Ben Wallace Nominated For Basketball Hall Of Fame -- But Does He Deserve It?
The Basketball Hall of Fame announced its nominees, and a former Detroit Piston is on the list. Nominees include Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace and Muggsy Bogues.
Wallace is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and according to NBC sports, he's undervalued.
"At his best, he was the NBA's third-best player behind Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. (Shaquille O'Neal was between stretches of motivation, and Kobe Bryant hadn't yet learned how to lead a team.) Though 16 NBA seasons is a nice run, too many of those after his prime were underwhelming," they wrote.
It was the topic of a lively back and forth on ESPN.
Here's the full list of nominees:
NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2017 BALLOT
* Indicates First-Time Nominee
North American Committee Nominations
- Mark Aguirre (PLA)
- Geese Ausbie (PLA)
- Bill Bertka (COA)
- Muggsy Bogues (PLA)*
- Junior Bridgeman (PLA)
- Irv Brown (REF)
- Maurice Cheeks (PLA)
- Terry Cummings (PLA)
- Charles "Lefty" Driesell (COA)
- Hugh Evans (REF)
- Bill Fitch (COA)
- Cotton Fitzsimmons (COA)
- Tim Hardaway (PLA)
- Del Harris (COA)
- Robert Hughes (COA)
- Kevin Johnson (PLA)
- Marques Johnson (PLA)
- Bobby Jones (PLA)
- Jerry "Tiger" Jones (COA)
- Gene Keady (COA)
- Rollie Massimino (COA)
- Tracy McGrady (PLA)*
- Gary McKnight (COA)
- Danny Miles (COA)
- Sidney Moncrief (PLA)
- Dick Motta (COA)
- Swen Nater (PLA)
- Jake O'Donnell (REF)*
- Jim Phelan (COA)*
- Mark Price (PLA)
- Jere Quinn (COA)*
- Glenn Robinson (COA)
- Lee Rose (COA)
- Bo Ryan (COA)
- Bob Saulsbury (COA)*
- Bill Self (COA)*
- Jack Sikma (PLA)
- Steve Smith (COA)
- Fred Snowden (COA)
- Harry Statham (COA)*
- Eddie Sutton (COA)
- Rudy Tomjanovich (COA)
- Ben Wallace (PLA)*
- Chris Webber (PLA)
- Paul Westphal (PLA)
Women's Committee Nominations
- Leta Andrews (COA)
- Jennifer Azzi (PLA)
- Rebecca Lobo (PLA)
- Muffet McGraw (COA)
- Susie McConnell (PLA)
- Pearl Moore (PLA)
- Kim Mulkey (COA, PLA)
- Harley Redin (COA)
- Theresa Shank (PLA)
- Marianne Stanley (COA)
- Barbara Stevens (COA)
- Wayland Baptist (TEA)
- Therea Weatherspoon (PLA)
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY Early African-American Pioneers Committee Nominations
- Clarence "Puggy" Bell
- Sonny Boswell
- Zack Clayton
- Chuck Cooper
- Bill Garrett
- Inman Jackson
- Clarence "Fats" Jenkins
- Bucky Lew
- Davage "Dave" Minor
- Hudson Oliver
- Al "Runt" Pullins
- James "Pappy" Ricks
- Paul Robeson
- Eyre Saitch
- William "Wee Willie" Smith
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY International Committee Nominations
- Tal Brody
- Jackie Chazalon
- Vlade Divac
- Nick Galis
- Semen Khalipski
- Vladimir Kondrashin
- Toni Kukoc
- Marcos Leite
- Aldo Ossola
- Amaury Pasos
- Dino Radja
- Manuel Sainz
- Togo Soares
- Ranko Zeravica
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY Contributor Committee Nominations
- Marv Albert
- Al Attles
- Dick Baumgartner*
- Marty Blake
- Vic Bubas
- Wayne Duke
- David Falk*
- Harry Glickman
- Marty Glickman
- Curt Gowdy
- Tim Grgurich
- Robert Indiana*
- Mannie Jackson
- Tom Jernstedt
- Johnny "Red" Kerr
- John Kline
- Red Klotz
- Jerry Krause
- Bobby Lewis*
- Jack McCloskey
- Johnny Most
- Dennis Murphy
- Joe O'Toole
- Billy Packer
- Dee Rowe*
- Zelda Spoelstra
- Jim Valvano
- Donnie Walsh
- Frank Walsh
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY Veterans Committee Nominations
- 1936 US Olympic Team (TEA)
- 1964 State Department Basketball Ambassadors (TEA)
- Ron Boone (PLA)
- Sid Borgia (REF)*
- Carl Braun (PLA)
- Frank Brian (PLA)
- Joe Caldwell (PLA)
- Mack Calvin (PLA)
- Charles Eckman (REF)
- Leroy Edwards (PLA)
- Leo Ferris (CONT)
- Clarence "Bevo" Francis (PLA)
- Buck Freeman (COA)
- Donnie Freeman (PLA)
- Travis Grant (PLA)
- Bob Grody (PLA)
- Robert Harrison (PLA)
- Flo Harvey (PLA)
- Dick Hemric (PLA)*
- Cam Henderson (COA)
- Robert Hopkins (PLA)
- Lou Hudson (PLA)
- Warren Jabali (PLA)
- Jimmy Jones (PLA)
- Charles Kenaith (PLA)*
- Freddie Lewis (PLA)
- Jim Loscutoff (PLA)
- Loyola of Chicago (TEA)
- Billy Markward (CONT)*
- George McGinnis (PLA)
- Ray Mears (COA)*
- Francis Meehan (PLA)
- Donald "Dudey" Moore (COA)
- Willie Naulls (PLA)
- Philadelphia SPHAS (TEA)
- Mel Riebe (PLA)
- Glenn Roberts (PLA)
- Holcombe Rucker (CONT)
- Kenny Sailors (PLA)
- Fred Schaus (PLA)*
- Charlie Scott (PLA)
- Kenny Sears (PLA)
- Frank Selvy (PLA)
- George Senesky (PLA)
- Paul Seymour (PLA)
- Charles Siler (CONT)
- Talvin Skinner (PLA)
- Ken Suesens (PLA)
- Tennessee A&I (TEA)
- Dick Van Arsdale (PLA)
- Tom Van Arsdale (PLA)
- Willie Wise (PLA)
- Max Zaslofsky (PLA)
