The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). These 50 players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. In addition, the top ten head coaches and top ten single-season teams in NBA history were selected by media members as part of the celebration. The list was announced by NBA commissioner David Stern on October 29, 1996, at the hotel Grand Hyatt New York, the former site of the Commodore Hotel, where the original NBA charter was signed on June 6, 1946. Forty-seven of the fifty players were later assembled in Cleveland, during the halftime ceremony of the 1997 All-Star Game. At the time of the announcement, 11 players were active; all have subsequently retired. Shaquille O'Neal (pictured) was the last to be active in the NBA, retiring at the end of the 2010–11 season. (Full list...)