3 Players who deserved the Hall Of Fame but didn’t get the Honor
There are a number of players that enter the NBA every year and a lot of them make a big name of themselves, winning championships, making all-star and all NBA teams, winning the MVP award, and much more. But there is another accolade that honors players after their memorable career. And that is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
To be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors in the NBA and the most recent ones were Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. But today we are going to list down 3 players who have had wonderful careers but have not been able to land a spot in the NBA hall of fame.
Penny Hardaway
Listed at 6’8, Penny was going to be the next Magic Johnson. The ball-handling at his height was sub-par for that era of basketball. Penny was wonderful in the first 5 to 6 years in the league making the all-star team and all NBA first team 5 times by then. It wasn’t until his gruesome ACL tear that his career went spiraling and since then, he just morphed into a role player. Nagging knee injuries robbed him of his prime and Hardaway will still be one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in the NBA. Hardaway’s career may have ended on a down note but his earlier gameplay definitely deserves him a spot in the hall of fame.
Chris Webber
It is surprising that the Sacramento Kings power forward isn’t in the hall of fame with the spectacular career he had with the Kings. Webber was a beat alongside Mike Bibby and Vlade Divac and gave the Los Angeles Lakers quite the run for their title in the western conference finals. Even Shaquille O’Neal admitted that it is a travesty that Webber hasn’t been inducted into the hall of fame yet.
Webber was an excellent post player with great fundamentals and athleticism yet he has been robbed of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Webber was a 5 time NBA all-star and made 5 all NBA first teams as well, ending his career with 20 points per game average.
Ben Wallace
I am as surprised as you are when I saw that ‘Big’ Ben Wallace wasn’t inducted into the hall of fame. Wallace, even though was 6’9, played with more heart than height.
Wallace was a 4 time NBA all-star, 5 times all NBA first team, 6 times all NBA defensive team, 4 times defensive player of the year, and also an NBA champion. Wallace also went onto become the best player to ever go undrafted in NBA history.
Wallace’s resume speaks for itself. He was a beast on defense and did not shy away from contact at all. His big afro hairstyle is and always will stay iconic for years to come and it’s not just a surprise but a shame as well that Wallace hasn’t been inducted into the NBA hall of fame yet.
Hopefully, he will be soon.
