The NBA released their list of the Top 75 players of all time to mark the 75th anniversary of the league’s inception. The obvious suspects like Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got in, but some choices like Damian Lillard and James Harden raised eyebrows. Debates around these topics rage on in basketball circles almost endlessly, so it’s no surprise to see fans of certain players that didn’t quite make the cut a bit upset with the list.
Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Klay Thompson and Dwight Howard were among those that missed out on being included and obviously, they all have a solid argument for being included in the list in their own right. Howard, in particular, was particularly dominant during his prime, making the All-NBA First Team five times and picking up the Defensive Player of the Year award thrice.
His stacked CV has led to some fans asking questions about the players that did make it and DeanScorpion on Twitter has shared a list of Lillard’s lack of accolades, questioning how he has been selected for the great honor over someone like Howard.
Somehow this guy made the NBA’s 75 greatest players of all-time list over Dwight Howard pic.twitter.com/37zOX0cx4v
— dean 🦂 (@DeanScorpion_) February 15, 2022
Damian Lillard is a legend for the Portland Trail Blazers, especially on the offensive end, scoring at will during his peak and also hitting some incredibly clutch shots that have helped them win playoff series. However, he has just 1 All-NBA First Team selection compared to Howard’s 5. He has never led the league in any stat, unlike Howard, who was Rebounding Champion 5 times and blocks leader twice.
The defensive end of the floor is a bigger mismatch, with Howard scooping 3 DPOYs and Lillard having never been more than an average defender. Howard also led his Magic team to the NBA finals, something Dame has never been able to achieve with Portland. And to top it all off, he is an NBA champion, albeit as a role-player with the Los Angeles Lakers.
When these facts are all laid out, it’s easy to understand why Howard can feel like he was snubbed. The big man has suffered from having declined drastically while in the league, which has tarnished his image a little. At the highest level, the margins are incredibly fine though, and even if his accolades may not quite stack up, it is hard to argue that Lillard deserves to be left out either. This sadly seems to be one of those situations with no real right answer.
