[djohn]

I believe consideration for the top 50 works pretty much the same way it does for the HOF - it's not just based on what a player did in the NBA, it covers all aspects including college, international and off-court activities. If that is true, then that leaves the door wide open.

The basketball HOF works that way, the NBA 50 at 50 did not. It was meant for the best in the NBA. There are plenty of great basketball stories of players in other leagues and in high school or college doing amazing things (and then having injuries or something else curtail them before they even began a NBA career). The list was not meant for the 50 best basketball players ever, or 50 most influential players ever, it was the 50 GREATEST NBA players ever. If the list was redone as a 50 greatest or most influential basketball players ever it would look completely different (players like Arvydas Sabonis and Yao Ming would definitely be on it).
Oh and someone else that I missed, as I guess I just assumed they were on the original 50 is Bob McAdoo. I still can't believe he and Dominique weren't on the original list.