBA75 final list. I think Thompson is the greatest shooter of all time, next to Steph Curry. Aside from being a great defender, he’s also a three-time champion and was essential to the Warriors dynasty.
Marc Spears: Even with all that’s happening this season, Kyrie Irving not being on the NBA75 list surprised me. Same with the other names that stand out include Klay Thompson, Paul George, Tony Parker, Ben Wallace, and Alonzo Mourning.
On surprise list appearance:
Herring: It’s Anthony Davis. Though the body of work is evident, seeing him on the NBA75 list and not Dwight is surprising. It makes me wonder just how much Davis benefited from winning the title alongside Lebron James. Even if Howard never won it as a star, he was responsible for giving his team a chance to earn a ring.
Pina: I wasn’t expecting some of the active players to make it, considering that their careers remain unsettled. Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard are deserving. But what separates them from Nikola Jokic, Klay Thompson, Paul George, and Jimmy Butler?
Brian Windhorst: Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard. Some parts of their resumes aren’t complete and the voters are likely projecting a little. These players were playing against their peers, not the greats from the 1950s. As a result, no one that doesn’t belong. So, considering the other choices I’d guess this NBA’s 75 vote was pretty tight with these two.
To know more about the experts’ say on the NBA 75 team, read this article or head directly to the NBA Show Podcast.
The ongoing debate on who’s who would probably last until the next landmark season. But surely, no one could deny that all the names included in the NBA 75 have, at some point, made a mark in the league’s history.
Moving forward, fans from all over the world can expect great match-ups in the following weeks. And to not miss out on anything, you may download a sports app such as FreeLiv.
FreeLiv is a sports telecast app that allows viewers to watch games live as it happens. It also offers professional post-game analysis of the players, teams, and the game itself. In addition to that, FreeLiv provides users a complete schedule of the league matches and has a ‘remind me’ feature that notifies fans whenever there is an ongoing match-up. For more information, click here.
Media Contact
Company Name: GoingVPN LLC
Contact Person: Michael Jones
Email: Send Email
Phone: 65 6516 8867
Country: Singapore
Website: goingvpn.com