Showing posts with label Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Non-Hall of Fame vs. HOF Team
Who wins?
Non-Hall of Fame Team (eligible)
P: Roger Clemens
C: Mike Piazza
1B: Jeff Bagwell
2B: Jeff Kent
3B: Pete Rose
SS: Nomar Garciaparra
LF: Barry Bonds
CF: Gary Sheffield
RF: Sammy Sosa
DH: Edgar Martinez
Vs.
Hall of Fame Team
P: Sandy Koufax
C: Johnny Bench
1B: Frank Thomas
2B: Roberto Alomar
3B: Mike Schmidt
SS: Ernie Banks
LF: Willie Mays
CF: Joe DiMaggio
RF: Hank Aaron
DH: Paul Molitor
You could swap out a lot of guys on this team too, obviously. But the fact that it'd even be a game is the problem.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Football Hall of Fame Finalists
There are 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2014. Here they are:
Morten Andersen
Jerome Bettis
Derrick Brooks
Tim Brown
Edward DeBartolo
Tony Dungy
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Marvin Harrison
Walter Jones
John Lynch
Andre Reed
Will Shields
Michael Strahan
Aeneas Williams
Jerome Bettis
Derrick Brooks
Tim Brown
Edward DeBartolo
Tony Dungy
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Marvin Harrison
Walter Jones
John Lynch
Andre Reed
Will Shields
Michael Strahan
Aeneas Williams
Brooks, Harrison, Jones, and Dungy are first-year eligible.
I'd vote for...
Jerome Bettis
Derrick Brooks
Marvin Harrison
Walter Jones
John Lynch
Michael Strahan
Figuring out the voting here is a tricky endeavor. Harrison is going to be a fascinating one, I'd put him in but I doubt he makes it, least this year.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Hall of Famer? You Make the Call
20 current and former NBA players, you make the call, do they belong in the Hall? I will provide you with some of the numbers, including career and key stats, honors, and awards, but you decide. I will also make my pick. The list starts with retired players then gets into the current guys. It’s the Basketball Hall of Fame, so remember college honors are also a factor. Let's get on with the star studded list.
Reggie Miller
Resume:
18 seasons
18.2 ppg., 3 rpg., 3 apg. All-time 3 point leader. 8th all-time free throw percentage. 5 time All-Star. 3 time All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 13th.
Yes. This is a great way to start off. I was on the other side of the fence probably a year ago. After looking through all the numbers and other players who are in the Hall, I give Reggie the nod. 18 points per game over 18 seasons is very impressive, as is his ability from beyond the arc. 0 titles but played against the best, and certainly didn’t run from the moment. I got him in, but it’s very close, and I will probably feel he’s not in by the time I’m done with this.
Brad Daugherty
Resume:
8 seasons
19 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game. 5 time All-Star. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at UNC. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th
No. If Daugherty could have stayed healthy and played longer he gets in for sure. Close to 20-10 for his career is impossible to argue. Like Miller didn’t win any titles, but unlike Miller didn’t have a lengthy career.
Chris Mullin
Resume:
16 seasons
18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American, 2nd Team All-American, Wooden Award Winner at St. John’s. Member of 1992 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Team. (The Dream Team). Highest finish in MVP vote: 6th.
Yes. This is a great example where achievements outside of the NBA could help a guy get in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Mullin was an incredible college players and a member of the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
Mark Price
Resume:
12 seasons
15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 3rd Team (3). 2nd Team All-American, 3rd Team All-American at Georgia Tech. 90.4 career free throw percentage best in NBA history. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. Price is one of the best point guards of the past 25 years (wrote a fantastic article about that a few months back, check the archives), but I still don’t think he did enough to get into the Hall. Imagine Price and Daugherty’s legacy had it not been for one Michael Jordan, or if his Airness was drafted by Portland in the Western Conference.
Penny Hardaway
Resume:
14 seasons (parts of)
15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Memphis. Highest finish in MVP vote: 3rd.
No. Certainly began his career on his way to being a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He was the best PG in the NBA for 2-3 seasons in a row. It looked like the Orlando Magic were going to be contenders for years. His career numbers were ruined as he tried to hang around the league post injuries. In 14 seasons Penny played 82 games just twice.
Larry Johnson
Resume:
10 seasons
16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. Rookie of the Year. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team. 1st Team All-American (2), Wooden Award, Naismith Award winner, NCAA Champion at UNLV.
No. The Runnin Rebels of the early 1990s was one of the greatest college teams of all-time. Fun to watch, they won a National Title, and nearly went undefeated the next year if the refs and NCAA weren’t so Pro-Duke. That’s a different article for a different time. LJ was the #1 pick in the draft after being the best college player in the country. He wont the Rookie of the Year award the that season, but injuries bit Johnson and he could not play the same game he had out in Vegas or few seasons in Charlotte.
Horace Grant
Resume:
17 seasons
11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds per game. 1 time All-Star. 4 time NBA Champion. All-Defensive 2nd Team (4). 2nd Team All-American at Clemson.
No. Great defensive player and rebounder, Grant had a long career with 4 rings to show from it. Good player who was in the right place at the right time with both the Bulls and Lakers, also was a part of the Magic team that got swept by the Rockets. 1-time All-Stars don’t belong in the Hall.
Kevin Johnson
Resume:
12 seasons
17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.5 steals per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (4), All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Most Improved. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
Yes. I got KJ in the Hall. A career average of 18 points and 9 dimes? I’ll take that on my team. This is another great debate, but I only had 6-7 point guards ahead of him in my life time, that’s good enough.
Dennis Rodman
Resume:
14 seasons
7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds per game. 2 time All-Star. All-NBA 3rd Team (2), 2 time Defensive Player of the Year. All- Defensive 1st Team (7), All- Defensive 2nd Team. 5 time NBA Champion. Led NBA in RPG 7 seasons. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th.
Yes. Maybe his cross dressing and hair color and everything else will keep him out, but he deserves to be in. He had titles like a Horry and Ho. Grant, but the Worm was one of the best defensive players of all-time, and maybe the best rebounding power forwards not named Malone or Barkley. Twice Rodman average more than 18 rebounds a game.
Tim Hardaway
Resume:
13 seasons
17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th.
Yes. The killer crossover is in. Homophobic comments aside, Hardaway was a great point guard for many years in the league. Both with the Warriors and the Heats he was a game changer. He had skillz. (In Hardaway accent)
Shawn Kemp
Resume:
14 seasons:
14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. 6 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (3). Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. If there was a Hall of Fame for in-game dunkers, it would probably be named after him. But unfortunately I’m going to have to leave the Reign Man out of the real Hall. Great moments, and extremely likable teams in Seattle, but not enough to get him in.
Chris Webber
Resume:
15 seasons
20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks per game. 5 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Michigan. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th. (5 Top 10s).
Yes. I wrote an entire article on C-Webb when he retired. Feel free to pour through the archives to find it. He’s a slam dunk Hall of Famer in my mind. Webber is 1 of 6 players to average 20-9-4. The others? Baylor, Wilt, Billy Cunningham, Bird, and Garnett, with the 1st four in the Hall already.
Robert Horry
Resume:
16 seasons
7 points, 4.8 rebounds per game. 2nd Team All-Rookie. 7 time NBA Champion. 244 career playoff games, and 261 playoff 3PM ranks 2nd all-time (Reggie Miller).
No. 7 time NBA Champion! That’s a lot of rings. I know “Big Shot Bob” got that name for a reason, but playing with Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan will help you get those titles. People will point to those championships, I point to the career averages and 0 All-Star selections. Hall of Fame is an individual award, sorry Bob.
Tracey McGrady
Resume:
Playing 12th season
22.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game. 7 Time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team (2). NBA Most Improved Player. Highest finish in MVP vote 4th (6 top 8s).
Yes. I know he’s never made it out of the 1st round of the playoffs, but he has time to fix that. T-Mac already ranks 73rd All-Time in points scored in the NBA, and he won’t be 30 until after this season. Say what you want, but be sure to check out the numbers.
Ray Allen
Resume:
Playing 13th season
21 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game. 8 time All-Star. All-Rookie 2nd Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Champion. 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American while at UConn. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
Yes. I would have given Ray the nod before winning the title last year with the Celtics, so I believe that only pushes him over the cliff. He’s 2nd All-Time behind Miller in 3 pointers made and has one of the best shots the game has ever seen. And he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game, so come on.
Vince Carter
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists 1.3 steals per game. 8 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. All Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at North Carolina. Highest finish in MVP vote 10th.
Yes. A lot of people would probably argue with this, particularly in Toronto. Vincanity is 67th currently on the NBA’s scoring list, and only going up. 24 points per game career average, is the 18th best all-time. Like him or not he’s a Hall of Famer.
Grant Hill
Resume:
Playing 14th season
18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals per game. 7 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (4). 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American at Duke. Highest finish in MVP vote 3rd.
No. To me, very much like Penny Hardaway. They both began their careers on the fast track to Springfield. I remember thinking when they announced the “50 Greatest Players List” back in the day that they needed to add Grant Hill. (and Dominique Wilkins, whose omission made that list a bit of a joke). But unfortunately not enough good seasons to get him in.
Tony Parker
Resume:
Playing 8th season
16.2 points, 5.5 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. 3 time NBA Champion. Finals MVP. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
No. At least not yet. Parker is the youngest guy on this list, and clearly has the most game left barring injuries. His 3 titles put him in the conversation, but the stats needed to increase, and they are.
Chauncey Billups
Resume:
Playing 12th season
14.9 points, 5.6 assists per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. All-Defensive 2nd Team (2). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 2nd Team All-American at Colorado. Highest finish in MVP vote 5th.
No. I go back and forth on Billups much like Reggie Miller. Right now I’m saying he has not done enough to get in. Just 3 all-star games and the career numbers don’t wow you. Finals MVP helps, but I think he needs to do more.
Paul Pierce
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 6 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 3rd Team (3). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 1st Team All-American at Kansas. Highest finish in MVP vote 11th.
Yes. Like Ray Allen I felt Pierce was a Hall of Famer before last year’s championship. Well that solidified it for me, and another inevitable All-Star selection won’t hurt. One more championship would make him a slam dunk 1st ballot guy. As Shaquille O’Neal once eloquently put it, “Paul Pierce is the mother f***in truth.”
There it is. Leave your comments with thoughts on 1, 2, or all of these players.
-Keefe
Reggie Miller
Resume:
18 seasons
18.2 ppg., 3 rpg., 3 apg. All-time 3 point leader. 8th all-time free throw percentage. 5 time All-Star. 3 time All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 13th.
Yes. This is a great way to start off. I was on the other side of the fence probably a year ago. After looking through all the numbers and other players who are in the Hall, I give Reggie the nod. 18 points per game over 18 seasons is very impressive, as is his ability from beyond the arc. 0 titles but played against the best, and certainly didn’t run from the moment. I got him in, but it’s very close, and I will probably feel he’s not in by the time I’m done with this.
Brad Daugherty
Resume:
8 seasons
19 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game. 5 time All-Star. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at UNC. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th
No. If Daugherty could have stayed healthy and played longer he gets in for sure. Close to 20-10 for his career is impossible to argue. Like Miller didn’t win any titles, but unlike Miller didn’t have a lengthy career.
Chris Mullin
Resume:
16 seasons
18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American, 2nd Team All-American, Wooden Award Winner at St. John’s. Member of 1992 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Team. (The Dream Team). Highest finish in MVP vote: 6th.
Yes. This is a great example where achievements outside of the NBA could help a guy get in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Mullin was an incredible college players and a member of the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
Mark Price
Resume:
12 seasons
15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 3rd Team (3). 2nd Team All-American, 3rd Team All-American at Georgia Tech. 90.4 career free throw percentage best in NBA history. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. Price is one of the best point guards of the past 25 years (wrote a fantastic article about that a few months back, check the archives), but I still don’t think he did enough to get into the Hall. Imagine Price and Daugherty’s legacy had it not been for one Michael Jordan, or if his Airness was drafted by Portland in the Western Conference.
Penny Hardaway
Resume:
14 seasons (parts of)
15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Memphis. Highest finish in MVP vote: 3rd.
No. Certainly began his career on his way to being a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He was the best PG in the NBA for 2-3 seasons in a row. It looked like the Orlando Magic were going to be contenders for years. His career numbers were ruined as he tried to hang around the league post injuries. In 14 seasons Penny played 82 games just twice.
Larry Johnson
Resume:
10 seasons
16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. Rookie of the Year. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team. 1st Team All-American (2), Wooden Award, Naismith Award winner, NCAA Champion at UNLV.
No. The Runnin Rebels of the early 1990s was one of the greatest college teams of all-time. Fun to watch, they won a National Title, and nearly went undefeated the next year if the refs and NCAA weren’t so Pro-Duke. That’s a different article for a different time. LJ was the #1 pick in the draft after being the best college player in the country. He wont the Rookie of the Year award the that season, but injuries bit Johnson and he could not play the same game he had out in Vegas or few seasons in Charlotte.
Horace Grant
Resume:
17 seasons
11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds per game. 1 time All-Star. 4 time NBA Champion. All-Defensive 2nd Team (4). 2nd Team All-American at Clemson.
No. Great defensive player and rebounder, Grant had a long career with 4 rings to show from it. Good player who was in the right place at the right time with both the Bulls and Lakers, also was a part of the Magic team that got swept by the Rockets. 1-time All-Stars don’t belong in the Hall.
Kevin Johnson
Resume:
12 seasons
17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.5 steals per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (4), All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Most Improved. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
Yes. I got KJ in the Hall. A career average of 18 points and 9 dimes? I’ll take that on my team. This is another great debate, but I only had 6-7 point guards ahead of him in my life time, that’s good enough.
Dennis Rodman
Resume:
14 seasons
7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds per game. 2 time All-Star. All-NBA 3rd Team (2), 2 time Defensive Player of the Year. All- Defensive 1st Team (7), All- Defensive 2nd Team. 5 time NBA Champion. Led NBA in RPG 7 seasons. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th.
Yes. Maybe his cross dressing and hair color and everything else will keep him out, but he deserves to be in. He had titles like a Horry and Ho. Grant, but the Worm was one of the best defensive players of all-time, and maybe the best rebounding power forwards not named Malone or Barkley. Twice Rodman average more than 18 rebounds a game.
Tim Hardaway
Resume:
13 seasons
17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th.
Yes. The killer crossover is in. Homophobic comments aside, Hardaway was a great point guard for many years in the league. Both with the Warriors and the Heats he was a game changer. He had skillz. (In Hardaway accent)
Shawn Kemp
Resume:
14 seasons:
14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. 6 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (3). Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. If there was a Hall of Fame for in-game dunkers, it would probably be named after him. But unfortunately I’m going to have to leave the Reign Man out of the real Hall. Great moments, and extremely likable teams in Seattle, but not enough to get him in.
Chris Webber
Resume:
15 seasons
20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks per game. 5 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Michigan. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th. (5 Top 10s).
Yes. I wrote an entire article on C-Webb when he retired. Feel free to pour through the archives to find it. He’s a slam dunk Hall of Famer in my mind. Webber is 1 of 6 players to average 20-9-4. The others? Baylor, Wilt, Billy Cunningham, Bird, and Garnett, with the 1st four in the Hall already.
Robert Horry
Resume:
16 seasons
7 points, 4.8 rebounds per game. 2nd Team All-Rookie. 7 time NBA Champion. 244 career playoff games, and 261 playoff 3PM ranks 2nd all-time (Reggie Miller).
No. 7 time NBA Champion! That’s a lot of rings. I know “Big Shot Bob” got that name for a reason, but playing with Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan will help you get those titles. People will point to those championships, I point to the career averages and 0 All-Star selections. Hall of Fame is an individual award, sorry Bob.
Tracey McGrady
Resume:
Playing 12th season
22.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game. 7 Time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team (2). NBA Most Improved Player. Highest finish in MVP vote 4th (6 top 8s).
Yes. I know he’s never made it out of the 1st round of the playoffs, but he has time to fix that. T-Mac already ranks 73rd All-Time in points scored in the NBA, and he won’t be 30 until after this season. Say what you want, but be sure to check out the numbers.
Ray Allen
Resume:
Playing 13th season
21 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game. 8 time All-Star. All-Rookie 2nd Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Champion. 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American while at UConn. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
Yes. I would have given Ray the nod before winning the title last year with the Celtics, so I believe that only pushes him over the cliff. He’s 2nd All-Time behind Miller in 3 pointers made and has one of the best shots the game has ever seen. And he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game, so come on.
Vince Carter
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists 1.3 steals per game. 8 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. All Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at North Carolina. Highest finish in MVP vote 10th.
Yes. A lot of people would probably argue with this, particularly in Toronto. Vincanity is 67th currently on the NBA’s scoring list, and only going up. 24 points per game career average, is the 18th best all-time. Like him or not he’s a Hall of Famer.
Grant Hill
Resume:
Playing 14th season
18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals per game. 7 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (4). 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American at Duke. Highest finish in MVP vote 3rd.
No. To me, very much like Penny Hardaway. They both began their careers on the fast track to Springfield. I remember thinking when they announced the “50 Greatest Players List” back in the day that they needed to add Grant Hill. (and Dominique Wilkins, whose omission made that list a bit of a joke). But unfortunately not enough good seasons to get him in.
Tony Parker
Resume:
Playing 8th season
16.2 points, 5.5 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. 3 time NBA Champion. Finals MVP. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
No. At least not yet. Parker is the youngest guy on this list, and clearly has the most game left barring injuries. His 3 titles put him in the conversation, but the stats needed to increase, and they are.
Chauncey Billups
Resume:
Playing 12th season
14.9 points, 5.6 assists per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. All-Defensive 2nd Team (2). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 2nd Team All-American at Colorado. Highest finish in MVP vote 5th.
No. I go back and forth on Billups much like Reggie Miller. Right now I’m saying he has not done enough to get in. Just 3 all-star games and the career numbers don’t wow you. Finals MVP helps, but I think he needs to do more.
Paul Pierce
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 6 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 3rd Team (3). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 1st Team All-American at Kansas. Highest finish in MVP vote 11th.
Yes. Like Ray Allen I felt Pierce was a Hall of Famer before last year’s championship. Well that solidified it for me, and another inevitable All-Star selection won’t hurt. One more championship would make him a slam dunk 1st ballot guy. As Shaquille O’Neal once eloquently put it, “Paul Pierce is the mother f***in truth.”
There it is. Leave your comments with thoughts on 1, 2, or all of these players.
-Keefe
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
C-Webb: Baggy Shorts and Much More
-Keefe
One of my all-time favorite basketball players is set to announce his retirement today. Chris Webber revolutionized the game, and if you don’t think so watch an ESPN Classic game in the 80’s or earlier and check out the shorts, socks, shoes, and hair cuts. Yes, it’s safe to say C-Webb, along with the greatest freshmen class in college basketball history with Jalen Rose, Juwon Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, changed the game. But more than just looks and trends Webber became one of the very best players the last generation.
Getting close to winning a title in college, however, takes on a whole new meaning. Obviously Webber is famous for calling time out his sophomore year against Eric Montross (former Celtics 1st round pick), and UNC when they didn’t have any left in the NCAA Championship game. Michigan was down 73-71 at the time, in fact he traveled first and there was no call, then he called the time out they did not have. Clearly a mistake, but there is no guarantee they win the game if he does not take the TO. It’s a misnomer that the Wolverines cut the nets down if C-Webb knows how many fulls and 30s they have left, they were still down 2. I’m not making excuses for him, that’s just a fact.
Despite not winning a ring, I say Chris Webber has done enough to make the Hall of Fame. Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton all played their entire careers without winning a title. It’s not a prerequisite for making the Hall. Take a look at some of the accomplishments by Webber in his storied basketball career, and tell me what you think.
Highlights/ Honors/ Awards:
National High School Player of the Year
1st Team All American 1993
Led Michigan to back-to-back National Championship Games
NCAA All Tournament 1st Team 1992, 1993
Averaged a double-double both years at Michigan
1st overall pick in 1993 draft
NBA Rookie of the Year 1993-1994
All-Rookie Team 1993-1994
15 seasons in the league
10 seasons averaging 20+ points per game
5 time NBA All-Star
All-NBA 1st Team (2000-2001)
All-NBA 2nd Team (98-99, 01-02, 02-03)
All-NBA 3rd Team (1999-2000)
Top 10 in MVP vote 5 times
Led NBA in Rebounds per game (1998-1999)
Dated Tyra Banks
One of my all-time favorite basketball players is set to announce his retirement today. Chris Webber revolutionized the game, and if you don’t think so watch an ESPN Classic game in the 80’s or earlier and check out the shorts, socks, shoes, and hair cuts. Yes, it’s safe to say C-Webb, along with the greatest freshmen class in college basketball history with Jalen Rose, Juwon Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, changed the game. But more than just looks and trends Webber became one of the very best players the last generation.
Webber played the majority of his career in the Western Conference that was just a breeding ground for the best power forwards in basketball. Six of his first ten years (before the knee injury) he played in the West, as a rookie with Golden State and then most successfully with the Sacramento Kings. Night in and night out he put up monster numbers while facing off against the likes of Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Dirk Nowitzki, Elton Brand, and on and on. Webber was right at the top of that list with those current and future Hall of Famers. This poses the question.
Is Chris Webber a Hall of Famer?
I am a huge stat guy. Maybe I take them into account more than I should, but some numbers simply can’t be ignored. You’ve all seen this before by now as any article about Webber is mentioning it. He is one of just 6 players in NBA history to average 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists, along with Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, Larry Bird, (all in the Hall of Fame), and current star Kevin Garnett.
Career averages: 20.7 pts., 9.8 reb., 4.2 asts.
How incredible is that? Look at the company he’s sharing. Only 4 players have finished their careers with those kinds of numbers. Does it get a whole lot more exclusive than that? If you weren’t sure whether C-Webb should be in Springfield, those numbers are pretty convincing. Some would argue about team success, and how truly great players make everyone else around them that much better. Webber turned around 3 franchises in a row. Golden State had 34 wins the year before trading on draft day for Webber, then had 50 in his rookie year, returning to the playoffs. In fact his rookie year, 93-94 was the last time the team hit the 50 win plateau. The Washington Bullets were in the mist of a long playoff drought, but in his 3rd season with the team (96-97) he led the team in points and rebounds (over 20 & 10) and back to the post season for the first time since 1987-1988. Then perhaps his greatest turn around was with the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings had made the playoffs once from 86-87 to 97-98. Immediately the deal to send Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe to Washington for Webber paid dividends. The team made the playoffs in the West each and every year he was in the state capitol. Although he never advanced to the NBA Finals he did lead the Kings to a franchise record 61 wins in 2001-2002 where they lost in 7 to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers squad. The Kings had a 3-2 lead in the series just to see it slip away. I’ll give them the title had they gotten by LA seeing as how the Lakers walked past the Nets in a clean sweep. That was the closest Webber ever got to winning the championship in the NBA.
Getting close to winning a title in college, however, takes on a whole new meaning. Obviously Webber is famous for calling time out his sophomore year against Eric Montross (former Celtics 1st round pick), and UNC when they didn’t have any left in the NCAA Championship game. Michigan was down 73-71 at the time, in fact he traveled first and there was no call, then he called the time out they did not have. Clearly a mistake, but there is no guarantee they win the game if he does not take the TO. It’s a misnomer that the Wolverines cut the nets down if C-Webb knows how many fulls and 30s they have left, they were still down 2. I’m not making excuses for him, that’s just a fact.
Despite not winning a ring, I say Chris Webber has done enough to make the Hall of Fame. Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton all played their entire careers without winning a title. It’s not a prerequisite for making the Hall. Take a look at some of the accomplishments by Webber in his storied basketball career, and tell me what you think.
Highlights/ Honors/ Awards:
National High School Player of the Year
1st Team All American 1993
Led Michigan to back-to-back National Championship Games
NCAA All Tournament 1st Team 1992, 1993
Averaged a double-double both years at Michigan
1st overall pick in 1993 draft
NBA Rookie of the Year 1993-1994
All-Rookie Team 1993-1994
15 seasons in the league
10 seasons averaging 20+ points per game
5 time NBA All-Star
All-NBA 1st Team (2000-2001)
All-NBA 2nd Team (98-99, 01-02, 02-03)
All-NBA 3rd Team (1999-2000)
Top 10 in MVP vote 5 times
Led NBA in Rebounds per game (1998-1999)
Dated Tyra Banks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)