Paul Pierce, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen

Please note that this does not necessarily reflect the last five Small Forwards inducted but rather the previous five peak runs of that particular player.  Also, we are going with what each player predominantly played.  For some positions, we see very different players who bring unique skill sets, and at Small Forward, they often see action in other roles.

The five Small Forwards we are using as the baseline are:

Paul Pierce.  Class of 2021 & Peak Period 2004-05 to 2010-11:  Pierce logged more minutes in the first half of his career as a Shooting Guard, which bled into significant time into his Peak Period.

Grant Hill.  Class of 2028 & Peak Period 1994-95 to 2000-01:  Hill also played at Shooting Guard, but unlike Pierce, there was no internal debate in slotting Hill at the three.

Tracy McGrady.  Class of 2017 & Peak Period 2000-2001 to 2006-07:  This was the trickiest one among our baselines.  McGrady played just as much as a Shooting Guard, which includes our Peak Period.  We could have easily placed T-Mac in the SG spot, and we will be open on this; the lack of Small Forwards recently inducted might have swayed this decision. 

Chris Mullin.  Class of 2011 & Peak Period 1987-88 to 1993-94:  Mullin played more games as a Shooting Guard early in his career, but that did not occur in his peak period.

Scottie Pippen.  Class of 2010 & Peak Period 1991-92 to 1997-98: Pippen is the only player here who was always a Small Forward, and we could arguably use him as a one-man bar for this spot for decades to come.

Peak Period is the best seven consecutive seasons by a player.*All-NBA have weighted points.  3 for the First Team, 2 for the Second Team, and 1 for the Third Team.

MVP and Defensive Player of the Year have weighted points.  10 for 1^st Place, 9 for 2^nd Place, 8 for 3^rd Place, 7 for 4^th Place, 6 for 5^th Place, 5 for 6^th Place, 4 for 7^th Place, 3 for 8^th Place, 2 for 9^th Place and 1 for 10^th Place.

All-Defensive have weighted points.  2 for the First Team, 1 for the Second Team.

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 amount 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.

After completing the Gold Gloves (thank God!) we wanted to do something away from Baseball and we picked a relatively new award, The NBA Most Improved Player of the Year.

On the surface, it would seem like anyone who improved enough to get this award likely had less than auspicious beginnings, which may mean that not very many of these players are Hall of Famers, but this is why we do this process!

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the Most Improved Player in the NBA who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic (2001)

26.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG.  It took the award seventeen years of existence before we found our first Hall of Fame inductee (unless previous inductee Kevin Johnson gets in) but regardless if what happens with KJ, this is the first real NBA superstar we are talking about here.  McGrady was with the Toronto Raptors the season before where he started nearly half of his games but this year he was Orlando’s starting Shooting Guard and his Minutes per Game increased from 31.2 to 40.1 with a PPG rise from 15.4 to 26.8 and a PER increase from 20.0 to 24.9.  He would be named a Second Team All NBA member and would later win two scoring titles in his career.    Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

The following are the players who have won the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award who are eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs (1986)

17.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 3.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG.  This was the sophomore season for Alvin Robertson whose minutes shot up from 21.3 to 35.1 per Game.  Increased time certainly led to the increased production as he increased his PPG from 9.2 to 17.0 and more notably would win the Steals Title with a career high of 3.7 per Game.  For his efforts this year, the San Antonio Spur would be chosen for his first All Star Game, would also win the Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second Team All NBA Selection.  This would be his best season as he had a career high 19.5 PER, 6.2 VORP and 8.6 Win Shares.  Robertson would go to three more All Star Games and make more All-Defensive Selections, but he never had a better regular season than this in the NBA.  Ranked #47 on Notinhalloffame.com.  

Dale Ellis, Seattle Supersonics (1987)

24.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG.  Dale Ellis played for the Dallas Mavericks for the first three seasons of his career where he came off of the bench but in his first season with the Supersonics he was a starter and he more than tripled his Points per Game from 7.1 to 24.9 and in the next three seasons he would equal his 20 PP and 19.0 plus PER.  However, he was only an All Star once.  Ranked #97 on Notinhalloffame.com.  

Kevin Duckworth, Portland Trail Blazers (1988)

15.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG.  Kevin Duckworth would be later go to two All Star Games and in this season, which was his third in the NBA he was a starter for the first time doubling his minutes from 14.8 and 28.6.  Playing for Portland, the Center would increase his PPG from 6.0 to 15.8 and doubled his Rebounds per Game from 4.8 to 7.4 but his Blocks per Game remained at 4.0.  His PER was also only 14.9 but this was actually his career high and he had a VORP of -0.5.  Duckworth actually NEVER had a VORP that had a positive integer.  I guess we are saying that he really didn’t improve by much! Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kevin Johnson, Phoenix Suns (1989)

20.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 12.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG.  Kevin Johnson was in his sophomore season and as a rookie he was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Phoenix Suns where he would become the starting Point Guard.  K.J. now played nearly 40 Minutes per Game (up from 24.0) and this would be his first of four straight 10 Assist seasons, and the 12.2 he had this year would be his highest.  Johnson would be named a Second Team All NBA Selection this year, and he would earn that honor again three more times.  While the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame does not yet inducted him, he is a strong contender to enter in the future.  Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rony Seikaly, Miami Heat (1990)

16.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.7 BPG.  Rony Seikaly was in his second season and he had a modest increase in Minutes per Game from 25.2 to 32.6 and he increased his PPG from 10.9 to 16.6 and his boards per Game went from 7.0 to 10.4.  In the next four seasons he would average a double-double per season.  This would be the only individual accolade (other than two Player of the Weeks) that Seikaly would win.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Skiles, Orlando Magic (1991)

17.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG.  This would be the only individual accolade for Scott Skiles who had his best season in almost every metric.  This was a significant jump from the previous season in regards to his stats but in what was his fifth season in the NBA was also his halfway point of his professional career.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pervis Ellison, Washington Bullets (1992)

20.0 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.7 BPG.  There is no argument that in what was the third NBA season of Pervis Ellison’s career that it was not just a warranted Most Improved Player of the Year Award year but it was by far and away the best campaign of his career.  This was the only double-double season of the Center’s career but also the only 20 PPG season for Ellison who nearly doubled his Points from the year before.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Denver Nuggets (1993)

19.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG.  Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had his first of three 18.0 Points per Game Seasons, this one being a 19.2 PPG, which was a career high. This was his third season in the NBA and he had a significant increase in all stats, but as this was his highlight and it was not an All Star worthy one, we don’t have much of a Hall of Fame threat here.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Don MacLean, Washington Bullets (1994)

18.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG.  Hmmm.  This was the best season by far of Don MacLean’s career but if this was the best are we even close to a Hall of Fame career?  We are not!  After this season (he won his award in his second year) he never had a statistical campaign like this again and he would never come close to any award.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dana Barros, Philadelphia 76ers (1995)

20.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.0 BPG.  This was the sixth season of Dana Barros’ career and by leaps and bounds the best.  The above stats destroyed anything else he did before or after and this was also his only All Star campaign.  Barros would never come close to another individual award again.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gheorghe Muresan, Washington Bullets (1996)

14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.3 BPG.  The star of Billy Crystal’s “My Giant” would win what would be his only individual award here and this was also his best season in the NBA. All of the above stat line would be career highs and he would finish first in Field Goal Percentage and was eighth in Blocks per Game.  He would only be in the NBA for four years after this, one of which he had to sit out due to injury.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Isaac Austin, Miami Heat (1997)

9.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG.  This was the sixth professional season of Isaac Austin’s career however it needs to be noted that the previous two seasons Austin played overseas and was in the Turkish League the year before.  Was anyone really aware of how he improved from the season before?  For what it is worth, he improved the next two years as an NBA player.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Alan Henderson, Atlanta Hawks (1998)

14.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG.  Henderson would start 33 Games this year as opposed to the zero from the year before and the Power Forward would see his minutes increase from 16.7 to 29.0 per Game.  His 14.3 PPG would be a career high and he would be a starter the next three years. This would be the only award he would win in the NBA.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Darrell Armstrong, Orlando Magic (1999)

13.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG.  In this season, Darrell Armstrong would also be named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year.  Armstrong only went from 25.8 to 30.0 Minutes per Game but it was a disproportional increase in terms of his Points per Game (13.8 from 9.2) Assists (6.7 from 4.9) and Steals (2.2 from 1.2).  His PER shot up from 15.7 to what would be a career high of 22.2.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers (2000)

18.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG.  This was the sixth season for Jalen Rose and his fourth in Indiana.  In his first two seasons, he was a starter in Denver, but wet to Indiana on a bench role. This season, Rose returned as a starter and he put up the best numbers (up until that point) this year.  The former member of Michigan’s “Fab Five” raised his PPG over 7 Points and doubled his Assists.  His PER went up from 14.4 to 16.7.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana Pacers (2002)

19.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG.  For the second time in three years, our NBA Most Improved Player of the Year is an Indiana Pacer with Jermaine O’Neal winning this award. The Center/Power Forward only played five more Minutes per Game (32.6 to 37.6) but he increased his PPG from 12.9 to 19.0 and with a now 10.5 RPG, he was a double-double player.  He was named to the Al Star Team and would be the next five years after.  Ranked #69 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gilbert Arenas, Golden State Warriors (2003)

18.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG.  “Agent Zero” was in his second season in the NBA where he improved his numbers from 24.6 Minutes per Game to 35.0, which resulted in an increase of Points per Game from 10.9 to 18.3.  Arenas would later go to three All Star Games after signing with the Washington Wizards.  Ranked #69 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Simmons, Los Angeles Clippers (2005)

16.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG.  For the first time Simmons was a regular starter and he went from 24.6 to 37.3 Minutes per Game.  This resulted in a 7.8 to 16.4 increase in Points per Game and he would have a career high 16.1 PER.  He would sign with the Milwaukee Bucks the year after and he would never win another individual award again.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

 

Let’s update our tally shall we?

Award in Question	Percentage of recipients who have entered the HOF	Percentage of recipients by year who have entered the HOF.
NBA MVP	100%	100%
NHL Norris	90.5%	96.4%
NBA All Star Game MVP	89.5%	91.7%
NHL Conn Smythe	74.2%	85.4%
NHL Lady Byng	63.8%	76.0%
NFL Super Bowl MVP	60.6%	64.9%
NBA Defensive Player of the Year	58.3%	56.5%
NBA Rookie of the Year	56.5%	56.5%
MLB/NL/AL Cy Young Award	44.4%	55.4%
NHL Frank J. Selke Trophy	33.3%	36.7%
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year	28.6%	28.6%
MLB Edgar Martinez Award	26.7%	17.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Designated Hitter)	25.0%	30.8%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Shortstop)	23.5%	52.6%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove	21.7%	36.8%
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year	20.6%	20.6%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher)	20.0%	22.5%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Second Base)	18.8%	39.8%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Shortstop)	18.2%	35.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Pitcher)	18.2%	20.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base)	16.7%	32.7%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Outfield)	16.7%	30.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Outfield)	15.7%	25.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Third Base)	14.3%	14.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base)	13.6%	14.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base)	13.6%	13.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year	13.3%	13.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Catcher)	10.3%	15.2%
NBA Most Improved Player of the Year	5.3%	3.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (First Base)	3.8%	3.2%

So who is up next?

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

Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns (2006)

13.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG.  In his third year in the NBA, Boris Diaw would nearly double his minutes but he would see his Points per Game almost triple from 4.8 to 12.3 and it was the same for Rebounds (2.6 to 6.9), Assists (2.3 to 6.2) and Blocks (0.3 to 1.0).  His PER shot up from 10.0 to 17.3 with a VORP of -0.5 to 3.7.   Diaw will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Monte Ellis, Golden State Warriors (2007)

16.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG.  This was Ellis’ second season in the NBA and his Minutes per Game nearly doubled from 18.1 to 34.3.  He responded well with his shooting with the increased minutes going from 6.8 to 16.5 in Points per Game and his PER increased from 11.1 to 15.0. Ellis will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic (2008)

19.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG.  At age 28, Hedo Turkoglu only increased his Minutes per Game from 31.1 to 36.9 but his Points per Game shot up to 19.5 from 13.3.  This would be the native of Turkey’s best season in the NBA as this season would be career highs in PPG and PER (17.8).  Turkoglu will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers (2009)

25.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.4 BPG.  While Granger only played .2 minutes from the season before he increased an already good 19.6 Points per Game to an excellent 25.8. That PPG would be a career high as would his PER of 21.8 and this would see Granger go to his first and only All Star Game.  He would have two more 20 PPG seasons after.  Granger will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets (2010)

19.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG.  This was the third season of Aaron Brooks’ career and it would be by far his best.  With an increase of 10.6 Minutes per Game, Brooks went from 11.2 Points per Game to 19.6 and had a PER of 16.0, which again was a career high.  Brooks will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2022.

 

 

The following are the players who have won the NBA Most Improved Player who are still active.

Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers (2004)

20.1 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG.  Zach Randolph had a monstrous statistical increase from the season before.  Randolph became a starter and more than doubled his minutes from 16.9 to 37.9 and he was now a double-double player with 20.1 Points and 10.5 Rebounds per Game. His PER actually was a little lower from the season before going from 19.9 to 19.6 essentially indicating he could have produced this in 2003.   37 Years Old, Playing for the Sacramento Kings.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves (2011)

20.2 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG.  Love shot up in both Points and Rebounds in what was his third season improving 6.2 and 4.2 respectively in those categories per Game, with a 7.2 Minutes per Game increase.  Love would be chosen for his first of five All Star Games and his 15.2 Rebounds per Game would be a career high and would give him the Rebounding title. The Power Forward also saw a decent rise in his PER from 20.7 to 24.3 and more than doubled his Win Shares going from 4.9 to 11.4.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic (2012)

16.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG.  Ryan Anderson was in his fourth season in the NBA and what would be his last in Orlando as he would be traded to New Orleans the year after. With a 10 Minutes per Game gain, he went from 10.6 to 16.1 in Points per Game and had a career high 7.7 Rebounds per Game.  He would have a career high PER of 21.2 this season.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Phoenix Suns.

Paul George, Indiana Pacers (2013)

17.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG.  George’s Minutes per Game went up from 29.7 to 37.6 and he responded with increase of 2.0 Rebounds, 1.7 Assists and 5.3 Points per Game. He arguably had a bigger improvement the next season when he went up to a PPG and PER over 20.  This would be the first of many All Star Game seasons for George. 28 Years Old, Playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns (2014)

20.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG.  In his seventh season in the National Basketball Association, Goran Dragic did not play much more than the season before (only 1.6 Minutes per Game) but his Points per Game went up from 14.7 to 20.3 and he had sizable increase Field Goal Percentage going from .443 to .505.  The Slovenian would also raise his PER from 17.5 to 21.4.  32 Years Old, Playing for the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls (2015)

20.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG.  Jimmy Butler played 38.7 Minutes per Game this year, the exact amount he played the season before but he increased his effectiveness as a shooter going to .462 from .397, which resulted into a rise from 13.1 to 20.0 Points per Game.  29 Years Old, Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers (2016)

20.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG.  Statistically speaking, this might be the most deserving winner of this award.  McCollum more than doubled his minutes (15.7 to 34.8) and more than triples his Points per Game going from 6.8 to 20.8.  His PER also went from 13.1 to 17.7.  27 Years Old, Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Giannis Antetokounmpko, Milwaukee Bucks (2017)

22.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.9 BPG.  With only a .3 Minute per Game increase look what the “Greek Freak” did per Game.  He raised his Points by 6.0, his Rebounds by 1.1, his Assists by 0.9, his Steals by 0.4 and his blocks by 0.5.  Even more his PER went from 18.8 to 26.1!  This would be the first of many All Star Games for Antetokounmpko.  24 Years Old, Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers (2018)

23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG.  How frustrated must Orlando Magic fans have been when they saw Oladipo break out like this?  This was the season they always thought he was capable of and it happened in his first season in Indiana.  With only a Minutes per Game increase from 33.2 to 34.0 he shot up from 15.9 Points to 23.1 Points per Game and doubled his Steals from 1.2 to 2.4 per Game, which was enough to earn him the Steals Title.  Oladipo was a Third Team All-NBA Selection and he went to his first All Star Game.  His PER also had a massive increase from 13.6 to 23.1.  26 Years Old, Playing for the Indiana Pacers.

As you can see the current result with only one player (Tracy McGrady) who has made the Hall of Fame but with the recent winners who are still active we could easily see this percentage rise.  We initially thought that we would see a higher number as if you are the winner of this award you must be pretty good but there were a few winners here that we openly question and with the recent winners there seems to be an overall improvement, which we think will result in a higher percentage of Hall of Famers.

Up next we are going to back to the National Hockey League and the Calder Trophy, which is presented annually to the league’s top rookie.

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

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives.

As such, it is important to us that the Orlando Magic has announced that Tracy McGrady will be inducted into their franchise’s Hall of Fame.

After playing his first three seasons in Toronto McGrady signed with Orlando and would become the teams starting Shooting Guard and would be named an All Star in all four of his campaigns with the Magic. T-Mac would average 28.1 Points per Game over his career in Orlando, the highest in team history and he would also win his two scoring titles as a member of the Magic. He was also named All-NBA in each season with Orlando, with a pair of second team and a pair of first team selections.

He will be honored on March 20 when the team hosts the Raptors.

McGrady becomes the seventh member of the Hall, following Owner Rich DeVos, Co-Founders Pat Williams and Jimmy Hewitt and former players Nick Anderson, Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Tracy McGrady for obtaining this honor.

Bet most of you did not remember that Tracy McGrady was a Raptor. 

McGrady joined the Raptors as a teenager, and did not become a starter until halfway through his third season.  Despite the limited minutes he had in Toronto, he would show incredible efficiency with two seasons over 20 in PER.  In his third season, he averaged over 15 Points per Game and was clearly a star on the rise, and it was largely forecasted that he was close to being an All Star, which would happen…just not as a Raptor.

Not only is this the Final Four Weekend, it is another milestone day for us at Notinhalloffame.com as the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2017.

For us, the headliner is Tracy McGrady, the seven time All Star who had had prolific runs with the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets.  McGrady was a two time scoring champion and would score more than 20 Points per Game eight years in a row.  Notably, T-Mac would be named an All NBA player seven times.  This was his first year of eligibility.

Collegiately speaking, the big name is Bill Self, the Head Coach of Kansas, who has an overall record of 623 and 192.  He would take the Jayhawks to the National Championship in 2012.

Rebecca Lobo headlines the women’s side of the ledger.  Lobo was a star of the University of Connecticut team that won the NCAA Title in 1995 and went 35 and 0.  She would go on to the WNBA and was an All Star in 1999.

Lobo is joined by Muffet McGraw, the Head Coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’ women’s team since 1987.  She would take her team to the NCAA Title in 2001.

The recently deceased Jerry Krause was also chosen.  Krause was the owner of the Chicago Bulls team that ran roughshod through the NBA in the 1990’s winning six titles.

Representing the ABA is two time ABA Champion, George McGinnis.  The former Indiana Hoosier was the ABA MVP in 1975 and after the merge with the NBA would make three All Star Games there.

The class is rounded out by High School Coach Bob Hughes, former NCAA Vice President Tom Jernstedt, European player, Nikos Galis and Zach Clayton and Mannie Jackson of the Harlem Globetrotters.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate this latest class and we will again begin work on our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list.

Again, can we say how much we love “Hall of Fame Season”?

As is tradition, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced their finalists on NBA Hall of Fame weekend, and for us the biggest news is that Chris Webber is finally a Finalist. 

Let’s take a look at this year’s Finalists:

Hugh Evans.  Evans was a referee in the NBA from 1972 to 2001.

Tim Hardaway.  A return Finalist, Hardaway is a five time All Star and is ranked #9 by us on Notinhalloffame.com.

Robert Hughes.  Hughes is one of the most successful High School Coaches in history.

Rebecca Lobo.  The star of the 1995 University of Connecticut Women’s NCAA Team, Lobo would also win an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in 1996 and was a one time WNBA All Star.

Rollie Massimino.  The longtime coach of Keiser University.

Tracy McGrady.  A two time NBA Scoring Champion and seven time All Star, McGrady is ranked #2 on our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list.  McGrady is also a two time First Team All-NBA Selection.

Muffet McGraw.  The long time and still head coach of Notre Dame, McGraw took the Fighting Irish to a title in 2001.

Sidney Moncrief.  Ranked #3 on our Notinhalloffame.com list, Moncrief was a two time Defensive Player of the Year and was a five time All Star.

Kim Mulkey.  The only woman to win a NCAA Women’s Title as a player, Assistant Coach and Head Coach, Mulkey has been the Head Coach at Baylor since 2000.

Bo Ryan.  Ryan is a previous Finalist and had over 700 NCAA coaching wins.  He won four titles in Division III.

Bill Self.  Self won the NCAA Championship at Kansas in 2008 and has a record of 613-190 at this time. 

Rudy Tomjanovich.  Ranked #32 on our Notinhalloffame.com list, Rudy T, coached the Houston Rockets to back to back titles and was a five time All Star as a player. 

Wayland Baptist University.  Another return nominee, Wayland Baptist University are ten time AAU Champions.

Chris Webber.  Ranked #1 by us on Notinhalloffame.com, the former star of Michigan’s “Fab Five”, Webber averaged over 20 Points per Game in the NBA and was a former Rookie of the Year.  Webber also is a five time post season All-NBA selection.

So, which ones will get in?

We will find in early April during the Final Four.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is continuing in on the fun in this “Hall of Fame” Season.

The following have been named as Finalists for the Class of 2017.


Mark Aguire.  A three time All Star and two time NBA Champion with the Detroit Pistons.  He is a former #1 Pick out of DePaul.  Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gesse Ausbie.  A former Harlem Globetrotter for twenty-five years (1961-1985). 

Bill Bertha.  A former Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and Executive for the New Orleans Jazz.

Muggsy Bogues.  A former pint sized Point Guard who may have been the smallest on the court but was a popular player and excellent one at that.

Junior Bridgeman.  A two-time MVC Player of the Year and twelve year NBA veteran, predominantly with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Irv Brown, a longtime referee and broadcaster.

Maurice Cheeks.  A Champion with the Philadelphia 76ers and 4 time All Star known for his defensive acumen.  Cheeks also had success as a coach in the NBA.  Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Terry Cummings.  A former NBA Rookie of the Year who was chosen for two post season All-NBA Teams.   Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Lefty Drissell.  A former NCAA Coach with a record of 786 and 394.  He is most known for his 18 seasons as the head coach of Maryland. 

Hugh Evans.  A former NBA Referee from 1972 to 2001.

Bill Fitch.  A long time NBA Coach who won the NBA Title with the Boston Celtics in 1981 and was named the NBA Coach of the Year twice.

Cotton Fitzsimmons.  A two time NBA Coach of the Year who helmed the Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Kansas City Kings and the San Antonio Spurs.

Tim Hardaway.  A former Point Guard who went to five All Star Games and was named to five All-NBA Teams.  Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Del Harris.  A former NBA Head Coach who was named Coach of the Year in 1995.  He had the coaching duties of the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Robert Hughes.  A former High School Head Coach who has the most wins in High School Basketball history.

Kevin Johnson.  A former five time post season All-NBA Selection and three time All Star.  Ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Marques Johnson.  A former star at UCLA and former five time All Star.  Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Jones.  A former four time All-Star and NBA Champion with the Philadelphia 76ers.  Ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jerry Jones.  A long time women’s basketball coach.

Gene Keady.  A former college coach mostly known for his twenty-five year run with Purdue.  Keady is a seven time Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Rollie Massimino.  A college coach who won the NCAA Title with Villanova in 1985.

Tracy McGrady.  A former Shooting Guard who went to seven All Star Games and was named to seven post season All-NBA teams.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Gary McKnight.  Another successful High School Basketball Coach.

Danny Miles.  The Coach of Oregon Tech from 1971 to 2016.  Miles has over 1,000 Wins and three Division II Championships.

Sidney Moncreif.  A former two time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and five time NBA All Star.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dick Motta.  A successful Head Coach who was a former NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Champion with the Washington Bullets.

Swen Nater.  The only player to have led both the ABA and NBA in Rebounds.  Nater is a former ABA Rookie of the Year and two time NCAA Champion with UCLA.

Jake O’Donnell.  A former NBA referee for twenty-eight seasons.

Jim Phelan.  The Head Coach for Mount St. Mary’s from 1954 to 2003.  He took them to a NCAA Division II Title in 1962.

Mark Price.  A four time All Star and four time post season All-NBA Selection.  Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jere Quinn.  A Head Coach for thirty-eight years at St. Thomas More Prep.

Glenn Robinson.  The current Head Coach at Franklin & Marshall since 1971 and the all-time leader in wins in Division III.

Lee Rose.  A former Head Coach in College (UNC Charlotte, Purdue and South Florida) and an Assistant Coach in the NBA.

Bo Ryan.  A four time NCAA Division III Champion at Wisconsin-Platteville who also took The University of Wisconsin to two Final Fours.

Bob Saulsbury.  A former Head Coach at Wilbur Cross Prep.

Bill Self.  The current Head Coach of the Kansas Jayhawks and NCAA winner in 2008.

Jack Sikma.  A seven time All Star who won the NBA Championship with the Seattle SuperSonics.  Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Smith.  The Head Coach at Oak Hill Academy and four time USA Today Coach of the Year. 

Fred Snowden.  The first African American Head Coach at a major University (Arizona) and a former WAC Coach of the Year.

Harry Statham.  The Head Coach for McKendrie University since 1966.  He has over 1,100 Wins.

Eddie Sutton.  A former NCAA College Coach with over 800 Wins.  Sutton most notably coached for Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State and is a two time NCAA Coach of the Year.

Rudy Tomjanovich.  A two time NBA Championship Coach with the Houston Rockets and nominated as a Coach.  As a player (where he is ranked by us) he is a five time NBA All Star.  Ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Ben Wallace.  A four time All Star and four time NBA Defensive Player of the Year who also helped the Detroit Pistons win the NBA Title in 2004.  Ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Chris Webber.  A former star at the University of Michigan who would win the NBA Rookie of the Year and go to five All Star Games and earn five post season All-NBA Teams.  Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Paul Westphal.  A former five time All Star who won a NBA Title with the Boston Celtics.  Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.  


Note that the Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list only ranks players.

This list will be paired down to a much smaller number of Finalists, which will be announced early next year. 

As always, it is onward and upward for us at Notinhalloffame.com.

It was not that long ago that we revamped our Basketball section and named Allen Iverson as our new number one player who should be considered for the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Following this, we endeavored to work on our futures section and update them accordingly.

As such, we are pleased to present to you the men who are now part of our updated Basketball Futures Section who will be eligible in 2019. 

Corey Maggette, a fourteen year NBA veteran most known for his play with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Grant Hill, a star at Duke where he was a two time NCAA Champion, who may have had a disappointing career to some professionally due to injury, but was still a one time First Team All NBA selection as well as a four time Second Team choice.

Jason Kidd, a five time First Team All Star, five time Assists Champion and one of the best point guards of all time.

Jerry Stackhouse, a natural scorer who led the NBA in Points in the 2000-01 season. 

Lamar Odom, a two time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and a former Sixth Man of the Year.

Marcus Camby, a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year and five time Blocks Champion.

Rasheed Wallace, a member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons Championship Team and four time All Star.

Richard Hamilton, another member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons Championship Team and three time All Star.

Tracy McGrady, a two time scoring champion and seven time post season All NBA selection.

We think you know what we want you to do!

Take a look at this group of basketball players who will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018 and let us know if any of them Hall of Famers.