The Basketball Hall of Fame is a Joke

[kingfin66]

The newest inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame is....drum roll please....Sirunas Marciulionis. Yeah, that's right, a guy who many NBA fans may not even remember. Some of you may say, "but it's the Basketball - not NBA - HOF, therefore, college and international accomplishments count too." I understand that argument, but I also believe that the NBA has the best players in the world, thus, NBA stats should be a strong determining factor for those under consideration.

Marciulionis was not even a starter in the NBA! He was a role player. He did have two decent seasons, but he was not even an all star caliber player much less a hall of famer. HOF voting is subjective to some degree in all sports, but this guy is not even close.

His best season was 1991-92 when he averaged 18.9 ppg in 29.6 minutes per game. In that same season he averaged 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. This was his BEST season.

Meanwhile, the NBA leaves some incredible players out. Case in point, Spencer Haywood. You have to go back several years to remember Mr. Haywood. He was seriously good. Spencer was a great scorer and hard nosed player. He probably gets overlooked because he was on some of the early (bad) Seattle teams. Lifetime scoring average of 20.3 ppg. 1 time ABA and 4-time NBA all star. He wasn't the same after a knee injury suffered in 1978-79.

Even if you don't agree on Haywood, there are a hell of a lot of players more deserving of the HOF than Marciulionis. Dominating subpar players in Europe does not cut it for me.

[GameTheory]

Originally Posted by kingfin66

The newest inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame is....drum roll please....Sirunas Marciulionis. Yeah, that's right, a guy who many NBA fans may not even remember. Some of you may say, "but it's the Basketball - not NBA - HOF, therefore, college and international accomplishments count too." I understand that argument, but I also believe that the NBA has the best players in the world, thus, NBA stats should be a strong determining factor for those under consideration.

Marciulionis was not even a starter in the NBA! He was a role player. He did have two decent seasons, but he was not even an all star caliber player much less a hall of famer. HOF voting is subjective to some degree in all sports, but this guy is not even close.

His best season was 1991-92 when he averaged 18.9 ppg in 29.6 minutes per game. In that same season he averaged 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. This was his BEST season.

Meanwhile, the NBA leaves some incredible players out. Case in point, Spencer Haywood. You have to go back several years to remember Mr. Haywood. He was seriously good. Spencer was a great scorer and hard nosed player. He probably gets overlooked because he was on some of the early (bad) Seattle teams. Lifetime scoring average of 20.3 ppg. 1 time ABA and 4-time NBA all star. He wasn't the same after a knee injury suffered in 1978-79.

Even if you don't agree on Haywood, there are a hell of a lot of players more deserving of the HOF than Marciulionis. Dominating subpar players in Europe does not cut it for me.

Probably not just for his playing accomplishments, although if so more for being a groundbreaker in terms of European players than his stats.

Spencer Haywood -- pretty sure he lived down the block from me in Detroit when I was kid...

[lansdale]

Originally Posted by kingfin66

The newest inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame is....drum roll please....Sirunas Marciulionis. Yeah, that's right, a guy who many NBA fans may not even remember. Some of you may say, "but it's the Basketball - not NBA - HOF, therefore, college and international accomplishments count too." I understand that argument, but I also believe that the NBA has the best players in the world, thus, NBA stats should be a strong determining factor for those under consideration.

Marciulionis was not even a starter in the NBA! He was a role player. He did have two decent seasons, but he was not even an all star caliber player much less a hall of famer. HOF voting is subjective to some degree in all sports, but this guy is not even close.

His best season was 1991-92 when he averaged 18.9 ppg in 29.6 minutes per game. In that same season he averaged 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. This was his BEST season.

Meanwhile, the NBA leaves some incredible players out. Case in point, Spencer Haywood. You have to go back several years to remember Mr. Haywood. He was seriously good. Spencer was a great scorer and hard nosed player. He probably gets overlooked because he was on some of the early (bad) Seattle teams. Lifetime scoring average of 20.3 ppg. 1 time ABA and 4-time NBA all star. He wasn't the same after a knee injury suffered in 1978-79.

Even if you don't agree on Haywood, there are a hell of a lot of players more deserving of the HOF than Marciulionis. Dominating subpar players in Europe does not cut it for me.

Marciulionis didn't get in for the quality of his play, although he was a capable player, but because he was the first player to leave the Soviet Union to play in the NBA. This was pre-Glasnost when such a move took some stones. He was also a member of the Lithuanian team that won the Olympic Gold Medal in '88.

Re Haywood, he had some great early years, but he declined into mediocrity for the last 8-10 years of his career. I can appreciate the angst of players at this level, but worth remembering that there are still a number of guys better than Haywood, who also still haven't made it - Kevin Johnson and Sidney Moncrief are two who come to mind.

[lansdale]

Originally Posted by kingfin66

The newest inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame is....drum roll please....Sirunas Marciulionis. Yeah, that's right, a guy who many NBA fans may not even remember. Some of you may say, "but it's the Basketball - not NBA - HOF, therefore, college and international accomplishments count too." I understand that argument, but I also believe that the NBA has the best players in the world, thus, NBA stats should be a strong determining factor for those under consideration.

Marciulionis was not even a starter in the NBA! He was a role player. He did have two decent seasons, but he was not even an all star caliber player much less a hall of famer. HOF voting is subjective to some degree in all sports, but this guy is not even close.

His best season was 1991-92 when he averaged 18.9 ppg in 29.6 minutes per game. In that same season he averaged 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. This was his BEST season.

Meanwhile, the NBA leaves some incredible players out. Case in point, Spencer Haywood. You have to go back several years to remember Mr. Haywood. He was seriously good. Spencer was a great scorer and hard nosed player. He probably gets overlooked because he was on some of the early (bad) Seattle teams. Lifetime scoring average of 20.3 ppg. 1 time ABA and 4-time NBA all star. He wasn't the same after a knee injury suffered in 1978-79.

Even if you don't agree on Haywood, there are a hell of a lot of players more deserving of the HOF than Marciulionis. Dominating subpar players in Europe does not cut it for me.

Haywood's now in the HOF. Congratulations to him. It was a long wait. Hope you feel better.

Now if they'll just let Sidney Moncrief in.


http://statitudes.com/blog/2013/10/1...hall-of-famer/

[kingfin66]

It is about time! Thanks for taking the time to share the news. Also, I totally agree on Moncrief. Great player and very classy person.

[Stillriledup]

two words:

Dick Bavetta.

[ronsmac]

They've let a lot of guys in the hall of fame that most people would say were good players but not great. Since it's the basketball hall of fame and not the nba hall of fame, I'm nominating myself . I was the 3rd best player on my 7th grade team that defeated the 8th graders.

[lansdale]

Originally Posted by kingfin66

It is about time! Thanks for taking the time to share the news. Also, I totally agree on Moncrief. Great player and very classy person.

No prob. Nice to see, and probably somewhat of a surprise to Haywood and his fans after all these decades. Maybe next year Moncrief - knock wood.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by ronsmac

They've let a lot of guys in the hall of fame that most people would say were good players but not great. Since it's the basketball hall of fame and not the nba hall of fame, I'm nominating myself . I was the 3rd best player on my 7th grade team that defeated the 8th graders.

You aren't in yet?


Yea..., as a kid, I kind of had the impression that in each sport, the Hall of Fame was reserved for legends and ironmen.
A lot of 'All Stars' seem to make it in as well, and I have no real problem with it. Just a little different than my original impression. Maybe it's always been like this?

[ronsmac]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

You aren't in yet?


Yea..., as a kid, I kind of had the impression that in each sport, the Hall of Fame was reserved for legends and ironmen.
A lot of 'All Stars' seem to make it in as well, and I have no real problem with it. Just a little different than my original impression. Maybe it's always been like this?

I guess when it's all said it done it doesn't really matter, except for the inductees and their families I guess. It actually reminds me of the racing hall of fame.

[highnote]

Bevo Francis, one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history, is in the Basketball HOF and never even played in the NBA.

He did play for the Boston Shamrocks -- a team that probably lost every game it played to the Globetrotters.