An Indiana Pacers Blog
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Compared to the six seven combined players that the Celtics and Heat sent to LA this year, only having two guys might not seem like many. But they also had Bird, Carlisle and that guy who the photographer didn’t even notice behind Shawn Kemp. (via So What?)
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Reggie Miller won’t make the Hall of Fame this year. Apparently, he wasn’t even deemed good enough to be on a list of finalists that included Maurice Cheeks and Reggie’s long-time teammate and friend, Mark Jackson. Now, I love both of those players, but anybody who thinks they belong in the Hall ahead or instead of Reg is – quite simply – drunk.
But that’s not the point here. The point is the arbitrary, artificial, and monumentally silly mystique constructed around the idea of “first ballot” induction. Reggie wasn’t measured against the others up for induction this year. Bizarrely, Reggie – and every other player in their first year of eligibility – is measured against Wilt and Russell, Bird and Magic, Michael and Scottie.
And this is patently ridiculous.
There is no restriction on annual inductees. There is no special section of the Hall devoted to those who made it on the first ballot. You can’t go to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame website and find out who they are. Neither they nor Basketball-Reference list any information at all saying on what ballot the members were inducted.
Either someone is in the Hall of Fame, or they aren’t. Either someone belongs in the Hall of Fame, or they don’t. Guys like Reggie – or Dominique Wilkins or Dennis Rodman or Dennis Johnson – shouldn’t be forced to spend time in purgatory for this nonsense.
It’s as if people fear that Reggie Miller making the Hall on the first ballot somehow cheapens it for everyone. That somebody, somewhere will use that fact to draw equivalence between Reggie and Michael Jordan.
C’mon, man.
Look, if you’re talking to someone who would do that, or would argue that Reggie was as good as Michael – and they aren’t his mom – run away! You’re talking to an idiot.
It’s true that there are arguments to be made against Miller’s inclusion in the Hall. He never won a title. He never won an MVP or was a serious candidate. His mantle is not full of All NBA or other awards. However, he has enough accomplishments (25,000+ career points, recently broken 3-point record, 5 All Star appearances) to go along with his reputation as a playoff performer and his iconic presence in Pacer lore to get a relatively broad consensus to agree he belongs.
But – again – beside the point.
I would be less angered (or just disappointed) today if I thought the voters felt he didn’t belong. However, I have the unshakable conviction that there were voters who felt Reggie Miller (and others before him) belonged in the Hall of Fame, but not on the first ballot.
And that’s just bullshit.
I’ve said pretty much all I have to say, so I’ll have to leave it up to the pantheon-level badass, Robbie Benson, to say what people can do with their first ballot exclusion.
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Pacers vs. Lakers is by no means a rivalry. Honestly, I think the only cross-conference rivalry the NBA has is Celtics vs. Lakers. But Pacers vs. Lakers is steadily increasing on the overall interest side of things as more and more subplot threads unravel.
Most immediately, Indy beat LA earlier this year so … tonight … the Lakers … are … back … WITH A VENGEANCE. Plus, we know that Pacers great Chuck Person is now coaching in the City of Angels. And we had that whole NBA Finals match-up thing.
Best of all … remember this fight between Reggie and Mamba? I bet Kobe does. He never forgets. He is like a hiphopopotamus that way. Or is that an elephant? Who can remember?
The video comes to us from Complex’s blog, which included both Mr. Bryant and Mr. Knick Killer in its 50 Dirtiest Players in Sports History list. (They rank number45 and number 41, respectively. Your boy Ron Artest came in at number 22.)
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The Hall of Fame has unveiled its list of nominees for 2011 and Reggie Miller leads the candidates. Apparently, there are a few silly people who think he might not make it but … yeah … this is probably academic.
If you look at his career stats and his total of All-NBA/All Star accolades I could understand why there is a case to be made that he will not make it. At least not on the first try. I mean, Dominuque Wilkins for some unholy, who-know’s-why? reason even got snubbed in year one, so it is certainly a possibility.
But Reggie had so many moments — big, playoff moments that have their own names and are known by people who barely follow the sport. 8 points in 9 seconds. The 25-point fourth. The bank to send the Nets game into OT.
Thus, it seems inevitable that he will be enshrined very, very soon.
Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk offers a less-biased perspective:
There may never have been a better pure shooter to play the game than Reggie Miller. That’s the kind of player that should end up in the Hall of Fame.
And he might, Miller appears the most likely NBA player for induction on the ballot for the Naismith Hall of Fame, with the players nominated listed at NBA.com.
Miller has taken and made more three pointers than anyone in NBA history. He played 18 years for the Indiana Pacers, was a five-time All-Star, was the bane of the Knicks and Spike Lee’s existence for a few years, plus won Olympic gold in 1996. More than just the stats, he is as good a shooter as the game has seen, the kind of player that should be recognized by the Hall (which focuses on all aspects of the game, not just the NBA).
He’s a lock.
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