I found a blurry, poorly cropped recording of this gem on YouTube. The poor quality wasn't enough to get in the way of me enjoying this treasure.
I remember when the NBA named its 50 greatest players in 1996. I can't remember exactly when, but I believe the NBA introduced them all during the All-Star game. They named 10 players for each position spanning the decades. I was too young then to question any of the players named with the exception of one: Shaquille O'Neal. I know what you're thinking: how could I not consider Shaq as one of the ten best centers all-time? Simple, because at that time he only had four years in the league. I guess it was a testament to how dominant he was even as a four-year player that he made such an illustrious list. Today, there is no question that he is one of the top centers all-time.
"NBA at 50" is a brief history of the NBA, a quick highlight of its best players, and a wrap up with the fifty greatest players of all-time (from 1946 to 1996). For a few it will be a walk down memory lane, whereas for many it will be a great history lesson. Now that it is 2021 I wonder who'd be on their list of 75 greatest players of all-time for the NBA's 75th birthday.
