There was special excitement surrounding the release of the NBA 75th anniversary team in 2021, where there were some eyebrow-raising inclusions and some surprising omissions. Discussions are rampant even today, and the latest to come under the microscope is Damian Lillard.
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Dame, a hero in Portland, established himself as one of the best point guards in the league since making his debut in 2012. But has he proved enough to warrant a place in the league’s top-75 players of all time? Sam Smith doesn’t think so.
Smith, author of the book Jordan Rules, spoke about the NBA75 team on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday and firmly opined that Lillard has no place on the team.
“Damian Lillard, no offense, but I don’t think he was a top 75 player,” said Smith, who was on the panel that was selecting players. “There was some recency bias, it had to get to 75, but I think it was overall a pretty good list.”
Smith, like many others, expressed surprise at Dwight Howard‘s exclusion. Some have argued that he did not deserve a place on the NBA 75 team or even in the Hall of Fame, which he was inducted into earlier this year. Still, it feels odd that an eight-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Team selection, and NBA champion with the Lakers did not make the cut.
Another player who many thought would be in the final 75 was Kyrie Irving, one of the most exciting point guards to watch, perhaps ever. He also won a Championship (with the Cavs in 2016), something Lillard hasn’t achieved yet.
As Smith said, it wasn’t easy picking players, and some additions and exclusions were debatable — even among those choosing the 75. To some, Irving deserved to be there instead of Lillard. Although Lillard himself would disagree.
The Portland Trailblazers guard, an 8-time All-Star and one of the best shooters of all time, always believed in himself and felt that he was “slighted” because he was always winning.
“I gotta win, I’m producing every year, I’m getting trapped, I’m getting double teamed, I’m facing everything, I’m still 27 and up, we’re winning games, I’m out front, I’m here in the West,” said Lillard, while addressing haters who doubted his inclusion in the NBA 75.
It’s difficult to choose between the plethora of star guards who have been in the NBA over the last 75 — as of 2025, almost 80 — years. Whether Lillard or Irving truly deserve it will, in all honesty, always depend on personal choices.
