If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 100 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 130 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 144 Points:  34 Games, 34.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 32.5 PER, 7.3 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic pulled back as the lone top man in Cup Points, and for our money, he is the current favorite for the MVP.  Doncic just took over as the scoring leader (34.2), and is also tops in the standings in Win Shares (7.3) and VORP (4.4).

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 137 Points:  35 Games, 29.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 26.6 PER, 5.7 WS.  (#2 on last ranking)

The Nets are on fire, and whether are winning or losing, Durant always shines.

3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 128 Points:  34 Games, 31.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 25.1 PER, 5.2 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, and Tatum is over that now.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 127 Points:  30 Games, 32.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 28.4 PER, 4.2 WS. (#5 on last ranking)

Giannis moves up another spot and the two-time MVP’s Bucks look ready to win it all.  He is in the top five in Rebounds and Points per Game.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 125 Points:  33 Games, 30.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 26.6 PER, 5.0 WS. (#3 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.  How great will this Canadian be?

6. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 121 Points:  32 Games, 25.5 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 31.9 PER, 6.8 WS.  (#6 on last ranking)

The “Joker” is on fire lately, and we know someone wants to get that third Cup!  He is currently leading the NBA in PER 32.3, Box Plus/Minus (12.1).

7. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 119 Points:  34 Games, 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 21.0 PER, 2.8 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.  

8. (Tie) Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 117 Points:  30 Games, 27.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 8.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 23.4 PER, 3.1 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

8 (Tie). Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 117 Points:  27 Games, 33.2 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 30.3 PER, 4.8 WS.  (#8 on last ranking)

Embiid makes his 2022/23 top ten debut, and is currently second in Points per Game (behind Doncic).

10. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls, 105 Points:  36 Games, 26.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 22.3 PER, 4.6 WS. (Not on last ranking)

DeMar DeRozan makes his first appearance this year in the top ten, and is proving that his comeback last year was no fluke.

Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 150 Cup Points.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 100 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 130 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 134 Points:  32 Games, 33.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 31.5 PER, 6.5 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic pulled back as the lone top man in Cup Points, and for our money, he is the current favorite for the MVP.  At present, he is leading the NBA in VORP (3.9), and is second in Points, fourth in Assists, and sixth in Steals per Game.

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 133 Points:  34 Games, 29.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 26.8 PER, 5.5 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

The Nets are on fire, and whether are winning or losing, Durant always shines.

3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 125 Points:  33 Games, 31.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 25.5 PER, 5.2 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, and Tatum is over that now.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 123 Points:  31 Games, 31.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 27.4 PER, 5.0 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.  How great will this Canadian be?

5.  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 122 Points:  29 Games, 31.7 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 28.1 PER, 3.9 WS. (#5 on last ranking)

Giannis is back where he belongs in the top five and the two-time MVP’s Bucks look ready to win it all.  He is in the top five in Rebounds and Points per Game.

6. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 116 Points:  31 Games, 25.7 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 9.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 32.3 PER, 6.6 WS.  (#6 on last ranking)

The “Joker” is on fire lately, and we know someone wants to get that third Cup!  He is currently leading the NBA in PER 32.3, Box Plus/Minus (12.2) and Win Shares (6.6).

7. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 115 Points:  33 Games, 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 20.2 PER, 2.9 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.  

8. Joel Embiid, Phila, 109 Points:  25 Games, 33.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 30.6 PER, 4.6 WS.  (Not on last ranking)

Embiid makes his 2022/23 top ten debut, and is currently leading the NBA in Points per Game, which is currently higher than last year’s league lead.

9.  Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 108 Points:  28 Games, 27.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 23.3 PER, 2.8 WS. (#10 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

10. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 102 Points:  26 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 26.7 PER, 4.1 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

Curry is now out with an injury, and just hung on to a top ten spot.  He will be off by the next update.

Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 140 Cup Points.

d Cavaliers fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 140 Cup Points.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 120 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 120 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1 (Tie). Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 121 Points:  31 Games, 30.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 27.0 PER, 5.0 WS.  (#2 on last ranking)

Durant moves back up to the top spot, albeit in a tie, and sure enough, he also shares the most amount of Points (934) with Luka Doncic, though KD has played two more Games.

1 (Tie). Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 121 Points:  29 Games, 32.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 30.3 PER, 5.3 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic remains at the top (though now tied with Durant) and should be considered the top contender for the MVP.  At present, he is second in Points per Game behind Joel Embiid, and is also topping the stat line in VORP (3.6).

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 113 Points:  29 Games, 31.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 27.0 PER, 4.5 WS.  (#5 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.  How great will this Canadian be?

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 111 Points:  30 Games, 30.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 24.9 PER, 4.4 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, and Tatum is over that now.

5.  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 110 Points:  26 Games, 31.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 28.8 PER, 3.7 WS. (#5 on last ranking)

Giannis is back where he belongs in the top five and the two-time MVP’s Bucks look ready to win it all.  He is in the top five in Rebounds and Points per Game.

6. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 103 Points:  27 Games, 24.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 9.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 32.0 PER, 5.5 WS.  (#10 on last ranking)

The “Joker” is on fire lately, and we know someone wants to get that third Cup!  He is currently leading the NBA in Box Plus/Minus (12.0) and Win Shares (5.5).

7 (Tie). Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 102 Points:  30 Games, 26.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 19.8 PER, 2.3 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.  

7 (Tie). Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 102 Points:  26 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 26.7 PER, 4.1 WS. (#4 on last ranking)

Curry is now out with an injury, and will likely be out of the top ten by the next update.

9. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, 99 Points:  29 Games, 29.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 24.8 PER, 4.9 WS.  (Not on last ranking)

Mitchell returns to the top ten, and more and more it looks like he was the true star of his previous team, Utah.

10.  Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 98 Points:  25 Games, 27.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 23.8 PER, 2.6 WS. (#10 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 130 Cup Points.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 110 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 110 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 110 Points:  25 Games, 33.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 30.9 PER, 4.8 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic remains at the top and should be considered the top contender for the MVP.  At present, he is the current scoring leader, and is also topping the stat line in Minutes per Game (36.8), PER, Win Shares and VORP (3.0).

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 107 Points:  28 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 26.8 PER, 4.6 WS.  (#2 on last ranking)

Durant’s Nets were the most dysfunctional team in the NBA early in the season, but Durant remained calm and is flirting with finishing with his first 30 Points per Game season in years.  He is currently leading the league in Minutes Played (1,028).

3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 98 Points:  27 Games, 29.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 24.3 PER, 3.7 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, which he was over until this week.

4. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 97 Points:  24 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 26.3 PER, 4.0 WS. (#4 on last ranking)

Curry only played one Game in this period, but did enough to hold on to the fourth spot.  The Warriors are only one game over .500, a disappointment for the defending champions, but Curry is as good as he has ever been.

5 (Tie).  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 95 Points:  22 Games, 31.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 28.3 PER, 3.1 WS. (#6 on last ranking)

Giannis is back where he belongs in the top five and the two-time MVP’s Bucks look ready to win it all.  He is in the top five in Rebounds and Points per Game.

5 (Tie). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 95 Points:  25 Games, 31.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 27.8 PER, 4.1 WS.  (#5 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.

7. (Tie). Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 89 Points:  26 Games, 26.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.9 PER, 2.4 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.  He also has two consecutive ranking updates where he elevated his position.

8.  Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 88 Points:  22 Games, 27.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 24.3 PER, 2.5 WS. (#8 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

9. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, 87 Points:  23 Games, 27.7 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.2 BPG, 32.3 PER, 4.7 WS.  (Not on last ranking)

Davis returns to the top ten, and if Los Angeles will make the playoffs, it will mostly because of him and not LeBron James.  He is currently the leading rebounder and his PER is also leading the league.

10. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 86 Points:  23 Games, 23.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 31.5 PER, 4.6 WS.  (Not on last ranking)

Jokic finally worked his way into the top ten, and needs others to falter to retain his Title.

Devin Booker of Phoenix and Donovan Mitchell fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 120 Cup Points.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 100 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 100 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 100 Points:  23 Games, 32.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 31.2 PER, 4.6 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic remains at the top and should be considered the top contender for the MVP.  At present, he is the current scoring leader, and is also topping the stat line in PER, Win Shares and VORP (2.8).

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 94 Points:  25 Games, 29.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 26.5 PER, 4.0 WS.  (#2 on last ranking)

Durant might play for the most dysfunctional team in the NBA, but the Nets struggles cannot be pinned on KD, who has been electric this year.  He is currently leading the league in Field Goals (265).  

3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 91 Points:  24 Games, 30.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 25.8 PER, 3.8 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, but he is currently over that now. 

4. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 90 Points:  23 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 26.3 PER, 3.8 WS. (#3 on last ranking)

Curry only played one Game in this period, but was not awarded any Cup Points, which cost him one spot to Tatum.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 87 Points:  22 Games, 31.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 28.0 PER, 3.6 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.

6.  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 82 Points:  19 Games, 31.9 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 29.6 PER, 2.8 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

The two-time MVP missed a few Games, which dropped Antetokounmpo in the standings, but the Bucks are considered the top contenders to win it all this year.

7. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, 81 Points:  24 Games, 28.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 23.6 PER, 3.6 WS. (#6 on last ranking)

Booker is on pace to have the highest PPG and PER of his career, though his last two Games dropped his stat line and two spots here.

8.  Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 80 Points:  20 Games, 28.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 24.5 PER, 2.2 WS. (#8 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

9. (Tie). Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 79 Points:  23 Games, 26.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.7 PER, 2.1 WS. (#10 on last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.

9. (Tie). Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, 79 Points:  23 Games, 29.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 24.6 PER, 3.9 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Mitchell’s numbers in his first year in Cleveland are higher than his last year in Utah, and it is reflecting in the Cavaliers overall performance.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 110 Cup Points.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 90 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 90 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 92 Points:  21 Games, 33.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.6 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 31.3 PER, 4.2 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

Is this the year that Doncic becomes the MVP?  If so, this will make the fifth year that a non-American wins the prize.  At present, he is the current scoring leader, and is also topping the stat line in PER, Win Shares and VORP (2.6).

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 91 Points:  24 Games, 29.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 26.7 PER, 4.0 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Durant might play for the most dysfunctional team in the NBA, but the Nets struggles cannot be pinned on KD, who has been electric this year.  He is currently leading the league in Points (716) and Field Goals (252).

3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 90 Points:  22 Games, 30.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 27.5 PER, 3.9 WS. (#2 on last ranking)

The Warriors have disappointed this year, and are clearly aging, but that is not the case for Curry, who is leading the NBA in Win Shares, Offensive Box Plus/Minus (9.2) and Three-Point Field Goals (115).

4 (Tie). Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 82 Points:  22 Games, 30.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 26.1 PER, 3.6 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, but he is currently over that now.

4 (Tie). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 82 Points:  21 Games, 31.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 28.1 PER, 3.5 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.

6. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, 78 Points:  22 Games, 29.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 24.5 PER, 3.5 WS. (#8 on last ranking)

Booker is on pace to have the highest PPG and PER of his career.

7.  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 77 Points:  18 Games, 31.8 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 29.3 PER, 2.6 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

The two-time MVP missed a few Games, which dropped Antetokounmpo in the standings, but the Bucks are considered the top contenders to win it all this year.

8.  Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 75 Points:  19 Games, 28.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 25.7 PER, 2.0 WS. (#6 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

9 (Tie). Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, 73 Points:  19 Games, 27.2 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 2.4 BPG, 30.6 PER, 3.8 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Davis has been on fire lately, though the same can’t be said about the rest of his team.  He is currently the league leader in Rebounds per Game. 

10. (Tie). Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 72 Points:  21 Games, 26.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 20.0 PER, 1.7 WS. (not on the top ten in the last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.

10. (Tie). Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, 72 Points:  21 Games, 28.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 24.3 PER, 3.5 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Mitchell’s numbers in his first year in Cleveland are higher than his last year in Utah, and it is reflecting in the Cavaliers overall performance.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 100 Cup Points.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 80 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 80 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets 82 Points:  22 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 26.6 PER, 3.5 WS.

Durant might play for the most dysfunctional team in the NBA, but the Nets struggles cannot be pinned on KD, who has been electric this year.  The last time Durant finished with 30 Points per Game was in 2013/14, and his 1.8 BPG is higher than any year-end total.  As of this writing, Durant has logged the most minutes (807), sunk the most Field Goals (233) and has the most Points (660).

2. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors 80 Points:  19 Games, 31.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 29.1 PER, 3.6 WS.

The Warriors have disappointed this year, and are clearly aging, but that is not the case for Curry, who is leading the NBA in Win Shares, Offensive Win Shares (3.0) and Three-Point Field Goals (99).

3. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks 78 Points:  18 Games, 33.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 31.0 PER, 3.6 WS.

Doncic is our first-quarter MVP, and the current leader in Points per Game, and is on pace for his first 30 PER/30 PPG year.

4 (Tie). Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics 77 Points:  20 Games, 30.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 26.6 PER, 3.3 WS.

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, but he is currently over that now.

4 (Tie). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder 77 Points:  20 Games, 31.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 27.6 PER, 3.32 WS.

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.

6. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 69 Points:  17 Games, 28.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 7.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 25.7 PER, 2.0 WS.

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

7 (Tie). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 67 Points:  20 Games, 30.9 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 28.5 PER, 2.1 WS.

The two-time MVP missed a few Games, which dropped Antetokounmpo in the standings, but the Bucks are considered the top contenders to win it all this year.

7 (Tie). Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, 67 Points:  20 Games, 27.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 22.4 PER, 2.3 WS.

Booker is on pace to have the highest PPG and PER of his career.

9. (Tie). Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, 64 Points:  19 Games, 28.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 23.9 PER, 3.0 WS.

Mitchell’s numbers in his first year in Cleveland are higher than his last year in Utah, and it is reflecting in the Cavaliers overall performance.

9 (Tie). Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, 64 Points:  17 Games, 26.2 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.3 BPG, 29.6 PER, 3.2 WS.

Davis has been on fire lately, though the same can’t be said about the rest of his team.  He is currently the league leader in Rebounds per Game.

Kevin Durant went down with a torn Achilles in the 2019 Finals when Golden State lost to the Toronto Raptors.  He made his intent clear to leave GSW for the Nets, and a sign-and-trade was engineered though Durant had to sit out the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign during injury.  

Making his return to the court in December of 2020, Durant was joined by James Harden three weeks later and along with Kyrie Irving, this was the next “big three” that would win it all!  That didn’t happen, and Harden barely lasted a year, but the Nets problems can not be traced to Durant’s performance (when healthy).  Durant was a Second Team All-NBA Selection lin 2021-22, but the cracks around the bg three formed.  After Harden left, Kyrie had his issues with off-court comments and his refusal to get vaccinated.  Durant and Irving were both unhappy, but despite their frustrations, they were still elite players, especially Durant.  Irving and Durant both wanted out of Brooklyn, and they got it, with KD traded to Phoenix.

As tumultuous as his run in BRK was, Durant was still a top-tier player, averaging 29.0 Points per Game, which was higher than he did anywhere else.  This is why he is still ranked so high despite the expecations in a Championship not being met.

The Brooklyn Nets have a problem. Last season was a bust and should have delivered much more than a limp first-round play-off loss to the Boston Celtics. Now the futures of two of their big names, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, are very much in doubt, and the former of that pair is said to have given his side an ultimatum in relation to his future at the Barclays Center.

The two-time NBA Champion is said to have told Nets owner Joe Tsai that unless he dispenses with the services of general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash, he’ll seek to leave Brooklyn. 

Last season the Nets were considered one of the favorites for the NBA title, and a fair amount of sports betting enthusiasts would have back that bet via sports-betting-ny.com only to see the side struggle for large chunks of the season and end with a very average regular season record of 44-38, and if it were not for Durant, that record could have been significantly worse. 

Subsequently, Tsai has moved to quash talk of either of his main backroom staff leaving, stating that they have his support and now there is growing speculation that Durant may push to join the Celtics, a trade that is aided by the fact that he has a strong relationship with Boston coach Ime Udoka, who he worked with at both Brooklyn and as part of the successful Team USA team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Kyrie Irving is also said not to be happy with the Marks and Nash combination but has less of a say in the matter given his problematic relationship with the Nets after missing out on large chunks of last season due to his vaccination status.

Durant, on the other hand, is a player with less baggage, and when he points out his issues with a coach and general manager, these are clearly going to be listened to, and now the ball is seemingly very much in Tsai’s court.

As a 12-time NBA All-Star, Durant has a great deal of sway in what happens with the Nets, and Brooklyn would do well to try to appease the situation as much as possible, even if this doesn’t mean acting on his advice to sack the pair.

If Durant were to leave, there would clearly be a lot of interested parties, and some speculation has arisen about a move to join the Phoenix Suns. 

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 added to the rumors via his sports talk show, stating;

"I'm hearing, and take it for what it's worth, ok? I'm hearing that Kevin Durant is expected to be in the Valley tonight,"

This was echoed by Mike Jurecki, who tweeted;

"Hearing KD landed in Phoenix around 7ish PM has a driver who also provides his security," 

"Technically, he can't meet with the Suns without permission which doesn't preclude him from talking to Suns players."

You can expect a lot more on this story, especially if the 33-year-old doesn’t directly discuss his plans on the matter any time soon.

As dawn rises on the 2021-21 NBA Season, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are continuing our new tradition of the pre-season 50 current players based on their Hall of Fame current resume.  

Consider this our version of a Hall of Fame monitor.

Here is how we decide our Top 50:

The most significant factor we look at is how each active player measures up to the last fourteen players who were chosen.  To be specific, we are focusing only on players who were voted through the conventional means and not through any special committee. What this means that no Direct-Elect Committee Inductees will part of the comparisons.  The Direct-Elect categories are Contributors, Early African-American Pioneers, International, and Veterans.  Please note that at present, we are not ranking women, but may make a separate list in the future.  

Inspired by Jay Jaffe’s JAWS statistic that looks at the best seven-year stretch of a baseball player according to bWAR, we are doing the same with current basketball players.  Specifically, we compiled the average PER, Win Shares and VORP for each of the past Hall of Famers based on their best seven-year period.  The additional thinking behind this is that in Basketball, there is an additional focus on periods of greatness as opposed to sports like Baseball, where compiling statistics is more glorified.  Consider this the “Elite Period”

As opposed to what we have done with Football, we are not isolating these metrics by their position as the PER, Win Shares and VORP considers everything, thus the Elite Period stats work for all.

We are also looking at the amount of All-Star Games and All-NBA Selections.  In terms of the All-NBA and All-Defensive Selections, we are compiling in a weighted fashion.  In terms of Third Team All-NBA Selections, one point will be assigned, Second Team All-NBA Selections will have two points will be granted, and First Team All-NBA Selections will have three points.  

So, let’s continue!

We have made one huge change, as we added the members from the 2021 Class, and focused exclusively on the last four years.  This has generated a pool of 18 players, who we are looking at.

Specifically, this has generated the following averages:

The new Top 50 can be found here.

As you would expect, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is number 1, on this ranking, and has a resume so loaded that if the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame elected to waive the three-year waiting period, it would be akin to when the Hockey Hall did the same for Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.  Interestingly, the Lakers are stocked with veteran stars, and have the most players on this list, also featuring Russell Westbrook (#6), Dwight Howard (#8), Anthony Davis (#9), Carmelo Anthony (#13) and Rajon Rondo (#25).

The Brooklyn Nets are also heavily represented with Kevin Durant (#2), James Harden (#4), Kyrie Irving (#14), Blake Griffin (#16), LaMarcus Aldridge (#20) and Paul Millsap (#35).

Other players in the top ten are Chris Paul (#3), Steph Curry (#5), Giannis Antetokounmpo (#7) and Kawhi Leonard (#10).

As always, we welcome your feedback, and we look forward to another incredible NBA season.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the Art Ross Trophy.  This time we went back to basketball, and the NBA Finals MVP.

The award was first given out in 1969, and basketball is the most star driven team sport of the big four, so we should expect that it will have a higher yield than the others.

So how many NBA Finals MVPs have made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the NBA Finals MVP who are eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers, 37.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 7.4 APG (1969)    

The first NBA Finals MVP was a Laker, which is not a shock, but with Jerry West, it was also from a losing team, as L.A. lost to the Boston in seven games.  West did everything he could, and considering he pulled his hamstring in Game 5, and was still performing at an elite level in Games 6 and 7, it was hard to award to anyone else.  In the regular season, West was a Second Team All-NBA Selection, and he was a First Team Selection in his first six seasons.  West played 14 years in the NBA, all with Los Angeles, and he was an All-Star in every single one of those years.  He would finally win his title as a player in 1972.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

Willis Reed, New York Knicks, 23.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.8 APG (1970)    

Willis Reed had a phenomenal 1969-70 year.  Reed became the first player to win the NBA MVP, the All-Star Game MVP and the Finals MVP in the same year.  Reed was injured in the Finals with a torn thigh muscle, and was forced to miss Game 6, but he willed his way to play in Game 7, where he only scored four Points, but considering he should not have been on the court at all, it was miraculous.  That display of courage helped will the Knicks over the Lakers to win the Championship.    Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks, 27.0 PPG, 18.5 RPG, 2.8 APG (1971)      

Known at the time as Lew Alcindor, Abdul-Jabbar was only in his second season in the NBA, and he followed up being the Rookie of the Year with his first MVP and Scoring Title.  Abdul-Jabbar was the undisputed best player in the game at the time, and he led Milwaukee to a four-game sweep over the Philadelphia 76ers to win his first title, and the first for Milwaukee.    Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers, 19.4 PPG, 23.2 RPG, 2.6 APG (1972)

Wilt Chamberlain was the most prolific scorers in the history of basketball, and some will say that he was the best.  “The Stilt” was near the end of his career, and at 35, and now a Laker, Chamberlain showed a more nuanced game to help Los Angeles beat the Knicks.  Over his career, Chamberlain won four MVPs, seven Scoring Titles, and two NBA Titles. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Willis Reed, New York Knicks, 16.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.6 APG (2) (1973)

Willis Reed would win his second NBA Championship this year, but his All-Star years were behind him.  While he was good in the Finals, there were other teammates (Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere) that could have won this. Reed’s injuries compounded, and he retried a year after.  Over his career, Reed was a five-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, and an MVP. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

John Havlicek, Boston Celtics, 26.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.0 BPG (1974)   

The Boston Celtics were loaded with superstars and they won a plethora of championships in the 1960s.  Boston was still a very good team in the 1970s, and John Havlicek was part of a lot of their success, and this year was his seventh of eight NBA Titles.  The Celtic was a 13-time NBA All-Star, a four-time First Team All-NBA player and this year he helped will the Celtics over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks.  He played his entire career with the Celtics and retired in 1978.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors, 29.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 3.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1975)      

The Hall of Fame career of Rick Barry was a complicated one, as he could be as moody as he was talented.  Barry began his career with the Warriors, and after a run in the ABA, he was back and he led Golden State to the title in their sweep over the Washington Bullets.  Barry would be a 12-time All-Star and he was also a six-time All-NBA and four-time All-ABA Selection.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics, 21.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG (1976)       

A member of the Celtics’ 1974 Championship, Jo Jo White was an All-Star annually from 1971 to 1977.  In 1976, The Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games, with White notably scoring 33 Points in the Game 5 triple-overtime win.  White, who was also a Second Team All-NBA player twice, played until 1981, though he did not finish his career with Boston. White also played with Golden State and the Kansas City Kings.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers, 18.5 PPG, 19.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 3.7 BPG (1977)    

Bill Walton had a pro career that was constantly plagued with foot problems, so much so that the famed Grateful Dead fan missed three full years during his prime.  In 1976-77, Walton was mostly healthy, and he led Portland to an upset over the favored 76ers.  Walton, who was a two-time All-Star, won a second title with the Boston Celtics in 1985-86, when he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets, 9.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG (1978)

Elvin Hayes was by far the better statistical performer in the Bullets’ 1978 championship, but the popular Wes Unseld won this honor on the strength of his defense.  Unseld was a five-time All-Star, and he played his entire career with the Baltimore/Washington franchise.  Unseld’s 9.0 PPG is the lowest of any NBA Finals MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics, 22.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 2.2 BPG (1979)

In the only NBA Championship of the existence of the Seattle SuperSonics, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star for the first of five times over his career.  This was a star-making performance for Johnson, who would later win two more NBA Titles as a member of the Boston Celtics.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, 21.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 8.7 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG (1980)  

For the first and to date only time in the history of the NBA Finals MVP, a rookie and/or Rookie of the Year won the award. Johnson came in to Los Angeles at the start of the season as the new star of the team and the number one pick also went from NCAA Champion to NBA Champion.  The Lakers won over the Sixers in six games and Magic was now considered one of the best clutch players in the NBA.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, 16.2 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 8.0 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG (2) (1982)      

Johnson and the Lakers again faced Philadelphia, and while Johnson’s star was rising, he had a tumultuous 12 months prior with injuries and clashes with management.  Winning cures everything, and Johnson was again money in their six-game series win.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers, 25.8 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG (1983)     

This was the first season of Moses Malone in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform after being a two-time MVP with the Houston Rockets. Malone was an NBA All-Star for the sixth of twelve straight years, and he also won his fourth of six Rebounding Titles.  Malone won his third MVP (and last MVP), and the Sixers finally won the title and Malone was incredible in their sweep over the Lakers.  He played until 1995, with stops in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia (again) and San Antonio.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, 27.4 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG (1984)        

Larry Bird was already a superstar player and an NBA Champion.  This was his fifth season in basketball, and he was an All-Star each year, but this year he was the elite player, on a championship team on a legendary franchise. Bird helped topple Magic Johnson and the favored Lakers, and he became a legend in the process.  Notably, Bird also won the MVP for the first time.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers, 25.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG (2) (1985)       

It was 14 years since Abdul-Jabbar won his first Finals MVP, and a lot happened since that first win.  The big man won five more MVPs, bringing his total to six, and he took the Lakers to titles in 1980 and 1982.  Abdul-Jabbar was no longer the best player, that was Magic Johnson, but he was still a great player, and was great in their six-game win over the Celtics.  Abdul-Jabbar played until 1989, and he was named an All-Star in all but one of his seasons.  He was also a ten-time First Team All-NBA Selection, and a First Team, All-Defensive Player five times.  At the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader in Games Played, Points, Field Goals and Minutes Played.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, 24.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG (2) (1986)     

Bird won the MVP and Finals MVP in 1984, and in the year after, he was “just” the MVP.  Bird did reach the Finals, but they lost to the Lakers. Boston made it to the Finals again in 1986, with Bird winning his third straight MVP, however this time they were opposed by the Houston Rockets.  Bird and the Celtics won in six games, with Bird leading Boston to a lopsided Game Six win.  This year would be the last MVP and Title for Bird, who began to suffer back issues, but played until 1992.  Bird was an All-Star every year of his career but one, and he went on to be the only man in NBA history to win the Rookie of the Year, MVP, All-Star Game MVP, Finals MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.  This will likely never happen again.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, 26.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 13.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG (3) (1987)      

Magic Johnson became the first player to win the NBA Finals MVP three times, and his 13.0 APG is the most ever by a Finals MVP. Johnson’s Laker beat the Celtics in six, and this season, he was also named the league MVP.  Johnson won the MVP again in 1988 and 1990, and this year was his fourth NBA Title of five as a player.  Johnson would test positive for HIV in 1991, retiring abruptly, but he came back for the 1992 All-Star Game and briefly in 1996.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers, 22.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG (1988)     

James Worthy was the first overall pick of the 1982 Draft, and he would play his entire career with the Lakers.  The Small Forward went to his first of seven All-Star Games in 1986.  The 1988 championship was Worthy’s third (and last), but his “Big Game James” was at full-force in this seven-game series win over the Detroit Pistons.  Worthy played until 1994, and would also be a two-time Third Team All-NBA Selection.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons, 27.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG (1989)      

Joe Dumars may have been part of the “Bad Bo Pistons” but he was not exactly a player who fit that mold.  No matter.  Dumars arrived this season and was the highest scorer with his 27.3 PPG in Detroit’s sweep of the Lakers.  Dumars would later go to six All-Star Games, and he would play his entire career with the Pistons.  He retired in 1999, and would win another championship as a Pistons Executive in 2004. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons, 27.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG (1990)    

Isiah Thomas was the face of the Pistons for years, and it is fitting that he was one of the players who won the Finals MVP. Thomas the top scorer in the five-game series win over Portland, and this year he was an All-Star for the ninth time of what was 12 straight.  Thomas was a three-time First Team All-NBA choice, and he played his entire career with the Pistons, retiring in 1994.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 11.4 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.4 BPG (1991)

The Chicago Bulls had arrived, and Michael Jordan was their king.  We could go one step further.  Michael Jordan was the king of the entire sport.  No, one more step.  He was the king of all sports!  This was the first title for Jordan and the Bulls and Jordan won his second MVP. Jordan was Chicago’s leading scorer in the first four games, of what was a five-game series win over the Lakers.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 35.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG (2) (1992)       

Jordan was an MVP for the third time, and while he was not the first man to become the NBA Finals MVP for a second time, he was the first to win it in back-to-back years.  Jordan and the Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers in six games, and he was Chicago’s leading scorer in every game.  Jordan was also the leading scorer regardless of the team in five of those games.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 41.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG (3) (1993)       

Jordan lost out on the MVP to Charles Barkley, but Jordan was not going to lose out to Barkley in the NBA Finals.  Chicago defeated Phoenix in six games and the Bulls would “Three-peat”, a term they coined.  Jordan’s 41.0 PPG is the highest ever in NBA Finals history, and conceivable it could stay like that for decades.  Jordan became the second player after Magic Johnson to win the Finals MVP three times, but Jordan was the first to do it three consecutive years.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets, 26.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 3.9 BPG (1994)   

Hakeem Olajuwon made history this year as the first non-American born player to win the Finals MVP.  The Nigerian born Olajuwon was the key to defeating the New York Knicks in the seven-game series, as he outplayed New York’s star, Patrick Ewing. Olajuwon was also named the league MVP. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets, 32.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG (2) (1995)     

Olajuwon and the Rockets successfully defended their NBA Championship, and Olajuwon was statistically better in his second win than the was in the first.  The Rockets swept the Orlando Magic, who made their Finals debut.  Olajuwon played with the Rockets until 2001, and he was a 12-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a six-time First Team All-NBA Selection.  Olajuwon retired in 2002 after one final year with the Toronto Raptors.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG (4) (1996)       

Michael Jordan was back after an attempt to make Major League Baseball, and the Bulls were ready to dominate again.  Chicago defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in six, and Jordan won the MVP for the fourth time.  Jordan was again Chicago’s leading scorer in all of the games, and he was the first player to be named the Finals MVP on a fourth occasion.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 32.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG (5) (1997)       

Jordan made history again with his fifth NBA Championship Ring and fifth Finals MVP.  Jordan, who was not the league MVP this year, led his Bulls to a six-game win over the Utah Jazz.  Jordan was his team’s top scorer in five games, and in assists in all of them.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 33.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG (6) (1998)       

For the second time, the Chicago Bulls “three-peated” and Jordan did the same with his record sixth NBA Finals MVP.  Jordan had the what looked to be the final shot of his career in Game Six, as he sank the series winner over the Jazz.  Jordan was also named the league MVP for the fifth time.  Jordan retired, but came back with the Washington Wizards in 2001 for two years. Michael Jordan is the best player of all-time, and that should be an undisputed fact.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, 27.4 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.2 BPG (1999)       

This was the second season of Tim Duncan’s career, and “The Big Fundamental” took over as the big star of the Spurs for David Robinson.  Duncan was the top scorer and rebounder in three of the games, which was a five-game series win over the New York Knicks.  Duncan did not go to the All-Star Game this year, but he was named a First Team All-Defensive and First Team All-NBA player.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 38.0 PPG, 16.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.7 BPG (2000)

This championship was the beginning of the new Lakers dynasty, starring a dominant Shaquille O’Neal and a rising Kobe Bryant. O’Neal and the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers in six, and in every single game, was his team’s leading scorer and rebounder.  In fact, there was only one game where a Pacer had more boards (game six) than O’Neal. O’Neal was a First Team All-NBA selection, and he was named the league MVP.   Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 33.0 PPG, 15.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.4 BPG (2) (2001)    

Shaq and the Lakers dispatched the Philadelphia 76ers in five games, and O’Neal was his usual dominant self, although Kobe Bryant was approaching being his equal.  O’Neal was again a First Team All-NBA Selection.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 36.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.8 BPG (3) (2002)    

O’Neal became the second player to win the NBA Finals MVP in three straight years, and he again was a First Team All-NBA Selection, an honor, he would secure in the next four seasons.  O’Neal also was the NBA leader in PER for the fifth straight year. In this year’s Finals, Los Angeles swept the Nets, but this was the shocking end of the Kobe/Shaq dominance. They made it to the Finals again in 2004, but lost to the Pistons, and the two could no longer work together. O’Neal won a fourth title with the Miami Heat, and he would later play for Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston, retiring in 2011.   Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, 24.2 PPG, 17.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 5.3 BPG (2) (2003)  

Duncan was the MVP in 2001-02, and he was named the MVP again this year, and he was in his fifth consecutive season as a First Team All-NBA selection.  In this NBA Finals, the Spurs beat the New Jersey Nets in six games, and Duncan’s 5.3 Blocks per Game are by far a Finals record.  In Game Six, Duncan was two Blocks away from a quadruple-double and replays show that he likely should have had two more Blocks.  Nevertheless, Duncan was incredible in this series.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, 20.6 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.1 BPG (3) (2005)  

Duncan joined the rare three-time NBA Finals club in 2005, and Duncan led the Spurs in a seven-game series win over the Detroit Pistons.  2005 also saw Duncan named to his seventh straight First Team All-NBA.  This year ended a streak, but he earned that honor two more times.  Duncan won two more NBA Titles, was a 15-time All-Star and he played his entire career with the Spurs, retiring in 2016.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, 32.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG (2009)        

Bryant was dominant in his first NBA Championship win as the top banana.  The Lakers took out Orlando in five games, and this was a year after he won his lone MVP award.  This season also saw Bryant earn his seventh First Team All-NBA Selection.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, 28.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG (2) (2010)   

Bryant 5, O’Neal 4.  That was on the mind of many as Bryant eclipsed his former teammate in rings, and Bryant climbed another rung on the basketball pyramid. Bryant played until 2016, all of which were with the Lakers.  He would go to 18 All-Star Games, 11 First Team All-NBAs and would have a legacy where his name is spoken amongst the best basketball player ever.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

The following are the players who have won the NBA Finals MVP who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics, 17.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG (1981)  

Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell was Boston’s leading scorer in three of Boston’s games, and he stepped up when his teammate, Larry Bird was focused on by Houston’s defense.  Maxwell would help the Celtics win the 1984 NBA Championship, and he played until 1988.  Maxwell is the first player to win the NBA Finals MVP who never was an All-Star.  Eligible Since 1994.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons, 21.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG (2004)       

The Detroit Pistons five-game series win over Shaq, Kobe and the Lakers will likely be the biggest upset ever in the NBA Finals, and it will always be looked more as the Lakers losing than the Pistons winning. Regardless, Billups was the Point Guard of a very balanced team, and for years, there were GM trying to mimic the Pistons title.  Billups would later be named to five All-Star Games, and he went on to play with Denver, New York, and the Los Angeles Clippers before returning to Detroit and retiring in 2004.  Billups is the most likely player on the ’04 Championship team to enter the Hall.  As of this writing, there are none.  Eligible Since 2018.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Let’s update our tally, shall we?

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the NBA Finals MVP in the NBA who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG (2006)

Shaquille O’Neal won his fourth NBA Title, but it was Dwyane Wade who was the star of the show by far in Miami six-game series win over Dallas.  This was Wade’s first title, and it was also the first championship for Miami.  Years later, Wade was joined by LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and the trio would win two NBA Championships.  Wade left Miami for brief runs in Chicago and Cleveland, but he returned appropriately to the Heat to finish his career, retiring in 2019. Over his career, Wade was an All-Star 13 times, and was an All-NBA Selection eight times, with two of them being First Team.  Eligible in 2023.

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, 24.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.0 BPG (2007)

Tony Parker was not only the first Frenchmen to win the Finals MVP, but also the first European to win it.  This season, the Spurs swept LeBron James and he Cleveland Cavaliers and Parker was the leading scorer of the series.  Parker was a six-time All-Star, a four-time NBA Champion and he played until 2019, all with the Spurs with the exception of his final year, which was in Charlotte.  Eligible in 2023.

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, 21.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG (2008)

Paul Pierce was the star of the Celtics for years but there was only so much he could do.  Boston’s fortune changed this year when they added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, and they won the NBA Championship by beating Los Angeles in six games.  Pierce was a ten-time All-Star, all of which occurring as a Boston Celtic.  He was with Boston until 2013, and he finished his career in 2017 after playing for Brooklyn, Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers.  Eligible in 2021.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, 26.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG (2011)

The Dallas Mavericks were not supposed to beat James, Wade and Bosh, but they did, and were led by Dirk Nowitzki, their German star who played his entire career in Dallas.  Nowitzki was four years removed from his MVP, and while he was older, he was wiser, and the Mavericks won their first NBA Title.  Nowitzki was a 14-time All-Star and a four-time First Team All-NBA player.  Eligible in 2023.

The following are the players who have won the NBA Finals MVP who are still active.

LeBron James, Miami Heat, 28.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG (2012)

LeBron James finally won the big one, and he did it by taking over as the primary weapon for the Heat, eliminating any doubt between him and his friend, Dwyane Wade.  James was Miami’s leading scorer and rebounder and Miami soundly beat Oklahoma City in five.  James was also named the MVP for the third time in his career.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James, Miami Heat, 25.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG (2) (2013)

LeBron and the Heat successfully defended their title in a grueling seven-game win over San Antonio.  James did it all as he was Miami’s leader in Points, Rebounds, Assists and Steals, and he was also the league MVP.  The mileage that James logged this year was staggering but he got the job done.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs, 17.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG (2014)

A new star emerged with San Antonio, as Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili were getting older but with Kawhi Leonard and a team-first ethic, the Spurs beat the Heat in five.  Leonard went on to win two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and was a First Team All-NBA Selection twice for the Spurs before he became disenchanted with the team.  He would be traded to the Toronto Raptors before the 2018-19 season.  28 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors, 16.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG (2015)

This was the first time that an NBA Finals MVP did not start every game, as Andre Iguodala was incredible in his role, though arguably Steph Curry, who outscored Iggy by almost 10 Points per Game could have won it without a backlash.  The Warriors won by beating LeBron and the Cavaliers in six.  28 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, 29.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 8.9 APG, 2.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG (3) (2016)

As impressive as LeBron was in the 2013 Finals, what James did in 2016 had to feel infinitely more fulfilling.  James finally brought the title to Cleveland, and to do so they had to defeat a powerful Golden State Warriors team.  In the seven-game series, James led all players in all five major offensive categories.  Seriously, how impressive was that?  35 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors, 35.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.6 BPG (2017)

Kevin Durant won the MVP in 2014 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he was a perennial All-Star, but he grew frustrated. When he was a free agent in 2016, he jumped to the Golden State Warriors, joining a super team.  The Warriors were spectacular, and Durant led his new team to a title, despite many people cheering against KD.  31 Years Old, Playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors, 28.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.3 BPG (2) (2018)

Durant repeated as NBA Champion and Finals MVP, and the Warriors would obliterate the Cavaliers in a four-game sweep.  Durant would be a First Team All-NBA Selection for the sixth time in his career.  31 Years Old, Playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors, 28.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.2 BPG (2) (2019)

The Toronto Raptors rolled the dice, trading their best player, DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.  It was a huge gamble, as Leonard had only one year left on his contract, and was unlikely to stay in Canada.  Leonard only played the one year, but he led the Raptors to their first ever NBA Championship, and he became the first player ever to win the Finals MVP in both conferences.  28 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.

It should come as no surprise that the Finals MVP yield so many Hall of Famers.  Basketball is more star driven sport than the other team sports, and it is where the best have the most opportunity due to minutes logged and the nature of the game.

So, what is up next?

We return to baseball, but it will be a quick one, as we look at the Comeback Player of the Year.  That award has only come into existence in 2005, so it won’t be a long read!

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present the first revision of our top 50 Oklahoma City Thunder of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that this is the first update since 2016, and it does not reflect the current season.  Please also note that the history of the Thunder includes that of the Seattle SuperSonics.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories, which has altered the rankings considerably.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2018-19 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Russell Westbrook

2. Gary Payton

3. Kevin Durant

4. Shawn Kemp

5. Jack Sikma

We have used a different algorithm from our initial list, and this has resulted in a few changes that are reflected on the entire list, and even in the top five.

Current Houston Rocket, Russell Westbrook, takes over at #1 from #3 three years ago. The last two seasons he had with OKC, put him over Durant and Payton.  Gary Payton dropped from #1 to #2 due to Westbrook’s ascension to the top. Kevin Durant, who almost made it to number, fell from #2 to #3.  With the new algorithm in use, Shawn Kemp and Jack Sikma reversed their rank at #4 and #5 respectively.

There were other significant changes.  We dropped the ball by not ranking Serge Ibaka.  That was a major oversight, and the Congolese Center enters at #11.  Steven Adams, who has been their Center for the last few seasons, debuts at #17.

As always, we thank you for your support.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com are always looking to add new sections to our website.  Last month, we uploaded our top 100 active NFL players and how their Hall of Fame resumes stack up.  

We are doing the exact same thing with the NBA.

As opposed to 100 like we did in Football, we are going with only 50 in Basketball.  

We liked the idea that we used in Football with a modern “Modern Positional Average”, so we are doing something similar here.  With advanced analytics, we decided that we don’t have to isolate based on position so they are all on one list.

Inspired by Jay Jaffe’s JAWS statistic that looks at the best seven-year stretch of a baseball player according to bWAR, we are doing the same with current basketball players.  Specifically, we compiled the average PER, Win Shares and VORP for each of the past Hall of Famers based on their best seven-year period.  The additional thinking behind this is that in Basketball, there is an additional focus on periods of greatness as opposed to sports like Baseball, where compiling statistics is more glorified.

To keep everything modern, the average we used is the last 14 inductees, but only the ones who were Modern Era Inductees.  This excludes Direct-Elect Candidates (contributors, Early African-American Pioneers, International and Veterans).  The only exception is Vlade Divac, who was chosen via the International Committee, but has a healthy NBA career to draw upon.

As of this writing, the 14 players from the last four induction classes who we are using for the composite averages are:

Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Vlade Divac, Bobby Jones, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Sidney Moncrief, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, Jack Sikma and Paul Westphal. 

While we are not looking at traditional statistics, we are averaging out All-Star Games and All-NBA Selections.  With the latter, we are looking at this in weighted fashion.  In terms of Third Team All-NBA Selections, one point will be assigned, Second Team All-NBA Selections will have two points will be granted, and First Team All-NBA Selections will have three points.  

Here are the averages:

Based on their elite seven-year stretch the average PER of the last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is 21.5.

Based on their elite seven-year stretch, the average Win Shares of the last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is 65.1.

Based on their elite seven-year stretch, the average VORP of the last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is 27.8.

With All-Star and All-NBA Selections, we look at the entire career of the player.  

The average All-Star Selections of the last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is 7.4.

The average All-Pro Selections (based on the pointed average of one for a Third Team, two for a Second Team and three for a First Team Selection) is 9.8.

We are also adding NBA Championships. Often,  players in this team sport more than any other (except for NFL Quarterbacks) are judged by the number of rings they have.  Perhaps, that shouldn't be as regarded as it is, considering the average amount of titles of our last 14 Modern Era Hall of Famers is less than 1.  Specifically, it is 0.79.

Wrapping this up in a bow, the six variables we are looking at Elite Period PER, Elite Period Win Shares, Elite Period VORP, All-Star Games, Weighted All-Pro Selections, NBA Championships.

This will be a regular feature on Notinhalloffame.com, and we will be updating this at the end of the season.

You can find our new section HERE.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank all of you for your support!

Pre-2020-21 Rank: #2, Pre-2020-21 Rank: #2, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #2, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #2, Pre-2023-24 Season Rank: #2

When we started this project in 2020, Kevin Durant was ranked #2 behind only LeBron James.

It felt right (and it still might be where KD should be). Establishing himself as a superstar with Oklahoma City, where he took them to the Finals in 2012, Durant grew frustrated as the small market team looked to miss their window to win it all.  He joined Steph Curry and Golden State, where he won two championships.

Following a devastating injury, Durant was expected to lead a new big three (with James Harden & Kyrie Irving) in Brooklyn, but that resulted in a documentary-level implosion, with all three forcing trades out.  KD’s landing spot was Phoenix, but Durant’s team crumbled around him like in Brooklyn. 

Durant, who made history Internationally as the highest scorer ever in Olympic history, is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and nothing will change that.  However, his legacy has taken a beating and is more complex by the year, and as such, he drops to #3 behind his former teammate, Steph Curry.

Normally we don’t talk about retired numbers until it become official, but we will touch on this story as some more meat on the bone has been added.

Following the moves of Kevin Durant to Brooklyn and Andre Iguodala to Memphis, the Golden State Warriors announced that sometime in the future that they would retire their numbers.  Both were vital to the recent championships for the franchise so it is not unexpected, though this announcement does seem early.

When asked about this, former Warriors star, Tim Hardaway said that his friends had the following to say in an interview to SF Gate:  

I'm laughing because as soon as they said Kevin Durant's number's gonna get retired, here they go, he said, 'Man that's some BS.  How they gonna retire his number and he only played there for three years and you played there for six years, and you giving them all the sweat and tears and everything like that and they're not gonna retire your number.'"

But, you know they deserve it, you know they won championships, man. They won championships, they was there, not to say I shouldn't be up there, but you know I can feel what Joe Lacob is saying and he wanna bring them joy and show them gratitude for what they did for the city.”

In the interview, Hardaway wanted to make it clear that it was the opinions of his friends and not of himself.

Hardaway was a member of the famous RUN-TMC trio with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond.  Mullin’s number has been retired, but he is also in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  As of this writing, Hardaway and Richmond are not.

At present, Golden State had retired six numbers: Wilt Chamberlain (#13), Tom Meschery (#14), Alvin Attles (#16), Chris Mullin (#17), Rick Barry (#24) and Nate Thurmond (#42).

We will definitely be paying attention to this one!