Chapter 652: Chapter 202: The Perks of Unwarranted Criticism and Big Fatty’s Fury
On the evening of October 28, 1996, a gossip media outlet in New York released the list of NBA 50 Greatest Players, whose final voting and counting had just been completed today.
A total of 9 point guards, 9 shooting guards, 9 small forwards, 9 power forwards, and 14 centers were selected.
Point Guards: Knight Archibald, Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, Elvin Johnson, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Dave Bing, Oscar Robertson, Lanny Wilkens.
Shooting Guards: Clyde Drexler, George Gervin, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe, Bill Sharman, Jerry West.
Small Forwards: Paul Arizin, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Bill Cunningham, Julius Erving, John Havlicek, Scottie Pippen, James Worthy.
Power Forwards: Charles Barkley, Dave DeBusschere, Elvin Hayes, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Kevin McHale, Bob Pettit, Dolph Schayes, Zhang Hao.
Centers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Dave Cowens, Patrick Ewing, Moses Malone, George Mikan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Willis Reed, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton.
As soon as the list was announced, many people initially thought it was real because it looked quite authentic, and it was indeed the names the media had been analyzing for lack of news over the past two years. But seeing a single name inserted among the power forwards...
The credibility didn’t seem so high anymore.
Seeing this name, many people’s first reaction was — joking, right? Fake news?
However, the other names looked too real! And the chief editor of the magazine confirmed in an interview that they received the information from within the NBA, but the specific source of the information was not disclosed.
When the media tried to ask the NBA official if the leaked list was accurate, the NBA official refused to accept the interview.
This left the media, who originally thought it was fake news, dumbfounded. After the news of the NBA’s refusal was spread, it made the situation more mysterious...
Finally, after a night of heated public discussion, at 8 a.m. the next morning, the American Cable TV Station’s live news program broadcast the NBA’s announcement of the 50 Greatest Players list four hours earlier.
NBA’s official announcement and the list exposed by the gossip media were almost identical, except Zhang Hao’s name was removed from the power forward position, and Shaq O’Neal’s name was added between Olajuwon and Robert Parish in the center position. Power forwards became 8 in total among the 50 greatest, while centers became 15.
After the list was announced, David Stern appeared on the live broadcast.
After exchanging pleasantries with the host, David Stern said, "We spent more than a month, went through multiple rounds of voting, and consolidated personal data, contributions to the NBA and basketball, personal honors, team honors... and a series of criteria, incorporated the opinions of retired players, veteran fans, basketball experts, professional commentators, professional announcers... and other professionals, to complete this vote, selecting the most authoritative 50 greatest players. These 50 greatest players will be the NBA’s 50th-anniversary representatives, and an award will be given at the 1997 All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.
I apologize for the premature leaking of this valuable list due to our error.
However, the leaked list was inaccurate. We had a significant workload over the past few days, and the final score calculations were only completed yesterday morning. While ranking the players with the top 50 overall scores, we accidentally missed the 50th player and inadvertently included the 51st player in the list.
Before we could review, confirm the final list, and only sort according to position and surname initials, the list was stolen.
I apologize for this mistake, and I will conduct a strict investigation into the reasons behind this incident and provide an explanation to the fans.
Lastly, I must proudly announce that we have selected the NBA’s 50th anniversary’s greatest 50 players!"
After speaking, David Stern bowed with a face full of apology...
...
In the end, the league officially announced that it was merely an accident!
Media, fans, and experts discussed throughout the night, and finally got this answer.
In other words, Zhang Hao was unjustly criticized the entire night...
However, Shaq O’Neal’s inclusion in the 50 greatest players also sparked significant controversy.
Because compared to the other 50 greatest players, Shaq O’Neal had the weakest statistics, personal honors, and team honors, especially since he had only played for 4 years.
Nevertheless, when Shaq O’Neal was questioned, he had a teammate standing by his side—Zhang Hao.
Although Zhang Hao was not selected as one of the 50 greatest players, considering David Stern’s comments during the interview, Zhang Hao was ranked 51st in the overall score!
This ranking, regardless of inclusion or exclusion, made Zhang Hao a scapegoat, as the media continuously attacked him without any wrongdoing on his part.
...
Finally got this matter sorted out!
David Stern felt that this operation was extremely exhausting!
In deciding the importance of various selection criteria, he used various methods to enhance the probability of young players being selected.
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