Saturday’s induction ceremony at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame featured another impressive class, many of whom have NBA ties. Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker all enjoyed long, illustrious careers and were easy choices for enshrinement in Springfield.
But even with more than 150 players in the Hall of Fame, there are some noteworthy omissions. Many players throughout the years have reached notable milestones or contributed to numerous championships without being rewarded by Hall of Fame voters.
Vince Carter, who scored more than 25,700 points in 21 NBA seasons, appears to be the only obvious choice among first-time-eligible players in 2024. That might open the door for a few others who have been waiting a long time for recognition.
Here are a few candidates with possible Hall of Fame credentials:
- With 20,049 career points, Tom Chambers is the highest-scoring NBA player who’s not already in the Hall. He was a four-time All-Star and was named MVP of the 1987 game.
- Antawn Jamison is right behind Chambers with 20,042 points, making them the only eligible 20,000-point scorers not in the Hall. Jamison was a two-time All-Star and was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2004.
- Chauncey Billups is one of two eligible Finals MVPs who haven’t been voted into the Hall. The Trail Blazers coach was a five-time All-Star, made three All-NBA teams and was twice named to the All-Defensive team.
- Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudamire starred during the Suns’ “Seven Seconds or Less” era. Marion was a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA honoree and won a title with Dallas in 2011. Stoudamire was Rookie of the Year in 2003 and picked up six All-Star appearances and five All-NBA designations during his career.
- A.C. Green set an NBA record by playing in 1,192 consecutive games. Even though he didn’t put up flashy numbers, he won three championships with the Lakers and was a steady contributor for his entire 16-year career.
- Shawn Kemp was a six-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection. The “Reign Man” scored more than 15,000 career points and was among the game’s most ferocious dunkers.
- Bill Laimbeer epitomized the “Bad Boys” attitude during his years with the Pistons. He won two titles, made four All-Star teams and was an early pioneer among three-point shooting big men. Laimbeer also became a successful WNBA coach after retirement, winning three championships and earning Coach of the Year honors twice.
We want to get your opinion. Do you consider the names on this list to be Hall of Famers, and do you have some more to nominate? Please leave your responses in the space below.
All those mentioned are very good but not Hall of Fame worthy. Its a Hall of Fame not Hall of very good, it should be exclusive.
We have jumped that shark though
Exactly. Vince Carter belongs. Aside from him, Kemp was the only one who was dominant for a period of time and that didn’t last long. For the second half of his career, he was a shell of himself. Laimbeer should only be considered for his WNBA credentials.
Vinsanity belongs in, but I thought you were eligible after four years. I saw him join the four-decade club at Barclay’s Center in January 2020. I thought he wouldn’t be eligible until after next season.
The article covers that “Vince Carter, who scored more than 25,700 points in 21 NBA seasons, appears to be the only obvious choice among first-time-eligible players in 2024”.
Is Vinsanity really worthy? Honesty he’s kinda borderline. He was amazing to watch but do 8 All Star appearances, 22 seasons, 2 All-NBA, 20th all time scoring and a slam dunk contest make one HOF worthy?
Bill Lambeer deserves his dues. The Naismith Hall of Fame isn’t just for the NBA. He won two championships with the Pistons and coached 3 in the WNBA.
I think Mr. Big Shot is borderline but he was a late bloomer and some writers will hold that against him.
I think vinsanity is a no brainer. Compare his career with sabonis, Walton, Bradley or Rodman who are all in the hall and it seems like a no brainer. Although with that rationale many of the others listed in the article should get in too.
Vince will get in for sure but I’m not sure about the others. Personally I think they’re all hall of very good.
You’re right, it’s not just for the NBA, but HOF as a player and as a coach are two different things
Love him or hate him danny ainge as a player and a front office executive as a player all he did was win as a front office exec was win oh and a pretty good coach and tv broadcaster who was the play by play tell me how many former players can say that his resume speaks for itself
Gtfo. As player? Hell no. As an exec? Still no. Dude got lucky that McHale gifted him KG and Kobe ain’t answer his phone. And he wanted to trade KG and Pierce for only two picks, Wyc told him to make it 4. Stop the nonsense
Played in over thousand games 7 finals with 3 different teams 11pts plus a game 4apg 2.7rpg as president are you forgeting swindling phil frr j tatum and a draft pick can go on and on oh and kurtis here is a tidbit danny ainge is the only person to win the parade all american in baseball basketball amd football
Boston homer kpr?
Come on man, Ainge was a solid NBA player, won exactly one NBA Title in two trips over 19 seasons as a GM and didn’t coach long enough for him that to be the reason to put him in.
Him being a three sport all-American in High School and $2.78 still only gets you a tall coffee at Starbucks. In other words, no one cares about in a hall of fame conversation.
We are way to busy worrying about the players of today. Sad to say nobody cares about anything that happened before them. New age players saying they grew up watching LeOverated. Nobody cares about the past I guess. Voting Chris Paul, DeRozan etc etc in is more important than any of the old timers smh.
Vince is definitely – and deservedly so – getting in (2024).
**Also, every Hall-of-Famer is an all-time great.
But, every all-time great isn’t a Hall-of-Famer.
Shawn Kemp only gets in when after its all said and done, after both homies get snipped……after all that and the final tally is made, and he in fact made more kids with more partners than Nick Cannon.
Though has anybody ever pondered if James Harden’s love for strip clubs is directly connected to him wanting to skip town every other year, possibly because the surprise baby mama drama list grows just as fast and thick as his beard?
Have you seen the list or current players getting in. It is HOF of pretty good players or average. Webber should not be Hof.
None of them HOF. Billups has finals MVP. So might be considered by me and maybe A.C Green for ever player today should take pride to be. Let me redo this HOF. I’ll fix this WWE Hof. I’ll do a top 50 or 75 all time
If you think about it. There has been players who have scored more than Carter per season. It was nice he played for along time. Some of the best dunks in the dunk contest ever along with the one in the Olympics but other than that what has he done that some of these 70s or 80s player didn’t do. So Carter is not one of the all time greats, so he is not HOF. Webber should not be in the HOF too
Being a “ferocious” dunker certainly qualifies Kemp for the HOF, right? Add-in his possible standing as the player with the most kids fathered with different woman across the country…it’s a no-brainer.
Tom Chambers, Amar’e Stoudamire should be getting in too. They are not first ballot HOFers. They probably get in some time in the future. The others I don’t think get in. Not for playing .
Stoudamire? Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
You coming at Amar’e now ……
Still can’t find your mind probably. Forget losing it. As a Knick he was already done. He was the first small Center in this new era offense. You think Kerr and the Warriors invented it. Geeeezzzz maybe you DO. Frkn 16 yr old …….
Suns and Amare reinvent Stockton-2-Malone. Amare is more deserving than Chambers. His injury is only thing that slowed him down. You should show some respect for that. But you are not here to show right.
Amare was one of best bigs of his generation. He took on all bigger teams. He still was a rim protector. He ran the floor better than any big. He avg 9 rebs, 23 pts.
You look at his first 10 yrs. He got hurt in 2007 I believe. He was unstoppable till he got hurt. After 8 yrs he got injured. Very deserving. But I can understand the wait. He hung around for extra six years after getting hurt. He’s definitely going in one day. Ten years is enough in my book.
Tom Chambers?
Ahahahahahahahaha!
I remember a couple of things about Tom chambers. Number one he could score the ball number two I don’t think he even knew his teammates names because he was absolutely a shoot first player.
His defense wasn’t much better than his willingness to pass even though he was 6-11 6-10. And rebounding? Forget it. So definitely one dimensional on the floor.
Then, when did Tom ever win a big game? I sort of remember him for dribbling off his foot and falling down a couple times in big moments of the playoffs. Kevin Johnson did everything he could to carry the team and Chambers was a lousy sidekick.
I remember when the Clippers drafted Chambers they let him walk a couple years later because he was a one-dimensional scoring machine who did nothing else. Hall of Fame? That’s an absolute joke.
So 6 rebs and 18 pts and 2 ast for a career. Is one dimensional. Dude you need to get back in this dimension. You look at his top 10-12 yrs. He was paid to score. And he delivered. He played more D than Harden.
For Seattle and Phoenix he avg 21 a gm. Plus he was contending with those teams. He is 49th on points list with 20,049. He had a very successful career.
More points than Calvin or the Pearl, Clyde, Nash, you need to keep going. Yeah you do.
Do it yourself learn something.
Simply put he was one of best scorers in NBA History. And played better D than most stars play today.
He’s not first ballot. But he will be in.
Fair enough Al. I appreciate your opinion.
Shawn Kemp was on track but I think he ate his way out of the hall
Kemp should have been in ….
wasted talent !!!!
A.C. Green should have been in by now. Chauncey is being punished for Detroits overall lack of success. They had a long sustained run and went to many conference finals to not have won another chip.
His legacy is incomplete because of it.
He will eventually make it.
Basketball HOF should be dismantled. It’s dumb asf.
You ever been to the hof you should make a day of it go to springfueld then drive to boston and go see the celtics
I have, and it was boring asf. Biggest waste of time and money, that’s why it’s becoming nothing more than a function hall for birthday parties.
Yeah he gets it ?????????
The bar for the basketball HOF is very low compared to baseball and football. I’m guessing it relates to the wide scope of potential inductees. Relatively speaking, which is how most speak about inductees, it would be hard to argue against any of the NBA players mentioned; even though most weren’t dominate players.
I’m kinda bored with the whole Hall of Fame…
It seems like you can be a bench player on a title winning team, do 1 thing great inside or outside of basketball and get in…
Some members really deserve it… But there are a lot of questionable entries…
Basketball Hall of fame is a joke.
Drazen Petrovic
5 seasons in the NBA, never once was an all star but did one time make all nba third team is in it.
RIP a career cut short due to his tragic death but still you can’t be in there on what ifs…
Arvydas Sanonis
Dude came to the NBA late after playing in Europe and averaged 12 and 7. Was all rookie first team at 31 and that’s his only accomplishment, no all stars, no all nba teams and no rings.
Bill Bradley
10 seasons 2 rings 1 all star appearance and for his career averaged 12 and 3…
The fact you have guys like Billups, Carter, Kemp and even not mentioned here Chris Webber not included it’s a joke.
Webber for example is a 5 time all star, 5 all nba teams, rookie of the year, member of the fab 5, led the league in rebounding one year and averaged 21-10-4 for his career.
Holy s**t, LOL.
Arvydas Sabonis was considered the best player not in the NBA for a decade, He literally could not play in the NBA unless he defected. He’s as Hall of Fame as Hall of Fame gets.
It’s not the NBA hall of fame, you dill. It’s the Basketball Hall of Fame. Based on total contributions not just NBA. Totally different from other Halls
Petrovic didn’t do anything over season or in college nor did Bradley. Sabonis sure count his European success.
In that same breathe shouldn’t we have Anthony Parker in there too he is the only player ever to have won euro league MVP twice.