Biggest NBA 75 GOAT Snubs, Ranked

The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team missed out on these great players.

Biggest NBA 75 GOAT Snubs, Ranked

The NBA 75th anniversary team is kind of like NCAA March Madness. No matter how many candidates received invitations, there were gonna be critics who whined and moaned about the one(s) who they believed got stiffed.

Like your humble basketball maven, for instance.

By my count, there are at least a dozen 75 GOAT members who lack either the career accomplishments, consistent efficiency, length of service or a combination thereof to be part of the club. Insert a few of these in their places, and the list becomes a whole lot more legit, I guarantee ya...

30. Artis Gilmore

Position: Center

Career: 12 seasons (1976-88)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1976-82, 1987), San Antonio Spurs (1982-87), Boston Celtics (1988)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 0

Bottom line: The NBA didn’t see the best of Gilmore after the merger. That A-Train never left the ABA station. Even so, he remained a formidable low-post scorer and rebounder-shot-blocker into his early 30s. There are worse players on the 75 GOAT team.

29. Brad Daugherty

Position: Center

Career: 11 seasons (1986-94)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers

All-Star selections: 5

League championships: 0

Bottom line: Daugherty was an All-Star in all except his rookie season and the two in which he had significant back issues. If the 75 GOAT panel had any respect for centers at all, Big Dukie would be in the debate.

28. Sidney Moncrief

Position: Guard

Career: 11 seasons (1979-91)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1979-89), Atlanta Hawks (1990-91)

All-Star selections: 5

League championships: 0

Bottom line: Moncrief was a five-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year selection before a chronic knee problem cut short his career. No less an accomplishment was this: Michael Jordan respected Sir Sid as much as any opponent in his career.

27. Alex English

Position: Forward

Career: 15 seasons (1976-91)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (1976-78), Indiana Pacers (1978-80), Denver Nuggets (1980-1990), Dallas Mavericks (1990-91)

League championships: 0

All-Star selections: 8

Bottom line: This one-time scoring champion was among the elite mid-range deadeyes in hoops history. Because the Association doesn’t do mid-range any more, the 75 GOAT selection panel doesn’t understand English, unfortunately.

26. Chet Walker

Position: Forward

Career: 13 seasons (1962-75)

Teams: Syracuse Nationals (1962-63), Philadelphia 76ers (1963-64), Chicago Bulls (1969-75)

All-Star selections: 7

League championships: 1

Bottom line: Walker was one of the all-time, one-on-one masters. Seriously, not even Marilyn Monroe swept more men off their feet. And consistent? His career stats line was 18.2/7.1/2.1 in the regular season and 18.2/7.0/2.0 in the playoffs. If you inserted Chet the Jet in place of one-time Sixers teammate Billy Cunningham on the 75 GOAT team, I would have no problem whatsoever.

25. Kevin Love

Position: Forward-Center

Career: 16 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-14), Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-23), Miami Heat (2023-present)

All-Star selections: 5

League championships: 1

Bottom line: Love ranks among the top 100 in the regular season and postseason WAR per 48 minutes. It’s the rare ability to step out and stroke the 3-ball that elevates him to a different class of power forwards.

24. Marques Johnson

Position: Forward

Career: 11 seasons (1977-89)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1977-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-87), Golden State Warriors (1989)

All-Star selections: 5

League championships: 0

Bottom line: By my count, the criminally overlookedJohnson was better than five forwards on the 75th ann’y team. Seven prime seasons in a smaller market can do that, you know.

23. Bailey Howell

Position: Forward

Career: 10 seasons (1959-71)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (1959-64), Baltimore Bullets (1964-66), Boston Celtics (1966-70), Philadelphia 76ers (1970-71)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 2

Bottom line: Even though Howell retired more than 50 years ago, he still ranks among the top 100 in career points, rebounds, field goals, free throws and Win Shares. When a guy is on the shortlist of best players at his position for an entire decade, he deserves 75 GOAT consideration.

22. Frank Ramsey

Position: Guard-Forward

Career: 9 seasons (1954-64)

Teams: Boston Celtics

All-Star selections: 0

League championships: 7

Bottom line: Ramsey predated teammate John Havlicek as the first great sixth man in the league. He ranks 18th in postseason WAR per 48 minutes, a testament to his ability in the clutch. Hondo and The Kentucky Colonel should have been entered as a tandem.

21. Bobby Jones

Position: Center

NBA career: 10 seasons (1976-86)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (1976-78), Philadelphia 76ers (1978-86)

All-Star selections: 4

League championships: 1

Bottom line: Jones or Dennis Rodman? Rodman has a considerable edge as a defensive rebounder and all-around spit disturber. Otherwise, I’ll take Jones, a mainstay with the baller 1982-83 Sixers team who was an eight-time All-Defensive First Team choice and hell on the fast break.

20. Dikembe Mutombo

Position: Center

Career: 18 seasons (1991-2009)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (1991-96), Atlanta Hawks (1996-2001), Philadelphia 76ers (2001-02), New Jersey Nets (2003), New York Knicks (2003-04), Houston Rockets (2004-09)

All-Star selections: 10

League championships: 0

Bottom line: A few 75 GOAT members were chosen primarily because of their defensive prowess. Fine. But what about arguably the most impactful defender of the 3-ball era? That would be Mount Mutombo, the 10-time All-Star, five-time blocked shots leader and four-time Defensive Player of the Year. No-no-no, voters! (Wag index finger here.)

19. Amar’e Stoudemire

Position: Forward-Center

Career: 14 seasons (2002-16)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (2002-10), New York Knicks (2010-15), Dallas Mavericks (2015), Miami Heat (2015-16)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 0

Bottom line: In his prime, Stoudemire averaged 23.6 points (on 55 percent in the field) and 1.5 blocked shots over six-plus seasons. Did the 75 GOAT selection panel forget how dominant this guy was all those years?

18. Jimmy Butler

Position: Guard

NBA career: 13 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (2011-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18), Philadelphia 76ers (2018-19), Miami Heat (2019-present)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 0

Bottom line: Who would you trust more in Game 7 — Butler or Russell Westbrook? C’mon, people, you know the answer. Mr. Triple Double may be on the 75 GOAT list, but Butler has been more steady and efficient at both ends. He's also led the Miami Heat and their band of undrafted heroes to two Eastern Conference championships in the last four seasons.

17. Alonzo Mourning

Position: Center-Forward

Career: 15 seasons (1992-2008)

Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1992-95), Miami Heat (1995-2002, 2005-08), New Jersey Nets (2003-04)

All-Star selections: 7

League championships: 1

Bottom line: In his prime, Mourning was on the shortlist of premier rebounders/defenders/shot-blockers in league history. He also averaged 20-plus points in six of his first eight seasons. The top 75 list would be no worse with ‘Zo on it.

16. Pau Gasol

Position: Forward-Center

Career: 14 seasons (2001-19)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2001-08), Los Angeles Lakers (2008-14), Chicago Bulls (2014-16), San Antonio Spurs (2016-19), Milwaukee Bucks (2019)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 2

Bottom line: Gasol was so consistent for so long, many took him for granted. In his first 13 seasons, the ‘Sol man never averaged less than 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Yeah, Kobe Bryant’s wingman deserves to be on the list.

15. Manu Ginoboli

Position: Guard

NBA career: 16 seasons (2002-18)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

All-Star selections: 2

League championships: 4

Bottom line: Loved his efficiency but loathed his style. If death was not an option, I would put Flopu Whinoboli on the 75 GOAT team. But if you don’t move on to No. 14 quickly, I could change my mind.

14. Ed Macauley

Position: Center-Power Forward

NBA career: 9 seasons (1949-59)

Teams: St. Louis Bombers (1949-50), Boston Celtics (1950-56), St. Louis Hawks (1956-59)

All-Star selections: 7

League championships: 1

Bottom line: Macauley is known mostly as the guy who was traded for Bill Russell, but that doesn’t begin to tell his story. The first All-Star Game Most Valuable Player was a highly skilled and athletic big man whose Hawks would eventually beat Russell and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Easy Ed was fourth in career points upon retirement and pretty much forgotten since then.

13. Cliff Hagan

Position: Forward

NBA career: 10 seasons (1956-66)

Teams: St. Louis Hawks

All-Star selections: 5

League championships: 1

Botton line: Hagan and Bob Pettit rivaled Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the most potent twosomes of their era. The difference: Li’l Abner and Big Blue actually beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The guy was a brilliant shooter-scorer-passer who possessed the clutch gene. His name should be in the conversation at the very least.

12. Dwight Howard

Position: Center

NBA career: 18 seasons (2004-present)

Teams: Orlando Magic (2004-12), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13, 2019-20, 2021-22), Atlanta Hawks (2016-17), Charlotte Hornets (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2013-16), Washington Wizards (2018), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-21)

All-Star selections: 8

League championships: 1

Botton line: Howard had more points, rebounds, blocked shots, All-Star Game appearances and Defensive Player of the Year hardware at age 24 than Bill Walton in his entire career. So why isn’t Superman on the 75 GOAT list? Other than he never played with the Boston Celtics, I mean.

11. Vern Mikkelsen

Position: Forward

NBA career: 10 seasons (1949-59)

Teams: Minneapolis Lakers

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 4

Botton line: Every dynasty in Association history has more than one rep on the 75 GOAT team except the first one. That would be the Minneapolis Lakers if you haven’t heard yet. Mikkelsen deserves to be the second. He was the template for the power forward position, a maniacal defender-rebounder, consistent scorer and habitual winner.

10. Chauncey Billups

Position: Guard

NBA career: 12 seasons (2000-2013)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (2000-02), Detroit Pistons (2002-08), Denver Nuggets (2008-10), New York Knicks (2010-11), Los Angeles Clippers (2012-13)

All-Star selections: 7

League championships: 1

Bottom line: I’ve got Billups on the shortlist of best guards in postseason history. So does WAR/48 minutes, which has him behind only Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Stephen Curry, Walt Frazier and Chris Paul in the backcourt. Oh, and Mr. Big Shot was pretty good in the regular season as well.

9. Chris Bosh

Position: Center-Forward

Career: 13 seasons (2003-16)

Teams: Toronto Raptors (2003-10), Miami Heat (2010-16)

All-Star selections: 11

League championships: 2

Bottom line: Do 11 consecutive All-Star Game appearances, back-to-back NBA titles and consistent numbers at both ends in the regular season and postseason meet your 75 GOAT standards? Congratulations. You should have been part of the selection panel then.

8. Bob Lanier

Position: Center

NBA career: 14 seasons (1970-84)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (1970-79), Milwaukee Bucks (1980-84)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 0

Bottom line: Why the Association continues to snub Lanier on these lists sure beats the hell out of me. His WAR/48 minutes totals are only a tick behind Hakeem Olajuwon in the regular season and Bill Russell in the postseason. One of the top dozen centers in league history should be part of the 75th ann’y team, ya think?

7. George Yardley

Position: Forward

NBA career: 7 seasons (1953-60)

Teams: Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons (1953-59), Syracuse Nationals (1959-60)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 1

Bottom line: The fact that Carmelo Anthony won a league-scoring title probably put him over the top in the minds of the 75 Goat selection panel. Well, Yardley did, too. The difference is that The Bird won an NBA championship as well. The guy had ups, he had style, he had game. And he merits a spot on the list.

6. Yao Ming

Position: Center

NBA career: 8 seasons (2002-11)

Teams: Houston Rockets

All-Star selections: 7

League championships: 0

Bottom line: Nothing shocks me in pro sports anymore, but any NBA-endorsed list without Yao comes close. After all, he was an All-Star eight times in eight seasons. Come on people...

5. Adrian Dantley

Position: Forward

NBA career: 15 seasons (1976-91)

Teams: Utah Jazz (1976-77), Los Angeles Lakers (1977-79), Utah Jazz (1979-86), Detroit Pistons (1986-89), Dallas Mavericks (1989-90), Milwaukee Bucks (1991)

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 0

Bottom line: I always thought of Dantley as a self-entitled sourpuss. But he was a self-entitled sourpuss who could dominant on the block to the point of double-team coverage. Like 75 GOAT selection Carmelo Anthony, he was a league scoring champion (twice). Neither was inclined to play much defense. Yet there’s no question that A.D. was more potent at what each did best, especially in the postseason.

4. Maurice Stokes

Position: Forward-Center

NBA career: 3 seasons (1955-58)

Teams: Rochester/Cincinnati Royals

All-Star selections: 3

League championships: 0

Botton line: If brittle Bill Walton was considered to be a worthy 75 GOAT candidate, then why not Stokes, too? The one-time Rookie of the Year was a thicker Magic Johnson, an elite rebounder, skilled passer, consistent scorer and All-Pro every season. True, Mo played in only three seasons before post-traumatic encephalopathy forced his retirement, but Big Red saw action in as many as 60 games in a mere three seasons himself. If Walton is the bar, then Stokes clears it with room to spare.

3. Kyrie Irving

Position: Guard

NBA career: 13 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-17), Boston Celtics (2017-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-23), Dallas Mavericks (2023-present)

All-Star selections: 8

League championships: 1

Botton line: If it’s true that Irving was removed from the top 75 list because of health convictions, that’s just plain wrong on two counts. Look, I don’t care if the guy believes that planet Earth isn’t round. Even the man on the moon knows that World B. Flat should be on the list.

2. Neil Johnston

Position: Center

NBA career: 8 seasons (1951-59)

Teams: Philadelphia Warriors

Regular season averages/game: 19.4/11.3/2.5/NA

All-Star selections: 6

League championships: 1

Bottom line: If big George Mikan was King Kong in the early days, then Johnston was akin to Godzilla, a six-time All-Star (consecutively), three-time scoring leader (consecutively) and one-time league champion. He ranks fourth in career Win Shares/48 minutes in the regular season, not that any of the 75 GOAT selectors have a clue what that means or anything.

1. Nikola Jokic

Position: Center

NBA career: 9 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Denver Nuggets

Regular season averages/game: 19.4/10.3/6.2/0.7

All-Star selections: 5

League championships: 1

Bottom line: The only plausible reason to leave The Joker off the 75th ann’y team is longevity or lack thereof, but I’ve seen enough to include him. Already a case can be made that he’s the most efficient big not only of his time but all time. And the Serb just turned 27, so we likely haven’t seen the best of him. In the meantime, you have my permission to etch his name in granite on the 100 GOAT list.