Photo Gallery: Celebrating 75 Years of NBA Action

From Bird and Magic to Shaq and Kobe, we share our favorite images of the all-time greats.

SI Staff | Oct 21, 2021

Photo Gallery: Celebrating 75 Years of NBA Action /

Over the years, Sports Illustrated has captured the NBA's best in action. Jordan scoring. LeBron soaring. Giannis roaring. And so much more.

With the NBA celebrating its 75th anniversary this season, we dug into the archives to select our favorite photos. Enjoy!

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00001 — Hy Peskin/Sports Illustrated

Boston Celtics vs. Fort Wayne Pistons, Nov. 19, 1955.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00002 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets, March 16, 2008.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00003 — Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, May 27, 1985.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00004 — Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated

Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons, June 2, 1989.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00005 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, June 14, 2012.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00006 — John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Feb. 12, 2000.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00007 — Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Washington Bullets vs. Golden State Warriors, May 20, 1975.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00008 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, March 09, 2017.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00009 — John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz, April 6, 1999.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00010 — Hy Peskin /Sports Illustrated

Minneapolis Lakers vs. New York Knicks, Nov. 7, 1954.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00011 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets, Feb. 15, 2017.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00012 — Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Philadelphia 76ers, June 3, 1977.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00013 — Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, June 7, 2007.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00014 — Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards, Jan. 22, 2002.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00015 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks, June 13, 2006.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00016 — Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, June 7, 1987.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00017 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, Nov. 11, 2010.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00018 — John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated

Philadelphia Warriors, 1962.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00019 — Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, Feb. 15, 1987.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00020 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Feb. 18, 2006.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00021

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls, April 7, 2011.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00022 — Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated

Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks, June 17, 1994.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00023 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Houston Rockets, Dec. 2, 2006.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00024 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks, May 6, 2011.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00025 — Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks, May 3, 1972.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00026 — Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated

New Orleans Hornets vs. New York Knicks, Feb. 17, 2012.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00027 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, June 9, 2017.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00028 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets, May 16, 2018.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00029 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Dallas Mavericks vs. Atlanta Hawks, Feb. 25, 2015.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00030 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Seattle SuperSonics vs. Sacramento Kings, May 3, 2005.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00031 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat, Feb. 14, 2013.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00032 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns, May 12, 2007.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00033 — John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, June 8, 2008.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00034 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs, June 8, 2014.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00035 — John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated

Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers, May 2, 2011.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00036 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, April 30, 2016.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00037 — John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated

Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Nov. 14, 2003.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00038 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, June 14, 2015.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00039 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, May 24, 2016.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00040 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks, April 22, 2017.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00041 — John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs Orlando Magic, June 7, 2009.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00042 — Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated

Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks, March 8, 1998.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00043 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, Nov. 22, 2017.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00044

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, March 17, 2019.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00045 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers, Dec. 27, 2019.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00046 — John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, June 17, 2010.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00047 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs, June 20, 2013.

SI_NBA_75th_Anniversary_00048 — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks, July 20, 2021.

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Published Oct 21, 2021

SI Staff