Many people – including Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets – are still talking about the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
Released earlier this season, the anniversary team is a list of the best players to ever enter the league during the NBA’s storied 75-year history.
Many of the names listed weren’t surprising, such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Larry Bird, and others.
Yet, some of the players who were passed over stoked major reactions.
One of the names left off of the list was Irving and he’s got something to say about that.
Kyrie Irving was left off the NBA's 75th anniversary team. Should he have been on there? 👀 pic.twitter.com/WqzUjonx6J
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 4, 2022
Finally commenting on his snub, Irving said he thinks it’s a mistake:
“I feel like I represent the mastery of basketball…I feel like I deserved to be on that top 75 list, and simply because I’m part of a revolution of this game.”
Is Irving right and should he have been on the list?
Smart Or Snub?
Irving was just one of many players who didn’t make the cut on the top 75 list.
For example, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors also didn’t appear and he has spoken out about it a few times.
There is no denying that Irving is a talented, top-of-his-class player.
Throughout his career, he has averaged 23.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.
He has stepped that up even more in Brooklyn.
This year, he put up 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.
Even with his powerful output, he still didn’t make the list.
He is certainly one of the best point guards alive and probably one of the best of his generation but the analysts and experts creating the anniversary team didn’t think it was enough.
This doesn’t discount his greatness, of course, but it obviously stings a bit for Irving.
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