The NBA’s official 75th Anniversary team has ruffled plenty of feathers.
The roster, updated from the 1996 version, has 26 new names on it, including Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the youngest active player on the list.
Curry’s Warriors teammate Klay Thompson did not make the list celebrating the league’s landmark season. The three-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star was left to wonder why.
“Maybe I’m just naive in my ability to play basketball, but in my head I’m top 75 all time,” he wrote on Instagram Thursday.
Thompson was not alone in questioning the NBA’s list, which doesn’t include the likes of Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, Tony Parker, Vince Carter, Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Dikembe Mutombo and Manu Ginobili, among others.
Nets guard Kyrie Irving, currently benched this season due to his unvaccinated status, was absent as well. While he didn’t speak out publicly, he did get some support among his fellow hoopers for his resume that includes an NBA title and seven All-Star selections.
“So y’all saying Kyrie Irving ain’t top 75? I agree… he top 20 at least…” Warriors forward Andre Iguodala tweeted Thursday morning.
Two of Irving’s Big 3 running mates in Brooklyn made the list in Durant and James Harden. Durant, a two-time NBA champion, was among those honored by his inclusion.
“It means a lot,” Durant told TNT. “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.”
Pacers legend Reggie Miller went viral after he was genuinely surprised to learn he made the Top 75. The Hall of Famer, at the time, was on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” broadcast, covering the Warriors’ Wednesday home-opener against the Lakers.
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