Hall of Fame season continues with the announcement from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame of their nominees,

The Finalists will be announced at All-Star Weekend on February 16 and the Class will be unveiled on April 6 during the Final Four.

Here are the nominees from the varying categories:  *Indicates first time nominee.

North America Nominees:

2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team

Rick Barnes (Coach)

John Beilein (Coach)

Chauncey Billups (Player) (Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com)

*Vince Carter (Player) (Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Tom Chambers (Player) (Ranked #19 on Notinhalloffame.com)

John Clougherty (Referee)

Michael Cooper (Player) (Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Joey Crawford (Referee)

Terry Cummings (Player) (Ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Jack Curran (Coach)

*Bobby Dibler (Referee)

Don Donoher (Coach)

*Robert Foley (Coach)

*Mike Gminski (Player)

Lou Henson (Coach)

*Marques Houtman (Player)

Marques Johnson (Player) (Ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Marv Kessler (Coach)

*Bill Laimbeer (Player) (Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Jim Larranaga (Coach)

*Mike Leonardo (Coach)

Maurice Lucas (Player) (Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Shawn Marion (Player) (Ranked #16 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Rollie Massimino (Coach)

*Bill Morse (Coach)

Dick Motta (Coach)

*Jack Nagle (Coach)

Jim Phelan (Coach)

Bo Ryan (Coach)

*Charles Smith (Coach)

Stan Spirou (Coach)

Reggie Theus (Player) (Ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Jerry Welsh (Player)

Buck Williams (Player) (Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com)

John Williamson (Player)

Women’s Nominees:

Leta Andrews (Coach)

*Simone Augustus (Player)

Jennifer Azzi (Player)

*Doug Buono (Coach)

*Cheryl Ford (Player)

Becky Martin (Coach)

Debbie Miller-Palmore (Player)

Marian Washington (Coach)

Dean Weese (Coach)

*Chris Weller (Coach)

*Andrew Yasinoff (Coach)

Contributor Nominees: 

Pete Babcock

Dick Baumgartner

Henry Bibby

Marty Blacke

Vic Bubas

Doug Collins

Wayne Duke

Bill Foster

*Mike Fratello

Bob Gibbons

Simon Gourdine

Tim Grgurich

Justin Kellogg

Johnny “Red” Kerr

Tom Konchalski

Bobby Lewis

Fred McCall

Jack McColoskey

Jon McGlocklin

Speedy Morris

Dennis Murphy

Curly Neal

Jack Powers

Will Robinson

Gene Shue

*Herb Simon

*Scott Tarter

Donnie Walsh

*Jerry West

*World Wheelers

International Nominees

*David Blatt (Coach, Israel)

Tal Brody (Contributor, Israel)

Jean-Kacques Concelcan (Player, Angola/Portugal)

Mirza Delibasic (Player, Yugoslavia/Bosnia)

*Jorge Garbajosa (Player, Spain)

*Andrew Gaze (Player, Australia)

*Panaglotis Gianniks (Player, Greece)

Guiseppe Giergia (Player, Yugoslavia/Bosnia)

Dusan Ivkovic (Player, Yugoslavia/Serbia)

*Andrei Kirilenko (Player, Russia) (Ranked #50 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Vladimir Kondrashin (Coach, The Soviet Union/Russia)

Marcus Leite (Player, Brazil)

*Ettore Messina (Coach, Italy)

*Juan Carlos Navarro (Player, Spain)

*Andres Nocioni (Player, Argentina)

*Fabricio Oberto (Player, Argentina)

*Jose Ortiz (Player, Puerto Rico)

Amaury Pasos (Player, Brazil)

*Modestas Palauskas (Player, Soviet Union/Russia)

Togo Soares (Coach, Brazil)

*Penny Taylor (Player, Australia)

*Michele Timms (Player, Australia)

*Amaya Valdemoro (Player, Spain)

Ranko Zeravica (Coach, Serbia)

Women’s Veteran Nominees:

1982 Cheyney State NCAA Final Four Team (Team)

Alline Banks Sprousse (Player)

Edmonton Commercial Grads (Team)

John Head (Coach)

Yolanda Laney (Player)

Nashville Business College (Team)

Lorneta Odom (Player)

Harley Redin (Player)

Valerie Walker (Player)

Dean Weese (Coach)

Veteran Nominees::

1936 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team

1972 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team

Dick Barnett (Player) (Ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Tom Blackburn (Coach)

*Charles Brown (Player)

Freddie Brown (Player) (Ranked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Jack Coleman (Player)

Leroy Edwards (Player)

Leo Ferris (Contributor)

Travis Grant (Player)

Jack Hartman (Coach)

Cam Henderson (Coach)

Robert Hopkins (Player)

Charles Kelnath (Player)

Greg Kelser (Player)

Kentucky Wesleyan (1966, 1967 & 1969) (Team)

Loyala of Chicago (Team)

*Dan Lynch (Coach)

Billy Markward (Contributor)

Jack McKinney (Contributor)

Bill Melchionni (Player)

Francis Meehan (Player)

Lucias Mitchell (Coach)

Joe Mullaney (Coach)

Willie Naulls (Player) (Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com)

*Ben Newman (Contributor)

*Don Otten (Player)

*Louis Plert (Contributor)

Kevin Porter (Player)

Glenn Roberts (Player)

Lonnie Rosenbluth (Player)

Kenny Sailors (Player)

Fres Schaus (Contributor)

Sam Schulman (Contributor)

Paul Silas (Player) (Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com)

Dick Van Arsdale (Player)

Tom Van Arsdale (Player)

*Cleo Vaughn (Player)

Lambert Will (Contributor)

Max Zaslofsky (Player) (Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com)

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all of those who made it to this stage.

Today the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season begins and with that we are thrilled to announce that we have updated our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball Hall of Fame Monitor of active players based on their existent accomplishments.

You can see the complete list here, but we are presenting the Pre-2023-24 Top 10 Active Players immediately!

#1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

#2. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

#3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

#4. Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors

#5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

#6. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

#7. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers

#8. Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers

#9. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

#10. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Look for many more lists, list revisions, podcasts and more content soon!

Days after we completed our amendments of those to consider for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we finished those our revisions on the Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List.

The first thing that we obviously do with the Basketball List is remove those who were inducted. This took out:

Dirk Nowitzki

Dwyane Wade

Pau Gasol

Tony Parker

We then added those who are worthy who are now eligible for the first time in 2024.

Nowitzki, Wade, Gasol and Parker were ranked 1,2,3 and 5 respectively, which means that we will be seeing a significant change in our top ten.

With those remaining, we factored votes and comments that came from all of you, to alter ranks.

The entire list (115 in total) can be found here, but we always present our top ten!

As is often the case, the #1 spot belongs to a first-year eligible player, and it is no exception now, as Vince Carter is on our mountaintop. While there are obvious flaws in his candidacy, namely his leadership in the first half of his career, this is a man who cemented basketball in Canada, made the Raptors, and was an eight-time All-Star. The man synonymous with spectacular dunks, also is an Olympic Gold Medalist with Team U.S.A.. Carter might not be the best #1 we have ever had, but he is by far and away the best new entrant.

A former #1, and member of the 25^th Anniversary Team, Max Zaslofsky, moves up two spots to #2. Zaslofsky was one of the best players in the late 1940s.

At #3, is Larry Foust, who like Zaslofsky would need to enter via a Direct-Elect Veterans Committee. Rising from #8, Foust has his highest ranking yet, and he brings to the table eight All-Star selections from the 1950s.

Chauncey Billups returns to the top five, climbing two to #4. The former NBA Champion (and Finals MVP) with the Detroit Pistons went to five All-Stars and won World Championship Gold with the United States.

At #5 is Shawn Kemp, who has encountered some legal issues lately, moved up from #7. Kemp was a six-time All-Star, five of which were with the Seattle SuperSonics, and he was also a three-time Second Team All-NBA player. Like Billups, he won World Championship Gold while representing the U.S..

Three-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive player, Buck Williams, moves from #9 to #6.

Previous Finalist, Kevin Johnson, shot up from #11 to #7. Johnson was a four-time Second Team All-NBA Selection.

Gus Williams had a nice gain from #13 to #8. Williams won an NBA Title with Seattle and was twice an All-Star.

Former Point Guard, Mark Price, enters the top ten at #9, three spots form his previous rank at #12. He was a four-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA Selection.

Rounding up the top ten is Marques Johnson, who also rose on the list, with his jump coming from #14. Johnson was a five-time All-Star, and a College Player of the Year at UCLA, where he won a National Championship.

Aside from Carter, there are only two new entrants on the list, which are:

Joakim Noah, a former Defensive Player of the Year and NCAA Champion with Florida, who debuts at #37.

The underrated and long-serving Tyson Chandler, makes his first appearance at #40.

You know what we want you to do!

Cast your votes, offer your opinions, and as always, we thank you for your support!

It is a wonderful time of the year!

For all of the things that we can accurately criticize about the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, we love how they always time their announcements, based on major hoops-related events.  As such, during Final Four weekend, the Hall announced 12 new members, comprising the Class of 2022.

Alphabetically, they are:

The 1976 Women’s Olympic Team:  Team U.S.A. won the Gold Medal at the Montreal Games.

Gene Bess:  Bess had a career record of 1,300-416 making him the winningest coach in NCAA history.  Spending his entire career at Three Rivers Community College, he is a two-time Junior College Champion as a Coach.

Gary Blair:  Blair coached for 37 years, most notably leading the women’s program at Texas A&M to a National Championship in 2011.  He had a lifetime record of 852-346.

Pau Gasol:  The Spanish Center went to six All-Star Games and helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to two NBA Championships.  Gasol also was a two-time Second Team and two-time Third Team All-NBA player and while representing Spain, he is a two-time Olympic Silver Medalist, won an Olympic Bronze, and also led his country to Gold in the 2006 World Cup.

Becky Hammon:  Hammon was a six-time WNBA Selection and was named to the NBA 15^th, 20^th, and 25^th Anniversary Team.  She won Bronze representing Russia in the 2008 Olympics and was the first female Assistant Coach in the NBA (San Antonio).  Hammon won the WNBA Championship in her first year as a Head Coach with Las Vegas.

David Hixon:  Hixon was Amherst College’s Men Head Coach for 42 years, winning two Division III National Championships and two Division III Head Coach of the Year Awards.

Gene Keady:  Keady was the Head Coach for Purdue for 25 years and led the Boilermakers to six Big Ten Regular Season Titles.  He is a seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Dirk Nowitzki:  A Finalist on his first year on the ballot, Nowitzki was the centerpiece for the Dallas Mavericks for over a decade, and took them to their first NBA Championship in 2011.  The 2007 MVP was a four-time First Team, five-time Second Team and three-time Third Team All-NBA recipient and also was named to the NBA 75^th Anniversary Team.

Tony Parker:   Parker won four NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs and was a six-time All-Star.  The 2007 NBA Finals MVP was a three-time Second Team All-NBA player and would represent France in many tournaments, most notably winning EuroBasket Gold in 2013.

Gregg Popovich:  Popovich is still active, and is already a legend in basketball coaching.  “Pop” led the Spurs to five NBA Championships.  He is also a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and the was the Head Coach for the U.S. Team that won Gold at the 2020 Olympics.

Jim Valvano:  Valvano is a posthumous induction, who is best known for leading an underdog North Carolina State to a National Championship in 1983.  He would pass away from cancer, but not before he set up the V Foundation that donates funds toward cancer research.

Dwyane Wade:  Wade was the long-time Point Guard with the Miami Heat where he won three NBA Championships.  The first ballot nominee went to 13 All-Star Games, and was an eight-time All-NBA Selection (two First Team, three Second Team and three Third Team).  He is also a 75^th Anniversary Team.

We will be revising our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list next month.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

As part of the impending NBA All-Star festivities, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their Finalists for the Class of 2023.

They are:

Jennifer Azzi:  The former Stanford Point Guard led the Cardinal to a National Championship in 1990, winning the Final Four MVP, and the Naismith Award during the regular season.  Internationally, she won Gold for the United States in the 1996 Olympics and 1990 and 1998 FIBA World Championships.  

Gene Bess:  Bess had a career record of 1,300-416 making him the winningest coach in NCAA history.  Spending his entire career at Three Rivers Community College, he is a two-time Junior College Champion as a Coach.

Gary Blair:  Blair coached for 37 years, most notably leading the women’s program at Texas A&M to a National Championship in 2011.  He had a lifetime record of 852-346.

Pau Gasol:  The Spanish Center went to six All-Star Games and helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to two NBA Championships.  Gasol also was a two-time Second Team and two-time Third Team All-NBA player and while representing Spain, he is a two-time Olympic Silver Medalist, won an Olympic Bronze, and also led his country to Gold in the 2006 World Cup.

Becky Hammon:  Hammon was a six-time WNBA Selection and was named to the NBA 15^th, 20^th, and 25^th Anniversary Team.  She won Bronze representing Russia in the 2008 Olympics and was the first female Assistant Coach in the NBA (San Antonio).  Hammon won the WNBA Championship in her first year as a Head Coach with Las Vegas.

David Hixon:  Hixon was Amherst College’s Men Head Coach for 42 years, winning two Division III National Championships and two Division III Head Coach of the Year Awards.

Gene Keady:  Keady was the Head Coach for Purdue for 25 years and led the Boilermakers to six Big Ten Regular Season Titles.  He is a seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Dirk Nowitzki:  A Finalist on his first year on the ballot, Nowitzki was the centerpiece for the Dallas Mavericks for over a decade, and took them to their first NBA Championship in 2011.  The 2007 MVP was a four-time First Team, five-time Second Team and three-time Third Team All-NBA recipient and also was named to the NBA 75^th Anniversary Team.

Tony Parker:   Parker won four NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs and was a six-time All-Star.  The 2007 NBA Finals MVP was a three-time Second Team All-NBA player and would represent France in many tournaments, most notably winning EuroBasket Gold in 2013.

Gregg Popovich:  Popovich is still active, and is already a legend in basketball coaching.  “Pop” led the Spurs to five NBA Championships.  He is also a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and the was the Head Coach for the U.S. Team that won Gold at the 2020 Olympics.

Dwyane Wade:  Wade was the long-time Point Guard with the Miami Heat where he won three NBA Championships.  The first ballot nominee went to 13 All-Star Games, and was an eight-time All-NBA Selection (two First Team, three Second Team and three Third Team).  He is also a 75^th Anniversary Team.

Marian Washington:  Washington was the Women’s Head Coach for Kansas from 1979 to 2003 and had a record of 560-363.

The Class of 2023 will be announced during this year’s Final Four

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate those who made it to this stage.

The Naismith Basketball released their preliminary nominees for the Class of 2023, which contains candidates from six different categories.  The Finalists will be released on NBA All-Star Weekend, on Friday, February 17.  The Class will be announced during the Final Four on April 1.

Here is the list of nominees: 

*Indicates first time nominee.

NORTH AMERICAN NOMINATIONS:

Ken Anderson (Coach)

John Beilein (Coach*)

Gene Bess (Coach)

Chauncey Billups (Player) Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com

Tom Chambers (Player) Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com

John Clougherty (Referee)

Michael Cooper (Player) Ranked #28 on Notinhalloffame.com

Joey Crawford (Referee)

Jack Curran (Coach)

Mark Eaton (Player) Ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com

Cliff Ellis (Coach)

Michael Finlay (Player) Ranked #59 on Notinhalloffame.com

Pau Gasol (Player*) Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com

Leonard Hamilton (Coach)

Lou Henson (Coach)

Ed Hightower (Referee)

David Hixon (Coach)

Mark Jackson (Player) Ranked #67 on Notinhalloffame.com

Marques Johnson (Player) Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com

Gene Keady (Coach)

Jim Larranaga (Coach*)

Maurice Lucas (Player) Ranked #21 on Notinhalloffame.com

Shawn Marion (Player) Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com

Rollie Massimino (Coach)

Dick Motta (Coach)

Dirk Nowitzki (Player*) Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com

Jake O’Donnell (Referee)

Tony Parker (Player*) Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com

Jim Phelan (Coach)

Gregg Popovich (Coach*)

Bo Ryan (Coach)

Stan Spirou (Coach*)

Reggie Theus (Player) Ranked #70 on Notinhalloffame.com

Dwyane Wade (Player*) Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com

Buck Williams (Player) Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com

John Williamson (Player)

Paul Westphal (Coach)

WOMEN’S NOMINATIONS:

Leta Andrews (Coach)

Jennifer Azzi (Player)

Gary Blair (Coach)

Doug Bruno (Coach*)

Becky Hammon (Player)

Becky Martin (Coach)

Debbie Miller-Palmore (Player)

Kim Mulkey (Player)

Valerie Still (Player)

Marian Washington (Coach)

INTERNATIONAL DIRECT-ELECT NOMINATIONS:

Jackie Chazalon

Mirza Delibasic

Dusan Ivkovic

Semen Khalipski

Vladimir Kondrashin

Eduardo Lamas

Marcos Leite

Shimon Mirrabi

Amaury Pasos

Manuel Sainz

Togo Soares

Ranko Zerzvica

WOMEN’S VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT NOMINATIONS:

1976 U.S. Olympic Team (Team*)

1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (Team*)

Alline Banks Sprouse (Player)

Edmonton Commercial Grads (Team)

John Head (Coach)

Yolanda Laney (Player*)

Nashville Business College (Team)

Lorneta Odom (Player)

Hanley Redin (Coach)

Hazel Walker (Player)

Valerie Walker (Player*)

Dean Weese (Coach*)

CONTRIBUTOR DIRECT-ELECT NOMINATIONS:

Pete Babcock

Dick Baumgartner

Henry Bibby

Marty Blake

Vic Bubas

Doug Collins

Wayne Duke

Bill Foster

Bob Gibbons

Simon Gourdine

Tim Grgurich

Junius Kellogg

Johnny “Red” Kerr

Tom Konchalski

Bobby Lewis

Fred McCall

Jack McCloskey

Jon McGlocklin

Speedy Morris

Dennis Murphy

Curly Neal

Jack Powers

Will Robinson

Gene Shue

Jim Valvano

Donnie Walsh

VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT NOMINATIONS:

1936 U.S. Olympic Team (Team)

1972 U.S. Olympic Team (Team)

Dick Barnett (Player) Ranked #61 on Notinhalloffame.com

Tom Blackburn (Coach)

Sid Borgia (Referee)

Charles Brown (Player)

Freddie Brown (Player*) Ranked #63 on Notinhalloffame.com

Jack Coleman (Player)

Charles Eckman (Referee)

Leroy Edwards (Player)

Lou Ferris (Contributor)

Hy Gotkin (Player)

Travis Grant (Player)

Jack Hartman (Coach)

Cam Henderson (Coach)

Robert Hopkins (Player)

Charles Keinath (Player)

Greg Kelser (Player*)

Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968 & 1969 (Team)

Bob Love (Player) Ranked #52 on Notinhalloffame.com

Loyola of Chicago (Team)

Billy Markward (Contributor)

Ed McCluskey (Coach)

Jack McKinney (Contributor)

Bill Melchionni (Player*)

Francis Meehan (Player)

Lucias Mitchell (Coach)

Donald “Dudley” Moore (Coach)

Joe Mulaney (Coach)

Willie Naulls (Player) Ranked #45 on Notinhalloffame.com

North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia) (Team)

Don Otten (Player*)

Philadelphia SPHAS (Team)

Kevin Porter (Player*)

Glenn Roberts (Player)

Lennie Rosenbluth (Player)

Kenny Sailors (Player)

Fred Schaus (Contributor)

Sam Schulman (Contributor)

Paul Silas (Player) Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com

Dick Van Arsdale (Player)

Tom Van Arsdale (Player)

Lambert Will (Cobtributor)

Max Zaslofsky (Player) Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com

When you focus on Halls of Fame, one of the progressions is a Hall of Fame Monitor, where we look at active players and rank their HOF chances based on their accomplishments to date.

We have created our own metrics based on an elite seven-year period, and how active players measure up to those who have entered the Hall in the last five classes.

The entire section can be found here, but we would like to present our current top ten players, and their Hall of Fame monitor rank:

They are:

#1. Lebron James, Los Angeles Lakers (#1 Last Year)

#2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (#2 Last Year)

#3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors (#5 Last Year)

#4. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns (#3 Last Year)

#5. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers (#4 Last Year)

#6. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (#7 Last Year)

#7. Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers (#6 Last Year)

#8. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (#13 Last Year)

#9. Dwight Howard, Free Agent (#8 Last Year)

#10. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (#9 Last Year)

We will be doing the same next year for Baseball and Hockey.  

We look forward to your comments and we thank you for your continued support.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com continue to add and modify our sections, and as such, we are pleased to announce additions to our Basketball Futures.

Specifically, the Basketball Futures look at those who will be eligible in the upcoming years for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and it allows us to gauge your votes and comments about the players so we can better rank them once eligible.

Added to the 2024 Basketball Futures are:

Corey Brewer:  Brewer won two NCAA Titles with Florida and on the pro level, he was an NBA Champion with Dallas in 2011.

DeMarre Carroll:  Carroll was the January 2005 Co-Player of the Month, and spent his best seasons with Atlanta.

J.R. Smith:  Smith was the 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year and he would win a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Kyle Korver:  Korver was a star at Creighton, and would later earn a trip to the All-Star Game as an Atlanta Hawk in 2015.

Ryan Anderson:  Anderson was named the Most Improved Player of the Year in 2011-12.

Tyson Chandler:  Chandler won the 2012/13 Defensive Player of the Year and was an Olympic Gold Medalist for the United States in 2012.

They join Jamal Crawford and Joakim Noah.

The entire 2024 Basketball Futures can all be found here.

Marc Gasol:  Gasol won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and late in his career an NBA Title with the Toronto Raptors.  The longtime Memphis Grizzlies star won two FIBA World Cups with Spain.

He joins J.J Redick.

The entire 2025 Basketball Futures can all be found here.

Look for us to continue to add to these in the future.

As always, we look forward to your feedback, and thank you for your support!

The NBA Hall of Fame is a special place reserved for the greatest players in the history of basketball. Its walls are decorated with stars such as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.

But there are other players that many NBA fans believe should be sitting amongst them, and that’s what we’ll explore below. We’ll take a look at what the Hall of Fame is, some of the biggest omissions in its history, and we’ll also take a look at some of the latest NBA odds.

What Is The NBA Hall Of Fame?

The NBA Hall of Fame, otherwise known as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is the library dedicated to promoting and preserving the history of basketball.

It inducted its first class in 1959 but didn’t formally open a physical location until 1968. In its history since, it’s inducted referees and coaches into its grand halls, as well as over 400 players.

Biggest Omissions From The NBA Hall Of Fame

Let’s take a look at some of the players that ought to be in the NBA Hall of Fame.

Shawn Kemp

Shawn Kemp was a 6-time All-Star and regarded as one of the best dunkers in NBA history. Not only did he have power, but flair too which made him such a watchable player.

Kemp rose to prominence during his time with the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1990s. In 1996, the SuperSonics reached the NBA Finals. They came up against a Chicago Bulls team that had on its roster Michael Jordan.

The Bulls prevailed in six games that year, but Kemp stood out with an impressive 20.9 points per game, 10.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

For his heroics, Kemp has often been spoken of as a potential Hall Of Famer. But a sharp decline in performance toward the end of his career probably worked against him.

Chauncey Billups

Like Tim Hardaway, Chauncey Billups was also a 5-time All-Star, but he was also an NBA champion and also an NBA Finals MVP.

Billups had a slower start to life in the NBA. It wasn’t until his ninth season that he made his first All-Star team. But the late-bloomer went on to do things others never did in their careers.

He was influential in the Detroit Pistons’ championship-winning title run in 2004, averaging 21 points and 5.2 assists in the Finals.

It’s this improbable feat and his late rise to prominence that many believe is why Billups deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.

Kevin Johnson

Point guard Kevin Johnson is someone that many NBA fans believe should be in the Hall of Fame. 

The former Phoenix Suns player was named an NBA All-Star an impressive three times and currently ranks in seventh place for all-time career assists per game.

Johnson had an eye for the pass as well as for the hoop. Before he ran into a troubling spell of injuries, he averaged at least 20 points per game and 10 assists. His No. 7 jersey has since been retired by the Suns.

Betting On The NBA

There are many different types of bets you can place when it comes to the NBA. And as the playoffs draw to a close and the NBA Finals begin, there’s a great deal of excitement building about who could win this year.

A popular type of bet in basketball is handicaps. The main reason for this is that you get greater odds. On the flip side, the bet is riskier, though there’s some flexibility to this type of bet which allows you to minimise the risk.

One approach to handicap betting is to bet on a team’s overall score. You can do this for a quarter, half or entire match by scores of +1.5, +2.5, +4.5 and so on.

So this means that if your team finishes with 70 points, but the other team has 73, and you’ve placed a handicap bet of +4.5, you win because your team’s score is raised to 74.5.

Another type of popular bet in basketball is the accumulator. This involves backing a number of different teams to win their matches. The more teams you pick, the greater the odds, but the harder the bet is to win.

Some people balance risk and reward by backing three or four teams. Usually, the odds are greater when it comes to backing away teams or underdogs.

One of the things we love even more about the NCAA Final Four, is that it is the same day that the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces its new class.

Let’s get right into the newest members:

Swin Cash:  Cash was one of the superstars at UConn, where she helped lead the Huskies to two NCAA Championships (2000 & 2002) and was named the Tournament MOP in the latter.  The Detroit Shock took her with the second overall pick in the 2002 Draft, where she led them to two WNBA Championships (2003 & 2006).  Cash would win a third WNBA Title with the Seattle Storm in 2010, and she also played for the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty.  Individually, Cash was a four-time All-Star, and was selected to the WNBA 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Team.  As a representative of the United States National Team, Cash won Gold at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics and 2010 World Championships.

Larry Costello:  Costello played at Niagara, where the Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the Second Round of the 1954 Draft.  The Point Guard helped Philadelphia win the 1967 NBA Championship, and individually he was a six-time All-Star and was a one-time Second Team All-Star.  He would later become a successful Head Coach, most notably with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he helmed them to their first NBA Championship in 1971.

Hugh Evans:  Evans is one of the most respected and tenured referees in basketball history, and he officiated over 2,200 Games, which included 35 NBA Finals.

Manu Ginobili:  Manu Ginobili might be the greatest “value” pick in the last thirty years, as the San Antonio Spurs nabbed the Argentinian Shooting Guard with the 57^th Overall Pick in 1999.  Ginobili did not report to the Spurs right away, having honed his skills with Virtus Bologna of the Italian League, where he led them to a EuroLeague Championship in 2001.  Joining the Spurs in 2002, Ginobili played with them his entire NBA career, winning four NBA Titles, earning two All-Star Games and securing a pair of Third Team All-NBAs.  For Argentina, he led his nation to Gold in the 2004 Olympics, and captured Bronze in the follow-up Games in 2008.  He also took Argentina to a World Cup Silver Medal in 2002, and Gold in the 2001 and 2011 AmeriCup Tournament.  Ginobili enters Springfield on his first year on the ballot.

Tim Hardaway:  Hardaway was the 1989 WAC Player of the Year at UTEP, where his number 10 would later be retired.  The Golden State Warriors chose Hardaway with the 14^th Overall Pick, and he would become one-third of the exciting trio, RUN TMC, along with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin.  He also played for Miami, Dallas, Denver and Indiana, and was a five-time All-Star, and five-time All-NBA Selection.  Hardaway also won Gold with the United States in the 2000 Olympics.  Hardaway’s induction likely was delayed for years due to homophobic comments he made, but he has since atoned for those comments.

Del Harris:  Harris’ long career as a coach began at a small liberal arts college, Earlham, and ten years later, he became an Assistant for the Utah Stars.  Harris would become the Head Coach of the Houston Rockets, and later the Milwaukee Bucks.  His best known stint as a Head Coach was with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was named the Coach of the Year in 1995.  Internationally, he worked with the United States, Canada, China and the Dominican Republic.

Lou Hudson:  Hudson played his college ball at Minnesota where his number 14 was retired by the school, and his work with the Golden Gophers landed him as the number four pick in the 1966 Draft by the St. Louis Hawks.  Hudson played for the St.Louis/Atlanta franchise for ten years, earning six straight trips to the All-Star Game (1969-74) and an eventual jersey retirement.  He finished his career with two years with the Lakers.

Bob Huggins:  Huggins first stint as a Head Coach was at Division II Walsh, and he would later get a chance at Division I with Akron.  He did well there, and it landed him the job at Cincinnati, where he brought the Bearcats to the Final Four in 1992, and won four Conference USA Tournaments.  After a brief stop at Kansas State, Huggins took over at West Virginia, his alma mater in 2007, where he is still their Head Coach today.  He brought the Mountaineers to the Final Four in 2010, and has an overall record of 916-399.

George Karl:  Karl played five years with the San Antonio Spurs, but achieved far greater fame as a coach.  Over his Head Coaching career, Karl had the reigns in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee, Denver and Sacramento, with his highlight being in 1996 when he took the SuperSonics to the NBA Finals.  He had an overall record of 1,175 and 824, and is sixth all-time in Wins.  Karl also won the NBA Coach of the Year in 2013.

Radivoj Korac:  Korac is this year’s International inductee, where he was one of the top players ever to come from the former country of Yugslavia.  The EuroBasket MVP in 1961, Korac took his nation to Silver in the 1968 Olympics, and the 1963 and 1967 World Cup.  He was named by FIBA and one their 50 Greatest Players.  He died prematurely at the age of 30 in 1969 due to a car crash.

Theresa Shank-Grentz:  Grentz played her college ball at Immaculata, one of the first dominating Women’s programs, and she would later become a successful Head Coach, compiling a 671-309 record with St. Joseph’s (1974), Rutgers (1976-995), Illinois (1995-07) and Lafayette (2015-17).  She is best known as the Head Coach for the United States, where she led them to Gold in the 1990 Goodwill Games and 1990 Worlds.

Marianne Stanley:  A teammate of Shank-Grentz at Immaculata, Stanley first became a Head Coach at Old Dominion in 1977, and in 1985, she took them to a National Championship.  She would later coach at Penn, USC, Stanford and California, and would join the WNBA as an Assistant Coach in 2000 with the Los Angeles Sparks.  She would later become the Washington Mystics Head Coach, where she won the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2002, and currently is the Head Coach of the Indiana Fever.  She is already a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Lindsay Whalen:  Whalen was a star at the University of Minnesota, and parlayed that success to a fourth overall draft pick in 2004 by the Connecticut Sun.  She was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in 2010, and would be a lynchpin for a team that won four WNBA Championships.  In addition to Whalen’s four rings, Whalen was a five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time First Team All-WNBA Selection, and was chosen for the WNBA 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Team.  The Point Guard also won three WNBA three Assists Titles.  While representing the United States, she won two Olympic Gold Medals (2012 & 2016) and two World Championships (2010 & 2014).  The Lynx have already retired her number #13.

This means that we have to get to work on our revisions for those to consider for the Basketball Hall on our Notinhallofffame.com Basketball list.  Look for that at the end of the month.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

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 ABA Rookie of the Year.  This time, we look at the ABA All-Star Game MVP.

The trophy was awarded every year of the league’s existence, beginning in 1968 and concluding in 1976.

How many ABA All-Star Game MVPs made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the ABA All-Star Game MVP who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

1970: Spencer Haywood, Denver Nuggets, 39 MIN, 23 PTS, 19 RB, 2 AST, N/A STL, N/A BLK

Opting to turn pro after his sophomore year in college, Spencer Haywood’s only option was the ABA, as the NBA then had a rule that a player could not turn professional until his class graduated.  Haywood then played one year with Denver of the ABA, winning both the MVP and Rookie of the Year, becoming the only player to do so.  He also led the league in Minutes and Rebounds and Points per Game.  Following this season, Haywood joined the NBA with Seattle, and successfully challenged to join the league in a case that went to the Supreme Court.  Haywood later would be a four-time NBA All-Star, and won an NBA Title with the Lakers.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

1971: Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers, 30 MIN, 29 PTS, 13 RB, 3 AST, N/A STL, N/A BLK

Daniels was one of the top players in ABA history, winning two ABA MVPs, with this year being his second win.  An All-Time ABA Selection, Daniels led Indiana to three ABA Titles.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1972: Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels, 23 MIN, 21 PTS, 9 RB, 5 AST, N/A STL, N/A BLK

Issel went to the All-Star Game in his first seven years; six in the ABA with the first five as a Colonel.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

1974: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels, 27 MIN, 18 PTS, 13 RB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 4 BLK

Gilmore was an 11-time All-Star, five of which in the ABA, which coincided with the amount of years he played there.  Gilmore was also an ABA MVP (1972), and ABA Champion with the Colonels the following year.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

1976: David Thompson, Denver Nuggets, 34 MP, 29 PTS, 8 RB, 2 AST, 0 S, 1.2 BPG, 12.4 WS. 

Taken number one by the Atlanta Hawks, David Thompson instead opted to play for Denver of the ABA, in what would be the last year of the ABA.  An All-Star this year, Thompson remained with the Nuggets when the leagues merged.  He would later go to four more All-Star Games in the NBA, three with Denver and one with Seattle.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

The following are the players who have won the ABA All-Star Game MVP who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

1968: Larry Brown, New Orleans Buccaneers, 22 MIN, 17 PTS, 3 RB, 5 AST, N/A STL, N/A BLK

Larry Brown entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a Coach in 2002, but in Springfield, you can enter multiple times in varying capacities.  Brown was one of the many players who benefited from the ABA to be a pro, and he made the most of it as a three-time ABA All-Star., and ABA Champion with Oakland in 1969.

Eligible Since 1978.

1969: John Beasley, Dallas Chapparals, 29 MIN, 19 PTS, 14 RB, 2 AST, N/A STL, N/A BLK

Beasley was a three-time ABA All-Star in his first three seasons in the league.  He never played in the ABA, also playing for Utah.

Eligible Since 1980.

1973: Warren Jabali, Denver Nuggets, 31 MIN, 16 PTS, 4 RB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK

Jabali won the Rookie of the Year and ABA Championship for Oakland in 1969, and this season was his third of four ABA All-Star Games.  Jabali never played in the NBA, and also competed for Washington, Indiana, Florida and San Diego.

Eligible Since 1981.

1975: Freddie Lewis, Spirits of St. Louis, 33 MIN, 26 PTS, 5 RB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK

Lewis was traded from Memphis after six Games this year, and was an overall three-time ABA All-Star, with this season being his last.  He previously won three ABA Titles with Indiana.

Eligible Since 1983.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?       

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: 

None.

The following are the past players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and are still active.

None.

Nothing will change in this going forward as none of the ABA All-Star Game MVP who have not been inducted feel like they have Hall of Fame potential.  As this is now a defunct category, this feels like more than a footnote going forward.

So, what is up next?

We return to Baseball with the Major League Player of the Year from The Sporting News.

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

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 ABA MVP.  This time, we look at the ABA Rookie of the Year.

The trophy was awarded every year of the league’s existence, beginning in 1968 and concluding in 1976.

How many ABA Rookies of the Year made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

1968: Mel Daniels, Minnesota Muskies, 22.2 MP, 15.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 9.2 WS.

Mel Daniels was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals (9^th Overall), but he opted for the higher salary of the Minnesota Muskies.  As a rookie, Daniels led Minnesota to the Finals where they lost to Pittsburgh, and he began a streak of seven All-Star Games.  The Muskies were struggling financially, and moved to Florida, but not with Daniels who they traded to Indiana.  As a Pacer, Daniels won two MVPs and three ABA Titles

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1970: Spencer Haywood, Denver Nuggets, 45.3 MP, 30.0 PPG, 19.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 9.2 WS.

Opting to turn pro after his sophomore year in college, Spencer Haywood’s only option was the ABA, as the NBA then had a rule that a player could not turn professional until his class graduated.  Haywood then played one year with Denver of the ABA, winning both the MVP and Rookie of the Year, becoming the only player to do so.  He also led the league in Minutes and Rebounds and Points per Game.  Following this season, Haywood joined the NBA with Seattle, and successfully challenged to join the league in a case that went to the Supreme Court.  Haywood later would be a four-time NBA All-Star, and won an NBA Title with the Lakers.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Co-Winner 1971: Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires, 37.9 MP, 27.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.6 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 7.2 WS. 

Charlie Scott signed with the Virginia Squires before the NBA Draft, hence why he fell to the Seventh Round, where he was chosen by the Celtics.  Scott was an ABA All-Star this year, and an All-ABA Selection, and was so the year after although he did not complete his second season.  He bolted for the NBA for Phoenix, who traded for his rights.  Scott was a three-time NBA All-Star, and would later be an NBA Champion when he was with Boston in 1976.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Co-Winner 1971: Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels, 39.4 MP, 29.9 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 10.7 WS. 

Issel led the ABA in Points per Game, and it was the second highest of his career.  An All-Star as a rookie, Issel was an All-Star through the end of the ABA and was so again when the leagues merged, giving him seven in total.  He was a five-time All-ABA Selection.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

1972: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels, 43.6 MP, 23.8 PPG, 17.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, N/A SPG, 5.0 BPG, 19.8 WS. 

Gilmore also won the ABA MVP, and remained with Kentucky for the remainder of the ABA’s existence.  Following the dissolution of the Colonels, Gilmore played for the Bulls, Spurs and Celtics, with the Center appearing in 11 total All-Star Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

1976: David Thompson, Denver Nuggets, 37.4 MP, 26.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 12.4 WS. 

Taken number one by the Atlanta Hawks, David Thompson instead opted to play for Denver of the ABA, in what would be the last year of the ABA.  An All-Star this year, Thompson remained with the Nuggets when the leagues merged.  He would later go to four more All-Star Games in the NBA, three with Denver and one with Seattle.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

The following are the players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

1969: Warren Jabali, Oakland Oaks, 35.8 MP, 21.5 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 5.8 WS.

Jabali was a Fourth Round Pick from Wichita State, but instead he opted to go to Oakland od the ABA.  The Shooting Guard helped Oakland with the Title that year, and he would later be a four-time ABA All-Star, competing his entire pro career in the upstart league.  He also played for Washington, Indiana, Florida, Denver and San Diego.

Eligible Since 1981.

1973: Brian Taylor, New York Americans, 32.3 MP, 15.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 3.6 WS.

With all due respect the Taylor, this was the weakest Rookie of the Year in ABA history, but he would go on to be a two-time ABA All-Star and two-time ABA Champion with New York.  He would later play in the NBA in Kansas City, Denver and San Diego. 

Eligible Since 1988.

1974: Swen Nater, Virginia Squires and San Antonio Spurs, 30.1 MP, 14.1 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 8.7 WS.

A two-time NCAA Champion at UCLA, Nater chose the ABA over the Milwaukee Bucks, who took him 18^th Overall.  Nater was first drafted in the ABA in 1972 by the Miami Floridians, but when they folded, Virginia took him in the Dispersal Draft.  As good as he was, the Squires traded him for a draft pick and $300,000 to San Antonio 17 Games into his rookie year.  He led the ABA in Field Goal Percentage, and was the ABA Rebounding leader as a sophomore.  Nater, would later win an NBA Rebounding Title as a member of the San Diego Clippers in 1978/79.

Eligible Since 1990.

1975: Marvin Barnes, Spirits of St. Louis, 39.9 MP, 24.0 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 8.6 WS.

Selected second overall by the 76ers, Providence’s Marvin Barnes instead opted to sign with St. Louis, where he was an All-Star in both of his seasons in the league.  When the ABA merged with the NBA, St. Louis was disbanded, and he joined the Detroit Pistons, but was not as successful in the NBA.  He would also play a year each in Buffalo, Boston and San Diego.

Eligible Since 1986.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?       

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: 

None.

The following are the past players who have won the ABA Rookie of the Year are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and are still active.

None.

Nothing will change in this going forward as none of the ABA Rookies of the Year who have not been inducted feel like they have Hall of Fame potential.  As this is now a defunct category, this feels like more than a footnote going forward.

So, what is up next?

We stay with the ABA, and look at their past ABA All-Star Game MVPs.

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

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 MLB All-Star Game MVP.  This time, we return to Basketball, with the ABA, and the now defunct league’s MVP.

The trophy was awarded every year of the league’s existence, beginning in 1968 and concluding in 1976.

How many ABA MVPs made the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

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

1968: Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh Pipers, 44.9 MP, 26.8 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 17.9 WS.

Hawkins was involved in the Iowa point shaving scandal that rocked college basketball, though it is widely believed he had nothing to do with it.  Nevertheless, he was blackballed from college hoops and went undrafted, essentially being banned from earning a living in pro basketball.  Hawkins became a streetball superstar, but had a pro lifeline when the ABA formed, and he signed with Pittsburgh, the team he led to the first ABA Title, while he won the first ever ABA Scoring Title.  An ABA All-Star this year, he would later join the Phoenix Suns in 1969, and would go to four consecutive All-Star Games. 

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

1969: Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers, 38.6 MP, 24.0 PPG, 16.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 8.6 WS.

A member of the Minnesota Muskies as an ABA rookie, Mel Daniels won the league’s first Rebounding Title, and won it again this year.  Daniels led the Pacers to the ABA Title the following season.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1968: Mel Daniels, Minnesota Muskies, 22.2 MP, 15.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 9.2 WS.

Mel Daniels was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals (9^th Overall), but he opted for the higher salary of the Minnesota Muskies.  As a rookie, Daniels led Minnesota to the Finals where they lost to Pittsburgh, and he began a streak of seven All-Star Games.  The Muskies were struggling financially, and moved to Florida, but not with Daniels who they traded to Indiana.  As a Pacer, Daniels won two MVPs and three ABA Titles

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1971: Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers, 38.7 MP, 21.0 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, N/A SPG, N/A BPG, 11.4 WS. (2)

Daniels won his third Rebounding Title this year, and though he would not win the ABA Championship this year, he would take them to wins in the next two.  He would be named to the All-ABA Team, went to seven ABA All-Star Games, and was a five-time All-ABA Selection.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1972: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels, 43.6 MP, 23.8 PPG, 17.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, N/A SPG, 5.0 BPG, 19.8 WS. 

Gilmore also won the ABA Rookie of the Year Award, and remained with Kentucky for the remainder of the ABA’s existence.  Following the dissolution of the Colonels, Gilmore played for the Bulls, Spurs and Celtics, with the Center appearing in 11 total All-Star Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

1973: Billy Cunningham, Carolina Cougars, 38.7 MP, 24.1 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2,6 SPG, N/A BPG, 11.9 WS. 

Billy Cunningham was the lead player for the Philadelphia 76ers, and surprisingly jumped to Carolina of the ABA in 1972, though he fought to get out of that contract when he felt that the Cougars reneged on a bonus.  The court disagreed, and Cunningham was a Cougar for two years, winning the MVP in his first year there.  Cunningham returned to the Sixers in 1974, playing two more years before retiring.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

1974: Julius Erving, New York Nets, 40.5 MP, 27.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.3 SPG, 2.4 BPG, 16.5 WS. 

The ABA had a “Hardship Exemption” that allowed Julius Erving to enter the ABA in 1971, earlier than he would have been in the NBA.  The Virginia Squires landed him in the draft, and “Dr. J” played for the Squires in his first two pro seasons.  Legal entanglements saw Erving try to play for Atlanta of the NBA, but his NBA rights were held by Milwaukee, and he was still contractually bound to Virginia.  The Squires were in financial disarray, and sold his contract to the New York Nets, with whom Erving agreed to play for, and he won his second straight scoring title, and led the Nets to their first ABA Title.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

1975 Co-Winner: Julius Erving, New York Nets, 40.5 MP, 27.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 17.6 WS. (2)

Erving remained dominant, and he would become the first back-to-back winner of the ABA MVP.  Erving led the ABA in PER (26.2), and it was the third year in a row he did so.  He also topped the league in Win Shares and VORP (10.3).

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

1975 Co-Winner: George McGinnis, Indiana Pacers, 40.4 MP, 29.8 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 11.6 WS. 

McGinnis began his pro career with the Pacers in 1971, and this was his fourth and final season in the ABA, and also his best.  He won the Scoring Title, and had previously taken Indiana to two ABA Championships.  McGinnis joined the 76ers after, but returned to the Pacers later when they were a NBA franchise.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

1976: Julius Erving, New York Nets, 38.6 MP, 29.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.5 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 17.7 WS. (3)

In the final year of the ABA, Erving closed it out in style, winning his third straight MVP, and leading the Nets to their second ABA Title.  Erving again led the ABA in PER (28.7) and VORP (10.3), and as the ABA merged with the NBA, the Nets looked like they would instantly compete, or so it would seem.  The New York Knicks balked at territorial rights, and the Nets were forced to offer financial compensation, so much so, that the Nets had to sell Erving’s contract to Philadelphia.  Erving led the Sixers to the NBA Title in 1983, and was the MVP in 1981, becoming the only player to win the MVP in both leagues.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

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

None.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?       

So, who is up next?

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

None.

The following are the past players who have won the ABA MVP are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and are still active.

None.

Nothing will change in this going forward as the ABA MVPs are perfect for Hall of Fame induction.  As this is now a defunct category, this feels like more than a footnote going forward.

So, what is up next?

We stay with the ABA, and look at their past Rookies of the Year.

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

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 MLB All-Star Game MVP.  This time, we return to Basketball, with the NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

The trophy first came into existence in the 1982-83 Season, honoring the best player to come off the bench.

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

1983: Bobby Jones, Philadelphia 76ers, 23.6 MP, 9.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG.

Jones was a previous five-time All-Star, and would be an All-Defensive Player all eleven of his NBA season.  He would help the Sixers win the NBA Championship this year.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

1984: Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics, 31.4 MP, 18.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG.

This was McHale’s fourth NBA season, and this was also his first All-Star Game year.  The Celtics went on to win the NBA Championship this year.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

1985: Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics, 33.5 MP, 19.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.5 BPG. (2)

McHale became the first player to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year, and the first to do so back-to-back.  He would become a starter afterward, went to six more All-Star Games, and won a third NBA Title in 1987.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

1986: Bill Walton, Boston Celtics, 19.5 MP, 7.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG. 

By this time, Walton had already won an NBA Title, was a two-time All-Star, but had missed three full years due to foot issues.  He willed himself one last good season, coming off of the bench to help the Celtics win the NBA Title.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

1996: Toni Kukoc, Chicago Bulls, 26.0 MP, 13.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

Kukoc joined the Bulls in 1994 after being a highly sought-after player in Europe, and this was his third season in the NBA.  He helped Chicago win the NBA Title the year before, and was in season 2 of Chicago’s second three-peat.  He entered the Hall via the International Committee.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

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

1987: Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee Bucks, 31.7 MP, 19.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

Pierce was in his fifth NBA season, third with Milwaukee, and it was his best season to date.  He notably started 31 Games this year.

Eligible Since 2004.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.  

1988: Roy Tarpley, Dallas Mavericks, 28.5 MP, 13.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG. 

Tarpley was an NBA sophomore and became the first Sixth Man of the Year to average a double-double.  He would later be suspended for two years on two different occasions due to substance abuse and never lived up to his potential.

Eligible Since 2003.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.  

1989: Eddie Johnson, Phoenix Suns, 29.2 MP, 21.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 

Johnson was in year right of an 18-year career, but this was the last of three years where he averaged over 20 Points per Game.  This was the only individual award he won as a pro.

Eligible Since 2005.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.  

1990: Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee Bucks, 29.0 MP, 23.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG. (2)

Pierce would be an All-Star the year after, the same season he was traded to Seattle, but this season would see the Guard post his career-high in Points per Game.

Eligible Since 2004.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.  

1991: Detlef Schrempf, Indiana Pacers, 32.1 MP, 16.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

Schrempf became the first non-American to win the Sixth Man of the Year, and this was his sixth season in the NBA.

Eligible Since 2007.  Ranked #21 Notinhalloffame.com. 

1992: Detlef Schrempf, Indiana Pacers, 32.6 MP, 17.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG. (2)

This was Schrempf’s last year coming off the bench, and he was an All-Star the following year.  He achieved greater fame when he joined Seattle.

Eligible Since 2007.  Ranked #21 Notinhalloffame.com. 

1993: Cliff Robinson, Portland Trail Blazers, 31.4 MP, 19.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 2.0 BPG. 

Robinson was in his fourth season of an 18-year career, and was an All-Star the next season.

Eligible Since 2013.  Ranked #87 Notinhalloffame.com. 

1994: Dell Curry, Charlotte Hornets, 26.5 MP, 16.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

Curry came off the bench for the majority of his career, and this was his best season, with a career-high 16.3 Points per Game.

Eligible Since 2008.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

1995: Anthony Mason, New York Knicks, 32.4 MP, 9.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

This was Mason’s last season as a non-starter, and he was an All-Star the next year.

Eligible Since 2013.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1997: John Starks, New York Knicks, 26.5 MP, 13.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 

Starks was an All-Star three years before, and though this was his first year off the bench since 1991/92, he had similar numbers that he did when he was a starter.

Eligible Since 2008.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1998: Danny Manning, Phoenix Suns, 25.6 MP, 13.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG. 

An All-Star in 1993 and 1994, Manning was in his ninth NBA season, but also the last where he averaged over 10 Points per Game.

Eligible Since 2008.  Ranked #92 Notinhalloffame.com. 

1999: Darrell Armstrong, Orlando Magic, 30.0 MP, 16.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.1 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 

Armstrong was in his fifth NBA season, and this was his best, with a career-high in Points per Game and PER (22.2).  Armstrong also won the most Improved Player of the Year this season.

Eligible Since 2014.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2000: Rodney Rogers, Phoenix Suns, 27.9 MP, 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG. 

This was Rogers’ second year of five straight where he was coming off of the bench, and this was his most effective.  Rogers had a career-high PER of 17.1 and Win Shares (2.7).

Eligible Since 2011.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2001: Aaron McKie, Philadelphia 76ers, 31.5 MP, 11.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 

The Sixers made the Finals this year, largely on the back of Allen Iverson.  This was one of only three seasons that McKie had at least 10 Points per Game.

Eligible Since 2011.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2002: Corliss Williamson, Detroit Pistons, 21.8 MP, 13.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

Williamson won his only individual award in the NBA this year, and two years later he would win the NBA Title with the Pistons.

Eligible Since 2013.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2003: Bobby Jackson, Sacramento Kings, 28.4 MP, 15.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 

An All-Rookie in 1998, Jackson won his second and last individual accolade as a pro.  Jackson posted career highs in Points per Game, Win Shares (5.5) and VORP (2.1)

Eligible Since 2015.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2004: Antawn Jamison, Dallas Mavericks, 29.0 MP, 14.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG. 

This was the only year that Jamison was with Dallas, and he made the most of it, setting a career-high in PER (21.2).  Jamison would later go to two All-Star Games, both with Washington.

Eligible Since 2018.  Ranked #81 on Notinhalloffame.com

2005: Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls, 24.4 MP, 15.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 

Gordon was also an All-Rookie this year, and he became the first rookie to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Eligible Since 2019.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2006: Mike Miller, Memphis Grizzlies, 30.6 MP, 13.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG. 

Miller was in his sixth season, with this being the only year in his first ten that he regularly came off of the bench.  He later won two NBA Championships with the Heat.

Eligible Since 2021.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2007: Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns, 32.7 MP, 18.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. 

Barbosa was in his fourth NBA Season, and set personal bests in Assists and Points per Game, and his 18.4 PER would be his second best.

Eligible Since 2021.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

2008: Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs, 31.1 MP, 19.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG. 

Ginobili played his entire career with the Spurs, and was a two-time All-Star, once prior to this year, and one after.  He had a career-high in Points per Game, as well as PER (24.3), Win Shares (11.1) and VORP (6.0).  Ginobili won four NBA Championships over his career.

Eligible Since 2022.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com

2009: Jason Terry, San Antonio Spurs, 33.0 MP, 16.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. 

Terry had a long career with this being his 11^th Season in the NBA, and he would help Dallas win the NBA Championship.  

Eligible Since 2022.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

2011: Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, 32.2 MP, 14.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG. 

Odom helped the Lakers win the NBA Title the two years before, and this season he posted career bests in Win Shares (10.1) and PER (19.4). 

Eligible Since 2019.  Ranked #107 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 Sixth Man of the Year 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: 

2010: Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks, 31.1 MP, 18.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG. 

Jamal Crawford was in his 11^th Season in the NBA, but truly his first since he was a sophomore where he settled in as a bench player.  He set career highs in PER (18.4), Win Shares (7.3) and VORP (2.7).

Eligible in 2024.  

2013: J.R. Smith, New York Knicks, 33.5 MP, 18.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG. 

This was the best regular season of Smith’s career, as he had career-highs in Rebounds and Points per Game, as well as Win Shares (6.7).  He would later win two Titles, one with Cleveland (2016), and the Lakers in his final NBA Season (2020).

Eligible in 2024.  

2014: Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers, 30.3 MP, 18.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG. (2)

Crawford became the first player to win the Sixth Man of the Year for two different teams.

Eligible in 2024.  

2016: Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers, 26.9 MP, 14.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG. (3)

Crawford made history as the first player to win the Sixth Man of the Year three times.

Eligible in 2024.  

The following are the past players who have won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and are still active.

2012: James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder, 31.4 MP, 16.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

The Thunder went to the NBA Finals this year, and Harden was shockingly traded to the Rockets after the year.  He would later be a three-time Scoring Champion and an MVP winner.

32 Years Old, Playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

2015: Lou Williams, Toronto Raptors, 25.2 MP, 15.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Williams was in his tenth season in the NBA, and the only one as a Raptor, and his 15.5 PPG, was at that time the highest of his career.

35 Years Old, Playing for the Atlanta Hawks.

2017: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets, 31.0 MP, 16.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG

An All-Rookie Selection in 2009 as a Clipper, Eric Gordon won his next honor eight years later with his third team, Houston

33 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Rockets.

2018: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers, 32.8 MP, 22.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Williams won his second Sixth Man of the Year, and this was the first year that he cracked over 20 Points per Game, with his 22.6 setting a personal best.  His 6.7 Win Shares would also be a career-high.

35 Years Old, Playing for the Atlanta Hawks.

2019: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers, 26.6 MP, 20.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Williams had his second straight 20 PPG year, and he tied the record with his third Sixth Man of the Year Award.

35 Years Old, Playing for the Atlanta Hawks.

2020: Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers, 27.8 MP, 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Harrell was in his fifth season, and final one with the Clippers.  His PPG that year is currently his career-high.

28 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Wizards.

2021: Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz, 26.7 MP, 18.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Clarkson won his first individual award in his eighth NBA season since being an All-Rookie.

29 Years Old, Playing for the Utah Jazz.

So, what is up next?

We stay with Basketball, and look at the awards from the defunct ABA.

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

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their Nominees for the Class of 2022.

As usual, it is a gigantic list, so we will not be doing brief resumes of each candidate, and will do so when they become a Finalist.

Finalists from the North American and Women’s Committee will be announced All-Star Weekend, with the full Class of 2022 announced during the Final Four.  

At present, the 2022 Enshrinement Ceremony will take place on September 9-10.  

The Nominees are: (*indicates a First-Time Nominee)

North American Committee Nominees:

Ken Anderson (Coach)

Fletcher Aritt (Coach)

Johnny Bach (Coach)

Gene Bess (Coach)

Chauncey Billups (Player) Ranked #4 on the Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List

Rick Byrd (Coach)

Muggsy Bogues (Player)

Irv Brown (Referee)

Jim Burch (Referee)

Marcus Camby (Player) Ranked #63 on Notinhalloffame.com

Tom Chambers (Player) Ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com

John Clougherty (Referee)

Michael Cooper (Player) Ranked #28 on Notinhalloffame.com

Joey Crawford (Referee)

Jack Curran (Coach)

Mark Eaton (Player)

Cliff Ellis (Coach)

Hugh Evans (Referee)

Michael Finley (Player) Ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com

Steve Fisher (Coach)
Manu Ginobili* (Player) Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com

Leonard Hamilton (Coach)

Richard Hamilton (Player) Ranked #90 on Notinhalloffame.com

Tim Hardaway (Player) Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com

Lou Henson (Coach)

Ed Hightower (Referee)

David Hixon* (Coach)

Bob Huggins (Coach)

Mark Jackson (Player) Ranked #70 on Notinhalloffame.com

Herman Johnson (Coach)

Marques Johnson (Player) Ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com

George Karl (Coach)

Gene Keady (Coach)

Ken Kern (Coach)

Shawn Marion (Player) Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com

Rollie Massimino (Coach)

Bob McKillop (Coach)

Danny Miles (Coach)

Steve Moore (Coach)

Dick Motta (Coach)

Jake O’Donnell (Referee)

Jere Quinn (Coach)

Lamont Robinson (Player)

Bo Ryan (Coach)

Bob Saulsbury (Coach)

Norm Sloan (Coach)

Willie West (Coach)

Buck Williams (Player) Ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com

John Williamson (Player)

Paul Westhead (Coach)

Women’s Committee Nominations:

Leta Andrews (Coach)

Jennifer Azzi (Player)

Gary Blair* (Coach)

Swin Cash (Player)

Becky Hammon (Player)

Suzie McConnell (Player)

Debbie Miller-Palmore (Player)

Kim Mulkey (Player)

Marianne Stanley (Coach)

Valerie Still (Player)
Marian Washington (Coach)

Lindsey Whalen* (Player)

Contributor Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Dick Baumgartner

Henry Bibby

Marty Blake

Vic Bubas

Doug Collins

Larry Costello

Wayne Duke

Bill Foster

Bob Gibbons*

Simon Gourdine

Tim Grgurich

Del Harris

Johnny “Red” Kerr

Tom Konchalski

Bobby Lewis

Herbert Livsey

Fred McCall*

Jack McCloskey

Speedy Morris

Johnny Most

Dennis Murphy

Joe O’Toole

Billy Packer

Jack Powers

Will Robinson*

Gene Shue

Jim Valvano

Donnie Walsh

Jerome Williams

Early African-American Pioneers Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Dick Barnett

Clarence “Puggy” Bell

Sonny Boswell

Bill Garrett

Inman Jackson

Harry “Bucky” Lew

Davage “Dave” Minor

Hudson Oliver

Al “Runt” Pullins

James “Pappy” Ricks

Paul Robeson

Eyre Saitch

William “Wee Willie” Smith

International Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Jacky Chazalon

Mirza Delibasic*

Alphonso Ford

Giuseppe Giergia

Dusan Ivkovic

Semen Khalipski

Vladimir Kondrashin

Radivoj Korac

Eduardo Lamas

Marcos Leite

Shimon Mizrahi

Amaury Pasos

Dan Peterson

Manuel Sainz

Togo Soares

Ranko Zeravica

Veterans Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

1936 U.S. Olympic Team (Team)

1972 U.S. Olympic Team (Team)

Tom Blackburn (Coach)

Sid Borgia (Referee)

Darel Carrier (Player)

Jack Coleman (Player)

Charles Eckman (Referee)

Leroy Edwards (Player)

Leo Ferris (Contributor)

Clarence “Bevo” Francis (Player)

Hy Gotkin (Player)*

Travis Grant (Player)

Cam Henderson (Coach)

Robert Hopkins (Player)

Lou Hudson (Player) Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com

Charles Keinath (Player)

Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968 & 1969 (Team)

Bob Love (Player) Ranked #51 on Notinhalloffame.com

Loyola of Chicago (Team)

Billy Markward (Contributor)

Ed McCluskey (Coach)

Ray Mears (Coach)

Francis Meehan (Player)

Lucias Mitchell (Coach)

Donald “Dudley” Moore (Coach)

Joe Mullaney (Coach)*

Willie Naulls (Player) Ranked #55 on Notinhalloffame.com

North Catholic High School JV (Philadelphia, PA) (Team)

Philadelphia, PA (Team)

Philadelphia SPHAS (Team)

Glenn Roberts (Player)

Holcombe Rucker (Contributor)

Kenny Sailors (Player)

Fred Schaus (Contributor)

Sam Schulman (Contributor)

Paul Silas (Player) Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com

Dick Van Arsdale (Player)

Tom Van Arsdale (Player)

Perry Wallace (Player)

Max Zaslofsky (Player) Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com

Women’s Veterans Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Alline Banks Sprouse (Player)

Edmonton Commercial Grads (Team)

John Head (Coach)

Nashville Business College (Team)

Lometa Odom (Player)
Harley Redin (Coach)

Theresa Shank (Player)

Hazel Walker (Player)

We would like to congratulate all of those who made it to this stage.         

We have updated our Basketball futures with some new names for you to cast your votes on and offer your opinions.

Added to the 2023 Basketball Section are:

Darren Collison, a ten-year veteran who led the league in 3-Point Shooting Percentage in 2017-18.

Devin Harris, an All-Star in 2009, and former Big Ten Player of the Year.

Nene, who is one of the most successful players from Brazil, both representing his country and in the NBA.

Pau Gasol, the Spanish Superstar who not only is one of Europe’s greatest basketball players, and would win two NBA Championships with the Lakers.  Gasol also is a four-time post-season All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year in 2002.

They join Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng and Tony Parker who already have writeups.  

The 2024 Basketball Section is new, and consists of:

Jamal Crawford, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year, who also won the Teammate of the Year in 2018.

Joakim Noah, a two-time NCAA Champion at Florida and First Team All-NBA Selection in 2014.  Noah also won the 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. 

The 2025 Basketball Section is new, and consists of:

J.J. Redick, wh0 was the consensus College Player of the Year in 2006, and led the NBA 3-Point Field Goal Percentage in 2015-16.

As we proceed further, we will be adding new names to all of our future sections.

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.

Revising lists never stops at Notinhalloffame.com.

A couple of months ago, The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the newest members of their institution.  In terms of our list, it was a record five chosen from the top ten, and it created a seismic shift on our countdown.

Whenever we revamp our list, the first thing we do is take out those who were enshrined.  Chosen for Springfield, were our top four ranked former players, Paul Pierce (#1), Chris Bosh (#2), Chris Webber (#3) and Ben Wallace (#4).  Bob Dandridge, who was ranked at #10, also was elected.

The second thing we do, is add those who are now eligible, but unlike previous years, there are not multiple top players who appear to be locks for the Hall.  

The third and final thing we look at is your votes and comments on each eligible player.  Those help determine rises or falls of those on the list.

Let’s see our new top ten, which again, is colossally different from last year.  Based on who we have available in 2022, we are having a hard time trying to predict who will be named to the next class.

We have to way back in hoops history for our new number one, Max Zaslofsky, who was an All-NBA (All-BAA) First Team Selection in the first four years of the BAA/NBA’s existence.  While playing for the Chicago Stags, Zaslofsky won the 1947/48 Scoring Title, and at the time of his retirement in 1956, he was third all-time in scoring.  He is also a member of the NBA 25^th Anniversary Team, and was ranked at #6 last year.

Coming at #2 is Tim Hardaway, who moves up from #8 and was a Finalist last year.  Known mostly for his run with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond as “RUN-TMC” at Golden State, Hardaway was a five-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA Selection.  His candidacy is plagued by his past homophobic remarks, though he has since atoned for that.

Our highest debut is Manu Ginobili at #3, who is arguably the greatest basketball player in Argentine history.  A two-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili led his nation to Gold in the 2004 Olympics.  

Chauncey Billups rocketed from #11 to #4.  Billups led Detroit to the NBA Championship in 2004, where he was named the Finals MVP.  He was also a five-time All-Star.

At #5 is former Seattle SuperSonic, Shawn Kemp, who holds the same rank as last year.  Kemp was a six-time NBA All-Star.

Six-time All-Star and former Atlanta Hawk, Lou Hudson, climbed from #9 to #6.  

Buck Williams jumped to #12 from #7.  Williams was a three-time All-Star and was the 1982 Rookie of the Year.

Two-time NBA Champion with Detroit, Mark Aguire, dropped from #7 to #8.  

Larry Foust went up from #15 to #9, and he was an eight-time All-Star who played in the 1950s.

Maurice Lucas went up three spots to #10.  He was a four-time NBA All-Star and one-time ABA All-Star.

There are four other additions:

Joe Johnson, who was a seven-time All-Star makes a strong debut at #13.  

Former Memphis Grizzlies big man, Zach Randolph, enters at #89.

The other two new names are David West and Richard Jefferson at #115 respectively.  Jefferson’s ranking is currently where our list ends.

The entire list can be found here.

Eventually, we plan to expand our list to 150.  At a later time, we may create a separate list for women, but at present there is no plan to do so.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look for yourself, and cast your votes and offer your opinion.

As always, we thank you for your support.

The day after the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inducted the Class of 2020, the Class of 2021 has been announced.

Let’s get right to it:

The members of the Class of 2021 are:

Val Ackerman:  After her playing career ended, Ackerman worked in the legal field and would later be a special assistant to NBA Commissioner, David Stern.  She would become the first President of the WNBA (serving eight years) and became an appointee to the Board of Directors of USA Basketball.

Rick Adelman:  Adelman was a former WCC Player of the Year, but he enters the Hall as a Coach, having helmed Portland (1989-94), Golden State (1995-97), Sacramento (1999-06), Houston (2007-11) and Minnesota (2011-14) with an overall record of 1,042-749.

Chris Bosh:  Bosh enters Springfield on his second year of eligibility, and though he played more games with Toronto, it was his time in Miami with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade where he is best known.  With the Heat, Bosh won two NBA Championships, and is an overall 11-time All-Star.  Bosh also has an Olympic Gold Medal with Team U.S.A. in 2008.

Bob Dandridge:  Dandridge is a two-time NBA Champion, one with Milwaukee (1971), and one with Washington (1978), and is a four-time NBA All-Star.  Both the Bucks and his collegiate alumni, Norfolk State, retired his number.

Cotton Fitzsimmons:  Fitzsimmons was an NBA Head Coach for Phoenix (1970-72, 1988-92 & 1996-97), Atlanta (1972-76), Buffalo (1977-78), Kansas City (1978-84) and San Antonio (1984-86) and was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (1979 & 1989).  He had a lifetime coaching record of 832-775.

Clarence “Fats” Jenkins’:  Jenkins enters as this year’s Early African -American Pioneer inductee, and he most notably played for the New York Rens from 1925 to 1939.  He also played in the Negro Leagues of baseball for twenty years.

Howard Garfinkel:  Garfinkel, was the co-founder and director of Five-Star Basketball Camps and creator of Basketball Illustrated, the first high school scouting report.  He was inducted to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Yolanda Griffith:  Griffith was an eight-time WNBA All-Star, two-time All-WNBA First Team Selection and was twice the Rebounding leader.  She also took the Sacramento Monarchs to a WNBA Championship in 2005, and while representing the United States, she won two Gold Olympic Gold Medals (2000 & 2004).

Lauren Jackson:  One of the top female players ever, Australia’s Lauren Jackson was a seven-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA MVP, and she led the Seattle Storm twice to an WNBA Championship.  She was also a seven-time All-WNBA First Team Selection and was also a former Defensive Player of the Year.  Internationally, Jackson led Australia to Gold in the 2008 World Championship, and captured three straight Silvers (2000, 2004 & 2008) at the Olympics.  

Toni Kukoc:  From Croatia, Kukoc is this year’s International Inductee.  Kukoc famously was part of the Bulls’ second three-peat (1996-98), and was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1996.  In Europe, Kukoc was a five-time Euroscar Player of the Year, four-time Mister Europa Player of the Year, and he led Benetton Treviso to three consecutive EuroLeague Championships (1989-91).  Representing Yugoslavia, he won Gold in 1990 World Cup, and Silver in the 1992 Olympics representing Croatia.

Pearl Moore:  With 4,061 Points at Francis Marion College, Moore is the all-time leader in Points in Women’s College Basketball.  She would later play professionaly in the Women’s Basketball League, and in 2011, she was chosen for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul Pierce:  The arguable headliner of this class, Pierce enters on his first year of eligibility.  An All-American at Kansas, Pierce was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1998, where he was their best player, but needed help to bring them back to greatness.  He got that when they signed Hall of Famers, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and Pierce was the 2008 Finals MVP.  Pierce was a ten-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA honoree (one Second Team and three Third Team), and his number 34 was retired by both the Boston Celtics and University of Kansas.

Bill Russell:  Russell enters the Hall again, this time as a Head Coach.  His coaching career began while still playing for the Celtics, and he not only became the first African-American Head Coach in the NBA, he was the first to win the NBA Championship (1968).  Russell won a second Title as a player/coach in 1969, and he would later coach Seattle (1973-77) and Sacramento (1987-88).  He has an overall coaching record of 341-290

Ben Wallace:  Wallace is one of the best defensive players in the last 30 years, and he was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005 & 2006.  Also, a five-time All-NBA Selection (three Second Team, and two Third Team), Wallace led the Pistons to the Championship in 2004, making him the first player of that championship squad to earn a spot in Springfield.  Wallace also was a two-time Rebounding leader, one-time Blocks leader, and he also logged time for the Washington, Orlando, Chicago and Cleveland.  The Pistons retired his number 3 in 2016.

Chris Webber:  Webber was the leader of one of the most influential college teams in recent memory, “The Fab Five” of the University of Michigan.  He would be most known for his failed time-out call in the NCAA Finals, but there was no doubt that he was the star of the NCAA.  Professionally, Webber was a five-time All-Star, and three-time Second Team All-NBA Selection.  Webber also was the 1994 Rookie of the Year, and he led the NBA in Rebounds in 1998-99, and his number 4. Was retired by the Sacramento Kings.

Jay Wright:  Wright, who is the current Head Coach at Villanova, brought the Wildcats to three Final Fours, winning two National Championships (2016 & 2018), and he is also a two-time Naismith College Coach of the Year.  He currently has a coaching record of 606-271. 

We will begin work on revising our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List.  Look for that next month.  

We here would like to congratulate the sixteen new members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced 14 Finalists for the Class of 2021, ten men and four women.

The North American Committee Finalists are:

Rick Adelman (Coach): Portland 1989-94, Golden State 1995-97, Sacramento 1999-06, Houston 2007-11 & Minnesota 2011-14.  A seven-year pro, Adelman went into coaching, first obtaining a Head Coaching role in the NBA with the Trail Blazers in 1989.  Adelman led Portland to two Western Conference Championships (1990 & 1992).  Last coaching in 2014, Adelman had a career record of 1,042-749, and is currently ninth all-time in wins.

Chris Bosh (Player):Toronto 2003-10 & Miami 2010-17. Bosh went to eleven consecutive All-Star Games (2006-16) and helped the Heat win two NBA Titles (2012 & 2013), and won Olympic Gold for the United States in 2008.  The former ACC Rookie of the Year has already had his number (1) retired by the Heat.  He was eligible last year, but was not nominated.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Michael Cooper (Player): Los Angeles Lakers (1978-90).  The Shooting Guard for the “Showtime” Lakers, Cooper aided L.A. win five NBA Championships.  A defensive wizard, Cooper won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987, and was five times part of the All-Defensive First Team roster. Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tim Hardaway (Player): Golden State (1989-96), Miami (1996-01), Dallas (2001-02), Denver (2002) & Indiana (2003).  Hardaway was a five-time All-Star and a First Team All-NBA Selection in 1997.  Also, a three-time Second Team Selection, Hardaway was a member of the 2000 Olympic Gold winning team for the United States.  Ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Marques Johnson (Player):  Milwaukee (1977-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-87) & Golden State (1989). Johnson went to five All-Star Games and in 1979 was a First Team All-Star.  An NCAA Champion and former College Player of the Year at UCLA, Johnson’s number was retired by both the Bruins and the Milwaukee Bucks.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Paul Pierce (Player): Boston (1998-13), Brooklyn (2013-14), Washington (2014-15) & Los Angeles Clippers (2015-17).  A First Team All-American at Kansas, Pierce played 19 seasons, the first fifteen with the Celtics.  Pierce led Boston to the NBA Championship in 2008, where he was named the Finals MVP. Pierce’s number is retired by the Celtics and Jayhawks, and he is currently 19^thall-time in Points. Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com

Bill Russell (Coach): Boston (1966-69), Seattle (1973-77) & Sacramento (1987-88).  Russell is already inducted as a player (1975), and in 1966, he became the Celtics Player/Coach, becoming the first African-American Coach in the NBA.  Russell took the Celtics to his last two of eleven titles in that capacity, and had an overall record of 341-290.

Ben Wallace (Player):  Washington (1996-99), Orlando (1999-00), Detroit (2000-06), Chicago (2006-08), Cleveland (2008-09) & Detroit (2009-12).  Wallace brought the Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004, and he was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.  A two-time Rebounding Leader and one-time Blocking Leader, Wallace was also a four-time All-Star.  His number was retired by Detroit.  Ranked #4on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Chris Webber (Player):  Golden State (1993-94), Washington (1994-98), Sacramento (1998-05), Philadelphia (2006-07), Detroit (2007) & Golden State (2008).  Webber was the leader of Michigan’s “Fab Five”, and was a Consensus All-American. Named the NBA Rookie of the Year, Webber was a five-time All-Star, and was a First Team All-NBA Selection in 2001.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jay Wright (Coach):  Hofstra 1994-01 & Villanova (2001-).  Wright, who is still the Head Coach at Villanova, has taken the Wildcats to two NCAA Championships and three Final Fours.  He was named by the Associated Press Coach of the Decade (2010s).  

The Women’s Committee Finalists are:

Leta Andrews (Coach): Tolar HS (1962-65), Gustine HS (1965-70), Comanche (1970-76), Granbury HS (1976-80), Calallen HS (1980-82) & Granbury (1992-14).  Andrews has an overall coaching record of 1,416-355, and has won more than any other coach in high school basketball.   Andrews is already in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yolanda Griffith (Player):  Chicago (1998), Sacramento (1999-07), Seattle (2008) & Indiana (2009).  Griffith won the WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1999, and was an eight-time All-Star.  She also won the WNBA Title in 2005 with the Monarchs where she was also the Finals MVP.

Lauren Jackson (Player):  Seattle (2001-12).  Jackson was a three-time WNBA MVP and seven-time WNBA All-Star, and she also led the league in scoring three times.  Jackson also led Australia to three Olympic Silver Medals, one Olympic Bronze, and a World Championship Gold Medal in 2006.

Marianne Stanley (Coach):  Old Dominion (1977-87), Penn (1987-89), USC (1989-93), Stanford (1995-96), California (1996-2000), Washington WNBA (2002-03), Indiana WNBA (2020-).  Stanley took her teams to three Final Fours and brought Old Dominion to a NCAA Championship in 1985. 

The Class of 2021 will be announced at this year’s Final Four.

Please note that at present, we only rank male players.  This could change in the future.

The Class of 2021 ceremony is currently slated for September of this year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.