The NBA tipped off its 75th anniversary season with its list of the top-75 greatest players in league history. The first 25 players were announced during the “Inside The NBA” pregame show ahead of the Brooklyn Nets-Milwaukee Bucks season opener.
The next 25 players will be announced Wednesday during the ESPN doubleheader and the final 25 will be released on Thursday, back on TNT.
In alphabetical order and unranked, here are the first 25 players on the league’s list:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Nate Archibald
Charles Barkley
Bob Cousy
Dave Cowens
Julius Erving
George Gervin
Hal Greer
James Harden
Elvin Hayes
Jerry Lucas
Moses Malone
Kevin McHale
George Mikan
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Hakeem Olajuwon
Bob Pettit
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Bill Russell
John Stockton
Who should make the NBA’s full top-75 greatest players list?
Yahoo Sports’ Ben Rohrbach took an analytical look at which players should make the 75th anniversary list. Here’s his methodology: The Bill Russell Scale and a look at who could be snubbed or crowned early.
The Bill Russell Scale: A quest for the perfect list of the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players
Will there be a Shaquille O’Neal-level coronation on the NBA’s list of 75 Greatest Players?
Will there be a Dominique Wilkins-level snub for the NBA’s list of 75 Greatest Players?
