The NBA selected its 75th-anniversary squad early this season. The 76 players were MVPs, Finals MVPs, All-Stars, and champions, and were to receive the honor on Sunday. There certainly was an extraordinary collection of basketball mastery stretching over nearly eight NBA decades. Right from 89-year-old Bob Pettit to 27-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo was present. They were honored at halftime of the league’s annual All-Star Game.
Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Russell Westbrook, and Steve Nash were among the noteworthy names that did not attend the ceremony. On a circular stage in the center of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, 45 members of the NBA 75th-Anniversary Team, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, were standing side by side. They were wearing blue blazers with the 75th emblem emblazoned across their chests.
The introduction of the players was in the following order: forwards, centers, and guards. The greats of the NBA’s received standing ovations and thunderous cheers. Michael Jordan was the final player in the introduction process. Moreover, fans were cheering loud in memoriam for Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
There were cries of “Ko-be, Ko-be”
The forwards were out first, led by Charles Barkley. For the on-court tribute, Giannis Antetokounmpo changed out of his Team LeBron outfit. Julius “Dr. J” Erving bowed to the audience. Dennis Rodman paraded down the wine-colored carpet wearing a basketball cap and hooded sweatshirt underneath his jacket. LeBron James was the last of the forwards in the introduction.
However, as for the center’s introduction, Shaquille O’Neal poked out his tongue at the camera and posed. Abdul-Jabbar did his iconic “skyhook”. Allen Iverson led the guards out and was shortly followed by George “Iceman” Gervin. Kobe Bryant’s photo on the enormous scoreboard elicited an emotional response and cries of “Ko-be, Ko-be” for the late Lakers player.
Pettit, the NBA’s first MVP, was looking forward to the celebrations. It comprised the opportunity to catch up with some of his former teammates. “It’s a great honor. I’m very appreciative of the fact that I am included,” Petit said. “Anybody who says it isn’t nice to be included is lying. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to my family. It reminds me that I was pretty good after all.”
Jordan’s arrival certainly was a bit surprising since the NBA league kept any information of the celebration under wraps. The still-living members of the 75th team who were incapable to follow were available via video, each acknowledging the audience with a wave. This is the second time the league has honored its greats in Cleveland, following the 50th Anniversary Team