- INTERNATIONAL ARE THE BIG OUBLIS
The first thought that came to the minds of many French NBA fans when announcing the list was this: “where is Tony Parker“? We could legitimately think that the quadruple NBA champion would be a member of the 75 greatest. In addition to his champion rings, he appears at the top of many statistical rankings, especially in the playoffs (decisive passes, games played …), not to mention his title of MVP of the finals in 2007. But the votes decided otherwise, and the Frenchie will console himself with a place in the Hall of Fame very soon.
Parker isn’t the only Spurs ls, since his compre Manu Ginobili is also absent. A member of the magical Spurs trio and also the holder of four rings, the Argentine was a genius player, above-average vision of the game and impressive longevity and consistency. “El Manu” had many arguments to make, but he must leave Tim Duncan as the only member of the Spurs’ Big Three on the list.
And what about the absence of Pau Gasol ? Double NBA champion, more than 1,200 games played, more than 20,000 career points, clinical consistency, of capital importance in the two titles of 2009 and 2010: the Spaniard will come back for gratification. Thus, three of the greatest international players in history, despite very rich and successful careers, are absent from this list, which inevitably raises questions. Obviously, being American is not a sine qua non condition to receive this honor, since Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash or Giannis Antetokounmpo have just joined the club of 75. But the time of the internationalization of the league, we expected a larger reward for the contribution of international basketball to the rise of the NBA all over the world.
For the rest, we can notice a few notable absences, the most striking being that of Vince Carter, for whom the lack of palm trees played against him. Defenders are not often highlighted, which certainly explains why Ben Wallace and Dwight Howard (7 trophies of DPOY them two) are not present. Finally, some glorious elders like Alex English and Bernard King, saw their hopes dashed when they were already serious applicants for the list of the 50 greatest published in 1996.
- THE CULTURE OF THE MOMENT, AGAIN AND ALWAYS
Before addressing this point, it is worth noting that a few “injustices” from the previous list have been repaired. Thereby, Dominique Wilkins, Dennis Rodman, or Bob McAdoo saw their name appear. Deserved for these three players, especially for Wilkins, whose absence was particularly described in 1996.
Nonetheless, many of the current players have been named among the top 75. The two most popular names are those of Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis, probably rightly so. Dj because they are starting “only” their tenth season in the NBA, but also because their individual and collective accomplishments are compared to the players mentioned in the first part of this article. Lillard only has one rookie of the year title and a conference final to display his palm trees, although he has posted a maddening level for three seasons. When Anthony Davis, if he did win the NBA title in 2020, he saw his career disrupted by injuries and does not have any individual palmars. So, one wonders how these two players were able to pass in front of Parker and Gasol, to quote competitors of the same post. Culture of the moment no doubt, but also an intrinsic individual level superior to that of their competitors, which took precedence over the collective distinctions more numerous among others. At the time of “Player Empowerment”, it is not surprising that two players so popular and dominant in their positions are selected.
For the rest, this list is in line with expectations, with the entries of LeBron James of course, as well as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant notably. Impossible to ignore Carmelo Anthony, now among the 10 most prolific All-Time scorers. The list gives pride of place to shooters since in addition Curry, Ray Allen and Reggie Miller are part of the party. We also note the presence of Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, prominent leaders of the 90’s, as well as Kawhi Leonard, rewarded for his unforgettable playoff campaigns. Finally, impossible to finish without having a thought for Kobe Bryant, whose presence is obviously indisputable, but who will not have known this honor during his lifetime, just like his entry into the Hall of Fame. Another reminder of the void left by the disappearance of this immense champion.
