So there's the 50 greatest players in NBA history....

Ledbetterman10

and they were chosen in 1996, the 50th anniversary of the league. so now that it's 12 years later, who would deserve to be added to the list?

here are the 50:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Nate Archibald
Paul Arizin
Charles Barkley
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Dave Bing
Larry Bird
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Cousy
Dave Cowens
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Clyde Drexler
Julius Erving
Patrick Ewing
Walt Frazier
George Gervin
Hal Greer
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Magic Johnson
Sam Jones
Michael Jordan
Jerry Lucas
Karl Malone
Moses Malone
Pete Maravich
Kevin McHale
George Mikan
Earl Monroe
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal
Robert Parish
Bob Pettit
Scottie Pippen
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Bill Russell
Dolph Schayes
Bill Sharman
John Stockton
Isiah Thomas
Nate Thurmond
Wes Unseld
Bill Walton
Jerry West
Lenny Wilkens
James Worthy

*Shaq is the only active player.
*Dominique Wilkins is conspicuously absent from the list. maybe he wasn't much of an all-around player but could just throw down ill dunks all the time. (see: V. Carter)

so we need 12 new guys. I start it off with some no-brainers:

1. Tim Duncan
2. Allen Iverson
3. Kobe Bryant

redmosquito10

Lebron James for sure, and I know it's definitely way too early for either of these 2 but Chris Paul and Dwight Howard both look like they have that kind of potential.

sweet adeline

lebron james

sennin

Gary Payton....

All-Time Ranks
ranks 21st in points (21,813) - passed Larry Bird (21,791) on March 26, 2007
ranks 7th in assists (8,966)
ranks 3rd in steals (2,445)
ranks 7th in minutes (47,117)
ranks 8th in games (1335)

Only player in NBA history to accumulate 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 8,000 assists and 2,000 steals in a career
Along with John Stockton, Payton is one of only two players to compile 8,000 assists and 2,000 steals in his career

Seattle SuperSonics Records
ranks 1st all-time in points (18,207), assists (7,384), steals (2,107), games played (999), minutes played (36,858), field goals made (7,292), field goals attempted (15,562), three pointers attempted (2,855) and triple-doubles (14)
ranks 2nd in free throws attempted (3,726) and three pointers made (917)
ranks 3rd in total rebounds (4,240), free throws made (2,706) and defensive rebounds (3,043)

norm

tim duncan is really the only one i can think of.....lebron may be on there one day but i think it's still too early to make a judgment on him....

oh yeah i forgot.....steve nash

transplant

Kevin Garnett.

booomm11

ALLEN IVERSON!!!!!!

This is tougher than i thought. i'm not sure anyone else earned the right to be in that company.

oh JASON KIDD

suns rival

why wasn't 1975 MVP Bob McAdoo included in the list? the only MVP not listed.

LONGRD

Tim Duncan, Shaq, The Glove Payton = automatic!

suns rival

here's my 12. (not in order)

kobe bryant
bob mcadoo
dominique wilkins
kevin garnett
jason kidd
tim duncan
steve nash
bob lanier
connie hawkins
reggie miller
gary payton
joe dumars

tybird

Where's the love for the brother from Planet Lovetron....Chocolate Thunder himself......Daryl Dawkins??

booomm11

suns rival wrote:

here's my 12. (not in order)

kobe bryant
bob mcadoo
dominique wilkins
kevin garnett
jason kidd
tim duncan
steve nash
bob lanier
connie hawkins
reggie miller
gary payton
joe dumars

No AI?????

markymark550

If you're adding players to a list with a maximum number of entries at 50, that means you have to remove some players currently on the list to make room for the new picks. So I want to know which players you are dropping from the list?

Of those mentioned, Bob McAdoo, Gary Payton and Tim Duncan deserve the most consideration. To add those three, I would drop Scottie Pippen, Jerry Lucas, and David Robinson.

markymark550

suns rival wrote:

why wasn't 1975 MVP Bob McAdoo included in the list? the only MVP not listed.

Probably because he wasn't consistently great all throughout his career. He was great his first five years or so, then his production really diminished. Although towards the end of his NBA career, he played an important role coming off the bench for the Lakers.