Layups: Why the NBA Needs Its Own Hall of Fame
Posted by Neil Paine on September 14, 2009
At The Painted Area, M. Haubs lays out very clearly the case for pro hoops to have its own Hall of Fame: Many of the inductees in the current Naismith Hall are ridiculous from an NBA standpoint, the current Hall is too NCAA-centric, and we have no idea who even participates in the voting process. I have to say that I agree with him — I think the NCAA ought to have a separate Hall of Fame from the pro game, because accomplishments in one are currently being unfairly equated with accomplishments in the other, when it's clearly easier to have success in college than it is in the pros (just ask Adam Morrison, J.J. Redick, and many others).
September 14th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I see what you mean. But as a matter of fact, all players enshrined because of their college careers played before the gap between NBA and NCAA widened. It sounds ridiculous to accept players like Laettner (although he was not that bad as a pro) into the HoF because the NBA in the early 90's was at its pinnacle quality-wise, and at any rate much much much better than the early 90's NCAA. And it's even more stupid, of course, to consider Tyler Hansbrough or Jo Noah for the exact same reasons.
By contrast, Walton did get his visa stamped because of his UCLA incredible years - otherwise, it would have been much debatable, and ditto for KC Jones or Bradley, but college hoops really mattered these days...you can't compare!
September 16th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Is the ABA (1968-76) considered as part of the NBA? The current HOF does not seem to account ABA credentials as having any worth. If anything, having played in the ABA is a negative.
Artis Gilmore's NBA stats are about equal to Willis Reed's. His college stats are better. Only a negative ABA value can account for the fact that Artis isn't in the Hall.
May 30th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Hey, the "Pro Football" Hall of Fame seems to discount the USFL stats too, or why on Earth would Herschel Walker not have made it long ago? He was arguably the best college football player ever (certainly top ten), and if you include his USFL seasons, the all-time professional football yardage leader.