By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
The NBA announced Tuesday a very special celebration to honor its 75th season, with an elite of players featured on the 75th Anniversary Team, which will be unveiled in the 2021-22 season-opening week, from October 19 through October 21.
On each of the three days, 25 members of the team will be announced, representing a cross-section of positions and eras from the NBA’s illustrious history. A distinguished panel of media members, current and former players, coaches, GMs, and team executives will have a say in the final selection.
The league picked Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Bob Pettit, and Oscar Robertson, as well as 14-time NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, as the ambassadors for the 2021-22 season as part of the “NBA 75,”. The ambassadors, all representing different eras of the league, will appear throughout the 75th Anniversary Season and they are expected to have a strong presence at the upcoming NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
Per the league’s announcement:
TNT will begin the unveiling of the 75th Anniversary Team on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. ET during an extended edition of “NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax” with the Sports Emmy Award-winning studio team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. The 90-minute pregame show will air prior to the network’s opening-night doubleheader featuring the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Golden State Warriors visiting the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).
ESPN will take over the honors on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. ET when it announces 25 more members of the team during “NBA Today,” the network’s new daily 60-minute NBA show hosted by Malika Andrews, ahead of its season-opening doubleheader with the Boston Celtics facing the New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Denver Nuggets taking on the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET).
The final 25 members of the team will be revealed on TNT’s “NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax” on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. ET, in advance of the network’s presentation of the Dallas Mavericks vs. the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the LA Clippers vs. the Warriors (10 p.m. ET).
Photo: NBA.com