Rewind the clock back to 1996, Cleveland Ohio is the scene. It’s All-Star week, and commissioner David Stern announces the “50 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time”.
It is a monumental task, given the rich history and so many names thrown into the hat for the accolade.
Amongst this, many questions and speculation on particular selections arose.
Did Bill Walton deserve his selection, after an injury prone career? Was Shaquille O’Neal inducted too early? Why wasn’t Dominique Wilkins included, was he deserving of selection?
All these questions were asked once the list of 50 was revealed.
Fast forward to now, 18 years later. The year is 2014, and there have been so many more stars who have added their name among the greats. The group of expert panelists on the NBA’s Open Court came across with the idea of adding another 10 more players, to create the “Next 10”.
I have taken it upon myself to disagree with their list and make my own. With the huge amount of players who are deserving of this accolade, I have also narrowed it down to 10 players only.
Tim Duncan
Not even questionable. Possibly the best player of the last decade, and he has five rings in that era to match. The best power forward of all-time and the most reliable player in the post since Shaq, Timmy was never going to miss out on this list.
Kobe Bryant
The only reason I said possibly to Duncan being the player of the decade, is because I think this man just might be. If there were two definite players who had to be on this list, it’s these two. Kobe will go down as a top five greatest player.
LeBron James
The four-time MVP will go down as one of the greats, and he still has a reasonably lengthy career ahead of him. James is a inhumane freak of nature, who possesses skills and attributes we can only dream of. No doubt the “King” belongs in the Next 10.
Kevin Garnett
The most intense player, probably to ever play in the NBA. Some people forget just how good KG is/was. He carried a weak Minnesota franchise on his back, before connecting with the Celtics to get his first ring, Garnett has won defensive player of the year and the league MVP awards. Will go down as a top three power forward of all-time.
Dirk Nowitzki
The big German has forced his way onto my list because of his unique skill-set and constant will to carry the Mavericks association. A seven-foot power forward, with a great jump shot beyond the arc, Dirk consistently performs at a high level. Winner of a season MVP award, he also has a finals MVP trophy to go with his championship ring. Dirk will be possibly the most successful and maybe the most important European player of all-time.
Allen Iverson
Despite his fall from grace towards the back end of his career, Iverson changed the game of the NBA in his prime. Small in stature, but large in heart, Iverson was one of the greatest scorers in the NBA. Known for his trademark braids and flashy clothes, Iverson always played at a high level, and changed the dynamics of a small man in the NBA. Well deserving of this accolade.
Dominique Wilkins
The “Human Highlight Film” was very unlucky to miss out on being apart of the original top 50. In his prime Dominique was a hard player to mark. With such explosiveness and quickness, he earned his stripes with powerful dunks and silky smooth moves while mid-air. If the 50 were announced without Wilkins, he surely was the 51st player selected. Well deserving.
Bob McAdoo
Currently serving as an assistant at the Miami Heat, McAdoo was once quite the player himself. The three-time scoring champion was the first big man to be able to put the ball on the floor and shoot from long range. He originated the term, “stretch four”. McAdoo won two titles with the Showtime Lakers, predominately coming off the bench as a scoring option. He has many resemblances to Kevin Durant in ways of body shape and scoring ability. The only difference at the moment, are in fact those two rings.
Jason Kidd
Kidd in his prime, was one of my favourite players to watch. If you ran the court and ran the correct fast-break lanes, Kidd would find you perfectly. Some of the most memorable assists I’ve ever seen were from Kidd, as well as many more scoring moments, so I could not leave him out on this list. Well deserving of his late NBA Championship ring with the Mavericks, Kidd will go down as one of the best point guards of all-time.
Dwyane Wade
Lucky last, my most debated position on this list. I had many names come to mind for this slot, but I couldn’t go past “Flash”. I remember watching a then rookie Dwyane Wade, lead his woeful Miami Heat past the New Orleans Hornets in the playoffs. I remember him schooling Baron Davis to beat the buzzer, and I knew he was going to be special.
He has gone on to win three NBA Championships, one Olympic gold medal and is the leader of all guards in blocks. I simply could not leave Wade out, despite his slump of form in recent years. Wade was dominant in his prime and should be remembered for it.
Honourable Mentions
Steve Nash, Gary Payton, Reggie Miller, Alex English and Paul Pierce.
This argument may go on for a long time on who deserves to be in the “Next 10”, and it may never get solved. I have done my best to pick 10 players who are well deserving of the accolade and who played themselves into the position to be named in this group.
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