The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team selection process sparked considerable debate due to the notable omissions of several accomplished players, including Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, and Dwight Howard, among others.
However, including these deserving candidates would necessitate the removal of other players from the elite list. While that could be a challenging task, it was not for Shaquille O'Neal , for whom the first obvious exclusion was Bill Walton .
O'Neal contested Big Red's selections in the NBA 75 Team
During an episode of his podcast, Shaq had Tracy McGrady as his guest. Keen to know what T-Mac's thoughts were about not being included in the NBA's 75th Anniversary team, they discussed the finalists. In response, the seven-time All-Star admitted that he 'wasn't mad but shocked' to see his snub but expressed gratitude for being a Hall of Famer - an honor that held greater significance for him.
At that point, the three-time Finals MVP found the opportunity to question Walton's inclusion in the list.
"You know who I've always had a problem with? Bill Walton," Shaq said . "Why he only got 6,000 points in the NBA? Like, really?"
There's no denying that Walton's prime years in his late 20s were lost due to injuries. Bill's best season had him averaging 18.9 points per game, and he featured in more than 70 regular season games just once in his decade-long career.
However, one should not overlook how 'Big Red' led the Portland Trail Blazers to their first-ever NBA title in 1977 while averaging 18.5 points, 19.0 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. Then, at the age of 33, he won the 6MOTY award en route to helping the Boston Celtics win a championship in 1986. Despite this, co-host Nischelle Turner added more to Shaq's perspective of choosing Tracy over Bill.
"If you're gonna pick Bill Walton and Tracy McGrady, it's Tracy McGrady eight days a week," Turner said . "All day, every day."
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Did T-Mac deserve a place over Bill Walton?
McGrady was the superior scorer, evidenced by the fact that he even led the league in scoring for two seasons. Furthermore, the scoring prowess during his peak years was among the very best in the NBA. The 6'8" shooting guard also had five more All-Star selections than Walton.
However, in terms of accomplishments, the 6'11" center had a more impressive resume than the seven-time All-Star despite playing six fewer seasons. Not only did Bill win two championships, which Shaq considers a significant benchmark in debates regarding all-time great centers , but he also had two All-Defensive Team selections, whereas McGrady had none.
Therefore, while T-Mac might seem like a more attractive player to choose, Walton's selection made more sense.
Related: "His resume isn't good enough to speak on what I've done" - When Shaquille O'Neal threw shots at Bill Walton for his remarks on him
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