NBA Notebook: Who was the NBA 75th anniversary list's biggest snub?

Klay Thompson took multiple breaks from rehab to chime in on Instagram late this week, frustrated he did not make the NBA's 75th anniversary list.

Controversy without Kyrie Irving. A three-day break from Ben Simmons. 

The NBA finally escaped the two most tired storylines of its offseason, pivoting toward opening night with the unveiling of its 75 greatest players ever. It included a mix of legends who made the 50-year list in 1996 like Michael Jordan and Bill Russell, alongside newcomers like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, James Harden, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Snubs like Klay and Dwight Howard raised gripes, along with retired stars like Tracy McGrady who just missed the list. The voters probably weighted the league's past too heavily in the construction of the list, but for understandable reasons. 

The list, with the NBA's seal of approval, hit its finalists at their core. Harden learned in a press conference he made it, at a loss for words as he asked the reporter, "ever?" He turned again sniffling behind his sunglasses as he walked toward the locker room, turning around one more time. 

"Ever?" 

Reggie Miller sat speechless on TNT pregame when Ernie Johnson and the Inside the NBA crew broke the news he made the top-75. The Celtics congratulated 20 players who wore green for some amount of time for making it, including Shaquille O'Neal, who stumbled through 37 games at 38 to finish his career in Boston. 

"Love u guys thanks," O'Neal commented on the team's Instagram congratulation post.

Boston edged out the Lakers' 18 finalists, including current teammates Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and James. The late Kobe Bryant joined legends Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem-Abdul Jabar, Elgin Baylor, George Mikan, Magic Johnson and James Worthy. 

The league preserved its original top-50 list by adding 25 slots 25 years later, opting not to remove players who made that earlier list like Hal Greer, Dave Bing, Paul Arizin and Dolph Schayes. The new list did amend some missing names from the original though, adding Dominique Wilkins, Bob McAdoo and Dennis Rodman. You do have to weigh old names relative to where new, clearly better overall players ranked respective to the eras they played in. That increased representation for the older eras probably will make this list and its snubs look flawed in retrospect. It did fill in the middle ground well with names like Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson and Steve Nash, though missed some other trendsetters in the 90s-00s. 

Celtics 2008 champs Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen made it, as Pierce returned to TD Garden on Friday for a raucous ovation alongside champions Danny Ainge, Satch Sanders, Cedric Maxwell, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine in a pregame ceremony as Boston prepares to honor its greats throughout the season. 

The Celtics will retire Kevin Garnett's No. 5 jersey in March. He congratulated "WALTER ‘Ray’" in an Instagram story along with Pierce, a rare acknowledgment of Allen by Garnett following the former's 2012 departure from Boston that formed a deep rift between the former teammates. Some hope Allen will attend Garnett's ceremony and receive an embrace from Celtics fans and his fellow champs. 

The list might've provided an early step. Voted on by legends like Kareem, media members like Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons, Marc Spears and Bob Costas, along with team officials like Jerry West and Gregg Popovich. Current players Chris Paul and Giannis contributed too, ushering in 11 contemporary players. Blowback would follow any decisions made, but two snubs stood apart. 

Howard is the most puzzling. The centerpiece of Orlando's 2009 NBA Finals run and a constant force in the Eastern Conference at the end of the decade defeated the Pierce Celtics and James Cavaliers during that run. He's among the great rebounders and shot-blockers in NBA history, with longevity, a 2020 ring, five first-team All-NBA selections and three defensive player of the year awards. His five-season peak in Orlando between 2007-2012, although short, saw him average 20.6 PPG, 13.9 RPG and 2.5 BPG -- twice leading the NBA in blocks. His noisy trade demand and injuries that followed, bouncing between eight stints with seven teams likely led to some defectors. The league did not release voting results. 

Howard called the snub disrespectful, falling alongside another Laker and two-time champion in Pau Gasol from those 2009 Finals to miss the list. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili fell short despite their winning years with the Spurs. Kyrie, a curious case as LeBron's running-mate and the clutch performer on the historic 2016 Cavaliers, fell short too. Young stars like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will probably make the 100-year list, but didn't have enough seasons on the books. An appearance by one wouldn't have been unprecedented though, with O'Neal landing on the 50 list during his fourth season. I had all three of them on the list we built at CLNS Media last week, by opting to remove numerous players from the original 50. Classic 23-year-old, right? 

Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo Yao Ming, Grant Hill, Benard King, Vince Carter, Alex English and Dennis Johnson stand out as snubs too.

Klay's snub ranks up there with Howard's, due to his standing among the league's all-time great shooters, No. 2 role on the 2016 Warriors that broke the league's win record and established the standard for teammate three-pointers with Curry in 2014. He scored a record 37 points in a quarter in 2015, and owns the record for threes in a game with 14. His 60 points in under 30 minutes in a 2016 game were unprecedented, and he started a game 10-for-10 from three -- another record. The 2016 Finals also never would've happened without the Game 6 comeback Thompson led in the west finals against the Thunder. 

Lillard may be the better overall player, but Thompson is undoubtedly the more accomplished player. We haven't seen Thompson since the 2019 NBA Finals due to ACL and Achilles tears, making his snub all the more disheartening. He may not be able to add significantly to his legacy toward the next list. The league did right to maintain history, as eras should be compared within their context, though there are a number of historic players who couldn't lay a finger on Thompson's mastery of the jump shot. They didn't need to preserve all 50 of the original list. 

The list nonetheless turned attention back toward the game, league and its history during a turbulent time, much like The Last Dance did last year. Nostalgia, battles between different eras of fans and player fanbases are staples of NBA culture, and the league is smart to blend its legends alongside modern-day stars. Especially after an exhausting year where COVID-19, drama-filled departures and the everlasting obsession over the transaction dominated coverage of the league. TD Garden, filled with greats and a capacity crowd on Friday, stood in stark contrast to the empty arenas that greeted teams just under a year ago. 

"Maybe I’m just naive in my ability to play basketball, but in my head I’m TOP 75 all time,” Thompson wrote on Instagram. “PERIOD.”

Here's what happened around the league on opening night: 

Atlanta: I watched De'Andre Hunter shut down Syracuse star Tyus Battle in his final game in the Carrier Dome. Now, he's holding the Dallas Mavericks to 1-for-13 shooting as a primary defender and MVP favorite Doncic to 1-for-9. Hunter missed last postseason with a torn meniscus and could emerge as the defensive anchor on a home-court Hawks team. Cam Reddish built on the opportunity he gained following Hunter's injury with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, Clint Capela flushed all six attempts for a double-double and Trae Young allowed seven different Hawks to score before he did on a 14-assist night. 

"We can tell Dre (Hunter) ‘Sic ‘em,’ on anybody, & he’s up for the challenge, running over screens, getting hit, doing whatever he needs to do to be a great defender," John Collins said.

Dallas, a west contender, got handled with ease by a dangerous Atlanta team, 113-87, without Lou Williams or Danilo Gallinari even stepping off the bench. Gallinari could become expendable after Kevin Huerter inked a four-year, $65-million extension before the deadline. 

Don't forget injured 2020 No. 6 pick Onyeka Okongwu, who will have ample time to develop behind Capela when he returns from injury. The Hawks could be the future of the east. 

Boston: The Celtics are 0-2 with effort defining a boo-filled home opener eerily reminiscent of Boston's worst moments last season. The Raptors dominated turnover, rebounding and transition battles, winning by 32 without much of a half-court offensive presence in the Celtics' worst home-opening loss in over a decade. 

Evan Fournier had gotten revenge two days earlier with six triples, including four in the overtime periods, after Boston scrambled back late down 11 on opening night in New York. Jaylen Brown shot 3-of-13 after 46 points in New York, Al Horford is limited in his return from COVID-19, Marcus Smart drew groans on a long three attempt, finishing 0-for-6 (25% FG this season) and Jayson Tatum got caught up with officiating. Is it a new season? 

"I told the group that was as ugly as it could get," Ime Udoka said. "I told them one thing I can't stand is to get punked. We got punked out there. They played harder than us."

Brooklyn: The Nets caught an opening-night blowout from Milwaukee and needed a late 16-1 run to top Philadelphia, with scoring depth emerging as a surprising early-season problem aside from Patty Mills' early scoring exploits off Brooklyn's bench. LaMarcus Aldridge needed 23 points on 10-of-12 FG to simply top the 76ers by five points, while the Nets appear more dependent on Kevin Durant's nightly output than ever before with Kyrie Irving absent. Do I smell a team under? 

"It's not going to be pretty for a little while here," Steve Nash said. 

Charlotte: Perhaps the most fun League Pass team opened 2021-22 coming back from down 23 points through a 24-0 third-quarter run to find their biggest comeback since 2014 over the Pacers on opening night. LaMelo Ball averaged 24 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists through the first two games of his sophomore season, Gordon Hayward provided 27 points in his return from injury and Kelly Oubre scored double-figures in both wins where Charlotte generated 123 points, ranking sixth in basketball.

Chicago: Another team flying everywhere on offense through a 2-0 start. Lonzo Ball dropped a 17-point triple-double next to Zach LaVine's 32 points to make easy work of his former New Orleans team. Alex Caruso delivered the exclamation point on the run, Demar DeRozan averaged 21.5 PPG in his first two Bulls games and this all came without Coby White.

Cleveland: Rookie Evan Mobley's debut, 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, with a block and a steal, inspired some opening night hope, but the Cavs allowed 14 threes and 70 points in the paint in a blowout loss to Memphis before losing to Charlotte by 11. Kevin Love is largely absent again to start a season, at 3-for-14 from the field. Lauri Markkanen looks oh so awkward playing the three. Ricky Rubio is shouldering the blame amid his own early offensive struggles, with Darius Garland out with an injured ankle. 

“It was all on me,” Rubio said. “It was bad passes. There’s nothing to blame on them. It was all on me and I take that blame and I take this loss. It’s something that, as a veteran, I have to lead the way and know that if there’s one or two turnovers, the next play you can’t really rush it. I pushed it too much."

Jarrett Allen started the year 16-for-17 with 36 points in the two losses, with perhaps the dunk of the year so far. 

Dallas: Haralabos Voulgaris, Dallas' former shadow GM, joined ESPN Daily to discuss Dallas dysfunction, Doncic's frustration with him and what he described as "high school drama" within an organization that moved on from him, official long-time GM Donnie Nelson and champion head coach Rick Carlisle last offseason. It's not the first time the Mavericks' culture under Mark Cuban fell into question in recent years. 

"It's just, you hear certain things, you learn certain things, you're told certain things," Voulgaris said. "It was a very gossipy workplace, very gossipy. It was like a sewing circle over there."

Denver: Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is already dazzling with no-look passes through traffic and 29.5 PPG, 14.5 RPG and 4.5 APG through Denver's 2-0 start. 

"He's a really spectacular, interesting, different player," Gregg Popovich said after the Nuggets beat his Spurs Friday. "He's like a 7-foot Larry Bird type of guy. He can pass, the way he reads things — he's incredible."

Detroit: The wait for No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham's debut continues, with an ankle injury continuing to hold him out of the lineup for at least Detroit's next three games to round out October. 

Golden State: Steph Curry will chase MVP status again, with an otherworldly 9-for-9 start (5-of-5 3PT) start against the Clippers turning into a 45-point home-opening win over the Clippers. Draymond Green glued together the win on both ends playing through a sore wrist and Andre Iguodala is rotating into productive minutes with the starters. Golden State's margins remain thin though, winning by single-digits against the Lakers and Clips even through those dominant performances by NBA 75th Anniversary team finalist Curry. 

Houston: Kevin Porter Jr. flashed a productive game at point guard with 18 points and 10 assists in a blowout win over Oklahoma City. Jalen Green shot 4-of-14 in grueling -37 minutes against Minnesota, while Christian Wood remains this team's offensive stalwart with 47 points through two games as Alperen Sengun comes along slowly behind him. They host the Celtics on Sunday. 

Indiana: The second team in NBA to lose by one point in consecutive games to open a season, the first since 1955. The Pacers locked up Malcolm Brogdon on a two-way, $45-million deal that makes him trade-ineligible for the rest of this season. Defense, allowing 50% three-point shooting to the Wizards, plagues Indiana as third coach in three years Rick Carlisle tries to navigate the Pacers' double-big alignment. 

"The zone disrupted their rhythm for a stretch there. Then they were able to get a couple 3s in," Carlisle said. "(Davis) Bertans hit a tough one. (Spencer) Dinwiddie hit a tough one. The shot-making right now in the league is amazing to watch. Beyond belief, really." 

Clippers: Paul George appears capable of keeping this team in any game, with 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on opening night, leading a massive comeback that fell short at Golden State. Closing will be far more difficult with thin offensive depth around him. Eric Bledsoe is taking big shots in crunch time and starting, to his credit converting 10-of-16 in his Clippers debut. Ty Lue is an underrated head coach with a chance to assert that with an unsung roster minus Kawhi Leonard. 

Lakers: The LeBron James and Russell Westbrook fit concerns have played out through an 0-2 start. The newest Lakers star shot 10-for-28 in the losses, turning the ball over eight times with nine fouls. It's not panic time yet, but the Suns should've made people rethink the west hierarchy with their shutdown of Anthony Davis and James on Friday. 

Kent Bazemore and Deandre Jordan start for LA. Avery Bradley plays real minutes after getting cut by Golden State to finish training camp. This team is thin, banged-up and awkward early. Even Magic Johnson is chiming in after a sideline scuffle between Dwight Howard and Davis. 

Memphis: Did you see this block by Ja Morant? 

37 points, five rebounds, six assists, two blocks, 17-of-29 shooting. The most exhilarating young player in basketball plays for Memphis, driving a 53% offensive effort by an array of young, up-and-coming players and raising this team's ceiling annually. 

Miami: Tyler Herro's preseason success translated into opening night, pouring 27 points alongside six rebounds and five assists in a blowout win over the champion Bucks. He's a most-improved favorite. Being able to mix offensive lineups with Herro with defensive ones featuring P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo made the Heat flexible and bothered Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami again showing the style that knocked off Milwaukee in five games in the 2020 NBA Bubble playoffs.

"Last year, we felt like we got embarrassed," Herro said referring to the Bucks' vengeful sweep. 

Milwaukee: The Miami loss marked Giannis' first lump since the 2021 NBA Playoffs began, following a perfect postseason run and a ring night win over Brooklyn where he looked better, scoring 32 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists. Grayson Allen might've been one of the most underrated pickups of the offseason with how open he'll be to shoot alongside Giannis. Donte DiVincenzo will return in that role eventually. Jordan Nwora is ready to breathe new life into the bench, following a 6-for-13 opener with 15 points over Brooklyn. 

They're still a tough matchup for Brooklyn, with Miami's defense proving challenging for the Bucks in turn, in what could be an extremely competitive eastern conference. 

Minnesota: Anthony Edwards called a timeout for the Rockets, motioning toward their bench after drilling a three during his 29-point opening night that led the Wolves to a blowout win. If the most exhilarating young player wears Memphis blue, the most hilarious young player wears a Wolves uniform.

"I was telling the coach to call a damn timeout," Edwards said. "You need a timeout. I'm hot."

New Orleans: The defense looks worse. Zion Williamson isn't walking through that door anytime soon. Some encouraging play from Devonte' Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker won't be enough to overcome allowing 110 points each night. 

"We're not where we want to be," first-year coach Willie Green said. "But we'll get there."

New York: A joy to watch on opening night and they kept firing in Orlando on the way to 2-0. 

The Knicks fans love Kemba Walker through his ups-and-downs, he hit a key late step-back three in the fourth against Boston in an otherwise slow 3-for-8 debut. Julius Randle still appears All-NBA worthy, with an incredibly soft touch shooting from three levels and stellar outlet passes. Mitchell Robinson's interior dominance returning from injury is a breath of fresh air, as is Fournier's shooting. Obi Toppin can run the floor beautifully. This team is running and gunning to make up for the offensive deficiencies of a year ago, and their players do it well. 

Oklahoma City: Home tickets are going for $3, a friend in Oklahoma told me. 

The Thunder haven't approached 100 points yet in two losses, and any night that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't play will set this group apart for the league's worst record. Josh Giddey is 4-for-13 with 10 points and seven assists in his first NBA action after going No. 6 overall in the 2021 draft.

Orlando: No. 4 pick Jalen Suggs shot poorly in Summer League and the preseason, before starting 7-for-31 in consecutive losses for Orlando. Mo Bamba is the closest thing to a 20-point scorer this team has so far, unable to keep up with the Spurs and Knicks. Fournier's revenge tour continued with 18 points against, the only team he played for before last season's trade deadline. 

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid told the Philadelphia crowd to support Ben Simmons and called him a brother after Simmons told the team he needs to take a leave from basketball. Simmons got suspended for opening night after appearing in a cutoff and joggers while teammates practiced in full uniform, a cell phone visible in his pocket. Doc Rivers reportedly ejected him from practice for failing to do defensive drills, and Daryl Morey unmercifully told a radio station this saga could draw on for years. Years? 

Phoenix: The team looks great on the court, enough to dream of back-to-back NBA Finals runs. Off the court? A forthcoming report will apparently scathe team governor Robert Sarver for racism, sexism and sexual harassment, according to Jordan Schultz 

Phoenix denied the allegations, already drawing scorn for failing to extend Deandre Ayton ahead of the deadline after doing so for Mikal Bridges (four-year, $90-million) and Landry Shamet (four-year, $43-million). Former No. 1 pick Ayton has a uniquely high $16.4-million qualifying offer this summer, which he could pick up to avoid restricted free agency and hit the free-agent market free to go anywhere in 2023 at 25-years-old. The Suns better develop Jalen Smith quickly if they're willing to risk Ayton walking. 

Portland: Damian Lillard affirmed his commitment to Portland after last offseason and feels confident in the Trailblazer's direction after a conversation with new head coach Chauncey Billups, he told ESPN. He said he feels invested in the first-year coach's success. A 124-121 loss to Sacramento on opening night, though, revealed all may not be too different for the Blazers, who have struggled to defend in recent years.

Sacramento: Keeping Harrison Barnes around looks like a good decision as he starts 2021 a scorching 19-for-39 with 61 points. A slow start for rookie Davion Mitchell and 39% shooting as a team in a loss to the Jazz still show this team being far from ending their near-record playoff hiatus, but they have the players and talent to get there. Will Luke Walton coach them the whole way there after defensive issues plagued his team in 2021? 

San Antonio: Competitive as always. The roster looks worse than it has ever before under Popovich, then there they are, hanging within six points of the Nuggets and blowing out the Magic. Keldon Johnson, scoring 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting at Denver, looks like a real most-improved candidate. 

"I'm thrilled," Popovich quipped after the loss. "We had 20 turnovers and shot 25% from 3 and we still continued to compete." 

Toronto: They impressed in Boston. Precious Achiuwa blew up sets inside and out. Scottie Barnes found easy, rhythm shots and banged inside to score 25 points with 13 rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting. The Raptors grabbed 21 offensive boards, flew out in transition and frustrated the Celtics physically with their length. They've held Washington and Boston to 40% from the field, overcoming their own struggles in the half court to remain competitive. Don't underestimate this Nick Nurse-coached squad. 

Utah: Forgotten in all in all the annual Rudy Gobert gripes is that Donovan Mitchell is running this show and gets better each year. He taught rookie Davion Mitchell a lesson, scoring 27 points over the rookie defensive disrupter and Sacramento on the way to 2-0. The Jazz will win a million regular-season games. Their lineup flexibility issues constantly put their playoff ceiling in doubt, they could use another glue guy at the deadline. 

Washington: Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell all look good playing off Bradley Beal during a 2-0 start. Turning Russell Westbrook alone into a well-rounded, deeper team is a ginormous feather in GM Tommy Sheppard's cap and might just keep Beal around long-term.