My colleague, Matt Zemek, has been publishing a wonderful series discussing the Hall of Fame. Good points are touched on, snubs have been mentioned, and a plethora of over issues dealt with. That said, there is a reason he is going through all of this: the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame makes me very angry at times. (I promise: I am not trying to be “Mr. Hot-take Guy” here, but when something gets your blood boiling, hey, you can’t pull punches.)
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One of the biggest issues this particular Hall of Fame has is the fact that it is a basketball — in its entirety — Hall of Fame. Translation: Overseas stars, college stars, and even longtime high school coaches can technically be inducted, which to some degree devalues the importance of having a great NBA career.
The basketball community is massive. This isn’t like the NFL where the community is much smaller year-in and year-out. From the NBA to college to the thousands of guys playing overseas, there are few sports — sans soccer — which rival the scope of basketball. With that being said, it could even be argued now, due to its scope, that it is the most comprehensive Hall of Fame of any sport.
To continue reading this article by Joseph Nardone at Bloguin, click here.
