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2015 Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Della9250, Feb 14, 2015.

  1. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    It's a pretty weak class. Finalists are:

    John Calipari
    Bo Ryan
    Dikembe Mutombo
    Tim Hardaway
    Kevin Johnson
    Jo Jo White
    Spencer Haywood
    Bill Fitch
    Lisa Leslie
    Dick Bavetta
    2 high school coaches

    Automatic inductees are:

    ABA Committee: Louie Dampier
    International: Lindsay Gaze
    Veterans: Tommy Heinsohn (as a coach)
    Early African Americans: John Isaacs
    Contributor: George Raveling

    I would say Mutumbo, Bavetta and Leslie are the only locks. Depending on the voters, I guess Calipari as well but I'm not a fan of inducting guys in the middle of their careers -- especially when Eddie Sutton was a finalist last year and isn't this time to include both Calipari and Ryan as newcomers. The NBA class is really, really weak.
     
  2. Guy_Incognito

    Guy_Incognito Well-Known Member

    Wow, very weak. When he was playing, did anyone think of motumbo as a HOFer?
     
  3. RecoveringJournalist

    RecoveringJournalist Well-Known Member

    Yeah, probably. He was the best defensive player in the league for a decent stretch. I think it's another example of someone who played on mostly bad teams, so people didn't pay as much attention to him as others.

    The finger wag itself should be enough to get Mutombo in. "Man cannot no fly in the House of Mutombo!"

    I agree that the coaches should have to be retired before they're eligible.
     
  4. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    I don't think retired, persay, because if a guy coaches forever I'd like him to be around for the honor but at least towards the end of their career. They need to do like baseball and if you are over X age when you retire, you are eligible the next ballot.

    Calipari's 56. He could coach two more decades if he wants. There's no reason you can't wait until at least 2025 to make him a candidate.
     
  5. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    Robert Hughes is the winningest high school boys coach in history. His career record is 1,333-247. He's a damn strong candidate.
     
  6. Jake_Taylor

    Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

    You kinda got to wonder if off the court stuff is what is keeping Eddie Sutton, but he's certainly wouldn't be alone in that if he got in. People hold the drinking/pills and driving against him? Are envelopes of cash just too blatant when it comes to NCAA violations?
     
  7. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Spencer Haywood is a really tricky case.

    He had one great year in college, but U-Detroit was only barely D-I at that time; he was a key part of a gold-medal Olympic team; he had a great rookie year in Denver, but the ABA was only marginally 'major-league' at that moment; when he jumped to the NBA he had 4-5 really good-to-great seasons with Seattle, and then he fell way way off, generally agreed to be largely the result of drug use.

    He partially salvaged his career by being a useful player for the 1980 Lakers on the way to the title, but then that went to hell too, supposedly due to drugs.

    On his playing record he's probably on the low end of borderline, but his off-court legal-historical role as the first prominent underclassman to fight for early entry might tip the scales back. On the other hand again, if his off-court life is factored in, his drug problems don't help his case.
     
  8. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    Good laying out of the case. I think Haywood should be in, given him impact beyond the court.
     
  9. RecoveringJournalist

    RecoveringJournalist Well-Known Member

    Do players who are finalists ever not get in within a couple years? It seems like they're electing a borderline player almost every year.
     
  10. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    2012 finalists still not in are Bill Fitch, Maurice Cheeks, Dick Motta
    2011 finalists still not in are Cheeks and Motta
     
  11. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    A good case can be made for Jo Jo White.
     
  12. Jake_Taylor

    Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

    JoJo White might have had an NCAA title to add to his resume, but even though his heel never came down on the line he was called out of bounds before hitting what would have been the game winner in the regional final against the Glory Road Texas Western team. That Kansas team had four black starters, which wouldn't have been quite as good a story as UTEP's five against Rupp's UK team.

    /bitterkansasfanboilooser
     
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