“Just being there with all my idols… thinking how fortunate I was” – Walt Frazier on why being included in the NBA’s Top 50 was the greatest honor of his career originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When reflecting on the career of Walt Frazier, one might assume that leading the New York Knicks to two titles in four years, during a transition period following the end of the Boston Celtics’ dominant era, would stand out as his most significant achievement. However, for the seven-time All-Star, that was not the case. In fact, for Mr. Cool, the greatest honor he received in his career was being named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team, wherein he was on the same pedestal as his idols, the pioneers of the game of basketball.
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Frazier on being included in the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team
In 1996, the selection process for the 50 greatest players in NBA history was intensely competitive, much like the debate surrounding the 75th Anniversary Team decades later. The chosen 50 players represented a staggering level of excellence, collectively accounting for 107 championships, 49 MVP awards, 447 All-Star appearances, 36 scoring titles, 17 ROY honors and nearly a million points scored (at that time). Frazier, with his seven All-Defensive selections in 13 years, earned a rightful place among the most elite.
For Walt, what made this honor so special wasn’t the recognition, but the fact that he was in the presence of his idols like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, all under the same roof. Simply put, being seen as their equal and celebrated alongside them brought Walt a deeper sense of fulfillment than winning championship rings ever could.
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“It’s unequivocally the greatest honor that I’ve achieved in basketball. Because when you think about players that have played, thousands and thousands of players that have played in the NBA, to be one of the 50 greatest, it’s a magnificent honor,” Frazier recalled with a huge smile on his face.”
“I can remember in Cleveland, when they held it, just being there with all my idols: Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell (and) John Havlicek. I was just sitting there thinking how fortunate I was in order to be there,” he added.
Frazier’s excitement was through the roof
Interestingly, it wasn’t a realization that came years later. Even as he stood among the game’s greatest players, those from before his time, his contemporaries and the future legends, Frazier knew he was part of something truly unique and unforgettable.
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“You see Jabbar walk in, you see Jordan walk in, you see Elgin (Baylor) and Oscar (Robertson),” Frazier said at that time of the event. “You know this is something special.”
Frazier’s reflections serve as a reminder that even for the most accomplished athletes, certain honors carry a deeper emotional weight. For the Knicks’ legendary point guard, that singular moment validated not just his career, but his place in the lineage of basketball greatness.
Fortunately, based on everything he accomplished during his playing days, Walt’s inclusion in both the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams all but guarantees he’ll remain a lock for any future Anniversary honors.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.