For the 75th anniversary of the NBA, media titans, along with current and former players, executives, coaches, and GMs voted on the top 75 players ever.
Unsurprisingly, LA Clippers‘ superstar Kawhi Leonard made the list. A two-time NBA Champion who’s been an NBA Finals MVP in both conferences, and also gone to the All-Star Game five times definitely belongs on the list. However, seeing his name actually on there really puts in perspective the company he’s in, and the type of career the two-time Defensive Player of the Year truly has had.
What’s just as incredible, however, are the NBA greats that he beat out to get there.
Kawhi Leonard beat out many NBA legends to make this list and represent the LA Clippers.
The LA Clippers’ 2021 First-Team All-NBA selection, Kawhi Leonard, made the list over many current players who will go down as true staples in the history of this league.
Think about a guy like Dwight Howard, who has eight All-Star selections to his name, eight All-NBA selections, and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. Howard was filthy in his prime, and Leonard still got his recognition as an even better player than Howard was, despite Leonard’s career being far from over. Any player better than Howard is a freak of nature, and that’s who Leonard is.
Leonard had really tough competition to make the list. A three-time NBA Champion in Klay Thompson didn’t even crack the top 75. The crazy thing is that it’s not just the current players that Leonard beat out, but the retired greats as well:
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1451328235719905280
To be better than these ten hoopers is an honor. Grant Hill is one of the best two-way players we’ve ever seen, but Leonard is just that much better.
Vince Carter is one of the best finishers we’ve ever seen, who made eight All-Star teams and had remarkable longevity that’s hard to come by. The seven-time All-Defensive selection Leonard still proved himself to be even more dominant.
Making this list is truly a dream honor. I mean, Tracy McGrady, who has two scoring titles and was a walking bucket back when he played wasn’t even good enough, at least according to the voters.
So many amazing players weren’t able to get the recognition that Leonard just received. We are so lucky to have the best player in the Western Conference on our team, and having him earn his spot on these lists proves just how big of a deal it is to have brought him to LA.