NBA Hall Of Famer Calls Being Left Off Top 50 Greatest List "A Slap In The Face"

Troy Hudson | Jan 28, 2025

Dec. 11, 1973; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Buffalo Braves center Bob McAdoo (11) during a game against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1973-74 season at The Omni. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images / Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The NBA created a lot of joy when it released the league's greatest 50 players in 1996.

It also caused a lot of disappointment and resent from players who were left off the list. One of them was Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo.

"When they put out the Top 50, my oldest son was the first one that contacted me," McAdoo told Back In The Day Hoops On SI. "He said, `Dad, how can it be possible? You're the only MVP and only scoring champion, not one but three-time scoring champion, that didn't make the team. The only thing I could do was shrug my shoulders." 

 

McAdoo had a strong case to be on the list. He was the MVP during the 1974-75 season with the Buffalo Braves. He was also a three-time scoring champ who later won two championships alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"The first thing you would do, I would think, is go down the MVP list," McAdoo said. "Out of the hundreds of thousands of players, it's only been about 35 MVPs at that time. So it was a big oversight in my opinion." 

Although McAdoo is at peace years later with the omission, he still gets upset about being left off.

"I know what I did in the league," McAdoo said. "People know what I did in the league. I was in a small market. What people don't realize, I was almost a three-time MVP. I was second twice to Kareem. To not be on the Top 50, that was a slap in the face." 

Troy Hudson is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at troyehudson@gmail.com

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