NBA 50 Greatest - NEXT???

[Griff Fan]

Watching Curry last night got me wondering, so when I looked up the greatest 50, I was stunned to see that that team was named almost 20 years ago!

Were at a time when several "all timers" are at the end - Kobe, Duncan, KG?, Dirk?, D Wade? Then a slew of greats Pierce, Allen, Ginobili, Parker, Gasol, and a few years from retiring - Bron, Durrant, Westbrook, Curry.

LONG intro I know, but team is 20 years old and Shaq was "most recent" player on it (So Payton, Iverson, Nash, Kidd etc. left off). Whos on it now? and Who you kicking off?

NBA at 50 celebrates legends of league | NBA.com (http://www.nba.com/history/features/nba-at-50-players/index.html)

[SteveO21]

Garnett
Kobe
Lebron
Duncan
Dirk
Wade
Pierce
Kidd
Iverson
Webber
Durant

I don't think anyone else is a lock outside of those guys. Maybe Reggie Miller,

[Scottish Punk]

Garnett
Kobe
Lebron
Duncan
Dirk
Wade
Pierce
Kidd
Iverson
Webber
Durant

I don't think anyone else is a lock outside of those guys. Maybe Reggie Miller,

I like most of this list. No way in hell on Webber though. After the first 8, it would be tough to start pulling names off the current 50. The top 5 are no brainers. Wade, Pierce, Kidd, AI it would depend on who you are replacing. Isiah Thomas no, Billy Cunningham yes.

[SteveO21]

I like most of this list. No way in hell on Webber though. After the first 8, it would be tough to start pulling names off the current 50. The top 5 are no brainers. Wade, Pierce, Kidd, AI it would depend on who you are replacing. Isiah Thomas no, Billy Cunningham yes.

I was more so coming up with a list of the next 50, from the previous 50's cutoff date. Would be too hard to go back through and start pulling names off the original list of 50.

[Jpayne7787]

Garnett
Kobe
Lebron
Duncan
Dirk
Wade
Pierce
Kidd
Iverson
Webber
Durant

I don't think anyone else is a lock outside of those guys. Maybe Reggie Miller,

Off the top of my head i would put Nash,Ray Allen,TMac,VC,CP3,Bosh,Sheed and Chauncey in there as well

[Sauceman]

Off the top of my head i would put Nash,Ray Allen,TMac,VC,CP3,Bosh,Sheed and Chauncey in there as well

LOL!!!!!!!

[mfw13]

The other half of the question is, who gets knocked off to make space for newer guys?

Going down the list, I'd say that Archibald, Arizin, Bing, Cowens, Cunningham, DeBusschere, Greer, Sam Jones, Dolph Schayes, Bill Sharman, Nate Thurmond, and Lenny Wilkens would be the 12 most vulnerable.

From the post-Shaq era, the only no-brainers are LeBron, Kobe, Duncan, Garnett, Kidd, Nash, and Dirk. That's seven, which leaves five spots available.

[shumpert2190]

Off the top of my head i would put Nash,Ray Allen,TMac,VC,CP3,Bosh,Sheed and Chauncey in there as well

Are you insane? You'd put Chris Bosh, Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups in the top 50? Really? :rolleyes:

[kevin2323]

I like most of this list. No way in hell on Webber though. After the first 8, it would be tough to start pulling names off the current 50. The top 5 are no brainers. Wade, Pierce, Kidd, AI it would depend on who you are replacing. Isiah Thomas no, Billy Cunningham yes.

wade is a no brainer.

[Sauceman]

wade is a no brainer.

Just wiki'd his accolades, and wow. The man has put together quite the resume.

[mfw13]

For some perspective, here are the TOP 50 all-time in NBA/ABA combined Win Shares....players in the NBA Greatest 50 are in bold....

1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2) Wilt Chamberlain
3) Karl Malone
4) Michael Jordan
5) John Stockton
6) Tim Duncan
7) Dirk Nowitzki
8) Kevin Garnett
9) Artis Gilmore
10) Oscar Robertson
11) Shaquille O'Neal
12) Julius Erving
13) LeBron James
14) Moses Malone
15) David Robinson
16) Charles Barkley
17) Reggie Miller
18) Kobe Bryant
19) Bill Russell
20) Hakeem Olajuwon
21) Jerry West
22) Dan Issel
23) Magic Johnson
24) Paul Pierce
25) Robert Parish
26) Larry Bird
27) Gary Payton
28) Ray Allen
29) Dolph Schayes
30) Jason Kidd
31) Bob Pettit
32) Clyde Drexler
33) Adrian Dantley
34) Chris Paul
35) John Havlicek
36) Walt Bellamy
37) Steve Nash
38) Rick Barry
39) Patrick Ewing
40) Scotty Pippen
41) Shawn Marion
42) Pau Gasol
43) Chauncey Billups
44) Elvin Hayes
45) Buck Williams
46) Horace Grant
47) Dominique Wilkins
48) Chet Walker
49) Bob Lanier
50) Dikembe Mutombo

Players on the NBA Greatest 50 who were not in the top 50 in Win Shares:

Tiny Archibald (129)
Paul Arizin (64)
Elgin Baylor (72)
Dave Bing (201)
Bob Cousy (95)
Dave Cowens (119)
Billy Cunningham (146)
Dave DeBusschere (<250)
Walt Frazier (54)
George Gervin (52)
Hal Greer (74)
Sam Jones (92)
Jerry Lucas (84)
Pete Maravich (<250)
Kevin McHale (55)
George Mikan (65)
Earl Monroe (155)
Willis Reed (170)
Bill Sharman (131)
Isaiah Thomas (138)
Nate Thurmond (153)
Wes Unseld (58)
Bill Walton (<250)
Lenny Wilkens (89)
James Worthy (136)

[Jpayne7787]

Are you insane? You'd put Chris Bosh, Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups in the top 50? Really? :rolleyes:

Sorry I think I misunderstood, for some reason I thought we were talking creating a "next 50" that didn't include any of the old list, if we're talking about replacing these players for some on the original 50 list, well then my list is irrelevant

[Griff Fan]

Sorry I think I misunderstood, for some reason I thought we were talking creating a "next 50" that didn't include any of the old list, if we're talking about replacing these players for some on the original 50 list, well then my list is irrelevant

Yeah should have said it better. This ISN'T 51-100. Its still the TOP 50, so to bring a new guy in you have to kick a member out.

[Jpayne7787]

Yeah should have said it better. This ISN'T 51-100. Its still the TOP 50, so to bring a new guy in you have to kick a member out.

In that sense the only no brainers are the guys already listed, but I think it makes sense to just expand it to the top 75 since we're only 5 years aeay from the 75th anniversary no? That way we can add 25 fresh deserving players rather then kicking old names off an old list and thus dishonoring the old legends

[SteveO21]

Yeah, it really doesn't make a ton of sense to try to re-order the top 50 at this point. You'll never be able to be completely accurate because there will always be a recency bias and old guys will get left off because they're out of sight out of mind. It would also be a huge slap in the face to former players to say "hey you used to be one of the best but that doesn't mean anything now because players are better these days". The most reasonable thing to do would be to add on or just have a "top 50 of the last 50" or whatever metric you want to use.

[Sauceman]

In that sense the only no brainers are the guys already listed, but I think it makes sense to just expand it to the top 75 since we're only 5 years aeay from the 75th anniversary no? That way we can add 25 fresh deserving players rather then kicking old names off an old list and thus dishonoring the old legends

100% agreed. Seems like the only thing to do.

[gatorboymike]

I once made a list of the "next 50"...not to imply that these guys are #51-100, but that if they released a "top 100" list it would consist of the first 50 greatest and these guys in whatever order.

Mark Aguirre
Walt Bellamy
Bill Bradley
Kobe Bryant
Vince Carter
Adrian Dantley
Bob Davies
Joe Dumars
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Alex English
Harry Gallatin
Kevin Garnett
Artis Gilmore
Tom Gola
Gail Goodrich
Cliff Hagan
Connie Hawkins
Spencer Haywood
Tom Heinsohn
Dan Issel
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
Neil Johnston
K.C. Jones
Jason Kidd
Bob Lanier
Bob Love
Clyde Lovellette
Ed Macauley
Slater Martin
Bob McAdoo
Dick McGuire
Vern Mikkelsen
Reggie Miller
Chris Mullin
Calvin Murphy
Dikembe Mutombo
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Gary Payton
Andy Phillip
Paul Pierce
Jim Pollard
Frank Ramsey
Paul Silas
David Thompson
Jack Twyman
Dwyane Wade
Dominique Wilkins

For the record, I think it's too early to put Curry on the list. Of course, I thought it was too early to put Shaq on the 50 greatest list at the time it was released, but that ended up being a good decision, so, hey.

[Scottish Punk]

In that sense the only no brainers are the guys already listed, but I think it makes sense to just expand it to the top 75 since we're only 5 years aeay from the 75th anniversary no? That way we can add 25 fresh deserving players rather then kicking old names off an old list and thus dishonoring the old legends

I like this idea better. 25 fresh guys after the next 5 years. That seems very doable.

Payton, Mourning, Kidd, Allen, Bryant, Nash, Iverson, Garnett, Duncan, Nowitzski, Pierce, James, Wade, Paul, Durant

Ginobli, Parker, TMac, Hill, Carter? 5 maybes

That is 20, 5 more years should yield a few more.

[Harper]

Can we draft snubs from the first 50 like artis Gilmore?

[mfw13]

Can we draft snubs from the first 50 like artis Gilmore?

I don't think guys like Gilmore and Issel were snubbed, per se.....I think since it was the NBA Greatest 50, selectors were not allowed to consider the ABA parts of their careers.

[GoldenBoy23]

Next tens would be no doubt

Iverson
James
Kobe
Durant
Nash
Kidd
Nowitzki
Garnett
Duncan
Wade

[bkcardcollector]

Next tens would be no doubt

Iverson
James
Kobe
Durant
Nash
Kidd
Nowitzki
Garnett
Duncan
Wade

I like this. Durant is the only questionable one I would say.. Grant Hill or VC instead maybe. Durant for sure if he can land a title and play a few more all nba years.

[CubKings]

I like this. Durant is the only questionable one I would say.. Grant Hill or VC instead maybe. Durant for sure if he can land a title and play a few more all nba years.

No way should Grant Hill be above KD, even at this point. KD is in his 9th year, with many notable accomplishments. Hill only had 5 good years in Detroit before the injury stuff happened. Plus, he already has an MVP and 4 scoring titles. That's even more stuff than Vince at 18 years.

[Jasondr91]

I once made a list of the "next 50"...not to imply that these guys are #51-100, but that if they released a "top 100" list it would consist of the first 50 greatest and these guys in whatever order.

Mark Aguirre
Walt Bellamy
Bill Bradley
Kobe Bryant
Vince Carter
Adrian Dantley
Bob Davies
Joe Dumars
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Alex English
Harry Gallatin
Kevin Garnett
Artis Gilmore
Tom Gola
Gail Goodrich
Cliff Hagan
Connie Hawkins
Spencer Haywood
Tom Heinsohn
Dan Issel
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
Neil Johnston
K.C. Jones
Jason Kidd
Bob Lanier
Bob Love
Clyde Lovellette
Ed Macauley
Slater Martin
Bob McAdoo
Dick McGuire
Vern Mikkelsen
Reggie Miller
Chris Mullin
Calvin Murphy
Dikembe Mutombo
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Gary Payton
Andy Phillip
Paul Pierce
Jim Pollard
Frank Ramsey
Paul Silas
David Thompson
Jack Twyman
Dwyane Wade
Dominique Wilkins

For the record, I think it's too early to put Curry on the list. Of course, I thought it was too early to put Shaq on the 50 greatest list at the time it was released, but that ended up being a good decision, so, hey.

I can't believe you've got some of those guys listed.....but forgot Dennis Rodman? Dude still gets no love....but Gail Goodrich does?

[bkcardcollector]

No way should Grant Hill be above KD, even at this point. KD is in his 9th year, with many notable accomplishments. Hill only had 5 good years in Detroit before the injury stuff happened. Plus, he already has an MVP and 4 scoring titles. That's even more stuff than Vince at 18 years.

Ya its a stretch for Grant since NCAA is not considered.

I just took a look at NBA all time scorers...All the old school guys in the top 25 scoring all time made the greatest 50. Newer guys in the top 25 are

#3 Kobe
#7 Dirk
#14 Duncan
#15 KG
#16 Paul Pierce
#18 Reggie Miller
#20 LBJ
#22 Ray Allen
#23 AI
#25 Vinsanity

The full body of work is important to me. Now KD is a pure scorer so if we are going off scoring alone I think you put PP, Miller, Allen, Vince (the rest are obvious) ahead of Durant. With Vince specifically he was such a star for a few years and the Dunk comp will never be forgotten.

I will say I think KD has a few more years in him as an elite scorer and he probably will pass these guys by the time he is done. As for this moment in time I think he still has some work to do.

[pga-ink]

I recall seeing this being discussed on NBA TV on an episode of Open Court several months back...their final list was pretty spot on, but I believe they had Webber voted in but then removed him in favor of Durant for some reason...They were also back & forth on Jason Kidd or Gary Payton...no way Steve Nash is on there...


I personally feel it should be these 10 guys:


Dominique Wilkins (should've been on the original Top 50!)
Reggie Miller
Chris Webber
Jason Kidd
Kevin Garnett
Kobe Bryant
Allen Iverson
Tim Duncan
Dirk Nowitzki
LeBron James


Gary Payton & Paul Pierce could easily be added in to make it a total of 12

[bkcardcollector]

I recall seeing this being discussed on NBA TV on an episode of Open Court several months back...their final list was pretty spot on, but I believe they had Webber voted in but then removed him in favor of Durant for some reason...They were also back & forth on Jason Kidd or Gary Payton...no way Steve Nash is on there...


I personally feel it should be these 10 guys:


Dominique Wilkins (should've been on the original Top 50!)
Reggie Miller
Chris Webber
Jason Kidd
Kevin Garnett
Kobe Bryant
Allen Iverson
Tim Duncan
Dirk Nowitzki
LeBron James


Gary Payton & Paul Pierce could easily be added in to make it a total of 12

Sorry but Steve Nash 3rd all time assists and back to back MVP >>>GP or C (choke show) Webber

[bullrose23]

great topic OP

I have been on this for a long time I love seeing who everyone thinks will be added

my thing is 25 new players for the 75th anniversary in 2021

made this thread in 2012

http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/basketball/420759-year-2021-next-25-a.html

its funny to see how players names may have changed in 3 years

and the bottom of my 50 greatest 1st post shows the start of my PC of guys I think make the list
do you guys agree????

http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/basketball/720564-sneak-peek-my-new-improved-50-greatest-card-auto-pc.html



EDIT my post might be wrong I thought you added players , like someone else did also , not making a whole new list of 50 greatest
still the 10 guys I mention should be on any list
top 50 or 75

[Jasondr91]

I'm going nuts over here with everybody apparently overlooking Dennis Rodman.......still.

[jj2]

Sorry but Steve Nash 3rd all time assists and back to back MVP >>>GP or C (choke show) Webber

This. There's no way Chris Webber should be picked over Nash for this list.

[pga-ink]

Sorry but Steve Nash 3rd all time assists and back to back MVP >>>GP or C (choke show) Webber


Still have to disagree. Nash was successful because of D'Antoni's system. He really hadnt produced on that level prior to those few years. Webber though made an impact on every team he played for, making them Playoff relevant when they were nowhere near the Playoffs prior. Not to mention, was also R.O.Y.


I agree with what these guys said in the clip below, Steve Nash would be the last PG taken between Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, & himself.


I for some reason thought Rodman was on the original NBA Top 50. He def should've been b/c a few of those guys on there didnt need to be on there. Kinda baffling that Rodman & Dominique were passed over on that original list for a few certain guys...I think Shaq shouldnt have been on there either just yet, he's a better for this "next" Top 10 b/c at that point in '96, he hadnt accomplished what he did later on to make the list. Just a bit too early for him on that list, much better fit on this new list...just my opinion though


If anyone has a chance, take a look at the clip below, esp starting at about the 5 minute mark & watch until the end....interesting of what they have to say about a few of these players & the valid points they make on them...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSJxBkOpKcc




Great topic by the OP for discussion by the way!

[bkcardcollector]

Nash was successful because of D'Antoni's system.

Now that is not fair at all.

The system sure worked well in NYC.

Nash got screwed by the infamous and confirmed Tim Donaghy throwing games scandal. Suns should have beat the eventual champion Spurs and would have if it wasn't for this A hole.

The lack of a championship is the only knock on Nash and it was a screw job.

C Webber was a fine player but no Steve Nash.

[rats60]

I recall seeing this being discussed on NBA TV on an episode of Open Court several months back...their final list was pretty spot on, but I believe they had Webber voted in but then removed him in favor of Durant for some reason...They were also back & forth on Jason Kidd or Gary Payton...no way Steve Nash is on there...


I personally feel it should be these 10 guys:


Dominique Wilkins (should've been on the original Top 50!)
Reggie Miller
Chris Webber
Jason Kidd
Kevin Garnett
Kobe Bryant
Allen Iverson
Tim Duncan
Dirk Nowitzki
LeBron James


Gary Payton & Paul Pierce could easily be added in to make it a total of 12

Replace Webber with Rodman and you have the list. I identified 10 I thought could be dropped in the old thread or we can just add players as the years go by.

[rats60]

For some perspective, here are the TOP 50 all-time in NBA/ABA combined Win Shares....players in the NBA Greatest 50 are in bold....

1) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2) Wilt Chamberlain
3) Karl Malone
4) Michael Jordan
5) John Stockton
6) Tim Duncan
7) Dirk Nowitzki
8) Kevin Garnett
9) Artis Gilmore
10) Oscar Robertson
11) Shaquille O'Neal
12) Julius Erving
13) LeBron James
14) Moses Malone
15) David Robinson
16) Charles Barkley
17) Reggie Miller
18) Kobe Bryant
19) Bill Russell
20) Hakeem Olajuwon
21) Jerry West
22) Dan Issel
23) Magic Johnson
24) Paul Pierce
25) Robert Parish
26) Larry Bird
27) Gary Payton
28) Ray Allen
29) Dolph Schayes
30) Jason Kidd
31) Bob Pettit
32) Clyde Drexler
33) Adrian Dantley
34) Chris Paul
35) John Havlicek
36) Walt Bellamy
37) Steve Nash
38) Rick Barry
39) Patrick Ewing
40) Scotty Pippen
41) Shawn Marion
42) Pau Gasol
43) Chauncey Billups
44) Elvin Hayes
45) Buck Williams
46) Horace Grant
47) Dominique Wilkins
48) Chet Walker
49) Bob Lanier
50) Dikembe Mutombo

Players on the NBA Greatest 50 who were not in the top 50 in Win Shares:

Tiny Archibald (129)
Paul Arizin (64)
Elgin Baylor (72)
Dave Bing (201)
Bob Cousy (95)
Dave Cowens (119)
Billy Cunningham (146)
Dave DeBusschere (<250)
Walt Frazier (54)
George Gervin (52)
Hal Greer (74)
Sam Jones (92)
Jerry Lucas (84)
Pete Maravich (<250)
Kevin McHale (55)
George Mikan (65)
Earl Monroe (155)
Willis Reed (170)
Bill Sharman (131)
Isaiah Thomas (138)
Nate Thurmond (153)
Wes Unseld (58)
Bill Walton (<250)
Lenny Wilkens (89)
James Worthy (136)

Artist Gilmore at 9 and Elgin Baylor at 72 is all you need to conclude that win shares as calculated are garbage. There is a serious flaw in the method.

[dylan]

Garnett
Kobe
Lebron
Duncan
Dirk
Wade
Pierce
Kidd
Iverson
Webber
Durant

I don't think anyone else is a lock outside of those guys. Maybe Reggie Miller,

Got to put Nash in there too.... It would be cool if they'd add 25 more in 5 yrs

[shindo03]

Chris Webber was Awesome back in the day but you really can't say no to a 2 time MVP winner in Nash, I still can't believe Kobe and Shaq only have 1 MVP a piece, probably because they were playing with one another, but still. Kobe was dominant after Shaq as well....