On Thursday night, the NBA announced the final names for its 75th Anniversary Team, sparking affront over snubs and disrespect. The NBA enlisted an 88-member panel to narrow down the list, which was created in honour of the NBA’s 75th anniversary this season.
The full team included obvious players like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, but there was expected more debate about the last names on the list, especially those whose careers are still in progress. Given his accomplishments, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was a no-brainer for the list.
However, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, two other Warriors up for consideration, did not make the final cut.
On Thursday evening, Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed Green and Thompson’s absenteeism before their home opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. He admitted how hard it is to make decisions on the list once you get past the initial 50 or so names, but he also thinks Green and Thompson deserve to be on the 75th Anniversary Team.
“I think both guys (Green and Thompson) are in the top 75, just based on winning and two-way basketball and everything that matters more than statistics and anything related to numbers,” Kerr said. “What matters is whether you’re winning championships, and that’s all that matters. I would have hoped and expected both of them to be there.”
Green and Thompson are both 31 years old and have plenty of basketball left in them to make the next iteration of the list, whenever that comes out. Both were key members of three Warriors championship teams, and each is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time in their respective strengths: Green’s defence and Thompson’s shooting.
It’s a huge task to compare players today to those who competed in the 1950s or 1960s, given the change in basketball, both in rules and gameplay, from one era to the next. It’s generally easier to rely on numbers and career, and since Green and Thompson’s careers are far from over, they don’t measure up.
Nevertheless, Kerr’s support for two players who have helped the team win on and off the court for several years is understandable.
