The Basketball Hall of Fame is hallowed ground and a spot where not many players end up. Despite how many NBA and college players there have been, less than 200 individuals have entered the Hall of Fame. With so few entrants, there are always likely to be good players who don’t make it. Here are five players who had Hall of Fame-caliber careers, but have not been inducted yet.
5. Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace was the most dominant defensive player of the century, maybe even all time. Despite being just 6-foot-9 as a center, Wallace was a one of a kind generational defender. In the 2004 season, Wallace helped the Pistons win it all, crucially helping dilute the impact Shaquille O’Neal had in the Finals. He also won the DPOY award a joint-record four times, winning all but one award from 2001/02 until 2005/06. Unfortunately, Wallace was a horrible offensive player, averaging less than 10 points every season of his 16 year career. This is the main reason why Wallace, who has been eligible for the HOF since 2016, isn’t already in there.
4. Chauncey Billups
In 1969, the first NBA Finals MVP was awarded to Jerry West. Since then, all but two of the eligible Finals MVPs made the Hall of Fame. One of them was 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, and the other is Chauncey Billups. Another member of the star-less 2003/04 Detroit Pistons, Billups has a very compelling Hall of Fame case. Unfortunately, he suffers from the fact that he never did as well as he did in Detroit that season throughout his career. This has led to him not being inducted into the Hall despite being eligible for the past few years.
3. Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp was one of the best players in the league during his time at the Supersonics. Despite entering the league out of junior college and mainly looking like an athletic powerhouse with not much else in terms of ability, Kemp soon became a crucial cog in the contending 90s Sonics teams. Kemp has over 15,000 points and over 9,000 rebounds. Despite being an All-NBA level player, his struggles after leaving Seattle may have damaged his Hall of Fame case. Regardless, his prime in Seattle should have been enough.
2. Tim Hardaway Sr
Tim Hardaway may be one of the strangest exclusions from the Hall Of Fame. While he may not be the greatest player to not make it, Hardaway definitely has an excellent case. As the catalyst for the Run TMC Golden State teams, Hardaway averaged 17.7 points over his career, in an era where players who are only around 6 feet tended to struggle. However, Hardaway’s infamously said he was a homophobe on live TV, which he believes is the main reason why he’s not already in the Hall.
1. Chris Webber
Chris Webber is probably the most talented player on the list. The number one selection in the 1993 draft, Webber averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Unfortunately, his prime wasn’t very long, due to a torn meniscus in Sacramento, where he was at his best. That is probably the only reason he isn’t a Hall of Famer.
