10 NBA Legends Still Snubbed From the Hall of Fame

The NBA is full of superstar players, with guys who are making headlines every night and others who are making plays.

The best of the best get honored with a nod and a place in the Hall of Fame. The best of the best have their names in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts — while others never get the call.

Whether they’re deserving of the chance or not is voted on by a committee. And plenty of players have a Hall-of-Fame case but have so far been snubbed.

We’ll take a look at 10 NBA standouts who had Hall of Fame-worthy careers but still haven’t been enshrined:

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10. Shawn Kemp

Career stats:

• 14.6 ppg
• 8.4 rpg
• 1.4 apg
• 1.1 spg
• 1.2 bpg
• 48.8% FG

Accolades:

• 6-time All-Star
• 3-time All-NBA

Shawn Kemp was making headlines all over the NBA during his days with the Seattle Supersonics. He was a six-time All-Star who electrified the league with his massive dunking ability. Kemp had the team in the Finals, competing against Michael Jordan’s Bulls.

He was good enough for much of his career to get a nod in Springfield, so time will tell if the high-flier ever gets his day. However, he’s now been out of the league for more than 20. A shot-blocking machine who also put his defenders on posters, it was hard not to get excited over Kemp.

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9. Joe Johnson

Career stats:

• 16.0 ppg
• 4.0 rpg
• 3.9 apg
• 0.8 spg
• 44.1% FG
• 37.1% 3PT

Accolades:

• 7-time All-Star
• 2009-10 All-NBA

“Iso” Joe Johnson was one of the most electrifying late-game players in the NBA across the 2000s into the 2010s. His peak was spent with the Hawks, before a loaded trade offer sent him over to the Nets.

Johnson didn’t have a ton of success within the postseason, but all he did was make big shots. His jerseys sold well during his career and he was once a perennial All-Star. With seven All-Star selections and having been someone who left lasting memories on fans minds, Johnson may someday be in Springfield.

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8. Antawn Jamison

Career stats:

• 19.2 ppg
• 7.8 rpg
• 1.7 apg
• 1.0 spg
• 45.1% FG
• 34.1% 3PT

Accolades:

• 2-time All-Star
• 2003-04 Sixth Man of the Year

A guy who just knew how to put the ball in the hoop, Antawn Jamison impressed in most of his NBA stops. He had his most success in Washington, sharing the Wizards court with fellow All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

That team never won a playoff series but had a lot of regular season success. He shared the floor with LeBron James in Cleveland and even got to play with the late Kobe Bryant in LA.

Jamison’s best argument for the Hall of Fame is that the majority of 20,000-point scorers are there. Maybe someday.

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7. Tom Chambers

Career stats:

• 18.1 ppg
• 6.1 rpg
• 2.1 apg
• 0.8 spg
• 46.8% FG

Accolades:

• 4-time All-Star
• 2-time All-NBA

At the time of his retirement, Tom Chambers was the only 20,000-point scorer not in the Hall of Fame. He was a huge name for the Sonics in the mid-1980s before heading over to the Suns.

Of note is that he is one of many Phoenix players that will be on this list. He had numerous seasons of 20+ points per game and fell just short of an NBA title with Phoenix against the mighty Bulls in 1993.

Chambers has long been well-respected among the NBA community, but having been out of the league three decades, his case seems to have gone cold.

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6. Bill Laimbeer

Career stats:

• 12.9 ppg
• 9.7 rpg
• 2.0 apg
• 0.9 bpg
• 49.8% FG

Accolades:

• 4-time All-Star
• 2-time NBA Champ

Anybody familiar with the Bad Boy Pistons era would also find themselves pretty familiar with Bill Laimbeer‘s game. He was as physical a big man as the game has ever had, setting bone-crushing screens and delivering hard fouls on Michael Jordan and other NBA stars.

He was part of two championship teams in Detroit, nearly averaging a double-double for his career. After a few short seasons with the Cavs, he was sent to the Motor City and he just never left.

A number of his fellow teammates, including Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Joe Dumars, and Isiah Thomas all made it to the Hall, while Laimbeer has not. It’s worth noting he was nominated for the first time in 2023 for the Hall of Fame. So, keep your eyes peeled.

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5. Rasheed Wallace

Career stats:

• 14.4 ppg
• 6.7 rpg
• 1.8 apg
• 1.0 spg
• 1.3 bpg
• 46.7% FG

Accolades:

• 4-time All-Star
• 2003-04 NBA Champion

Another former Piston on the list, Rasheed Wallace impressed during his time with Detroit. He was part of the team’s last title just over 20 years ago and part of impressive playoff success in Portland prior to that.

He bounced around a bit late in his career, but his toughness helped teams significantly. In addition to his strong play, Wallace also holds the record for most technical fouls in a season, with 41.

His temper could sometimes get the best of him, but he was a winning player. The track record checks out. Perhaps we’ll be seeing Sheed saying “Ball Don’t Lie” from the Hall of Fame podium some day.

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4. Kevin Johnson

Career stats:

• 17.0 ppg
• 3.3 rpg
• 9.1 apg
• 1.5 spg
• 49.3% FG

Accolades:

• 5-time All-NBA
• 3-time All-Star
• 1988-89 Most Improved

The New York Times wrote in April 2024 about the Hall of Fame criteria that players are judged on. Kevin Johnson was a standout in Phoenix for more then a decade and is on the outside looking in.

Nicknamed “The Mayor,” Johnson was traded from Cleveland to Phoenix halfway through his rookie season and never changed teams again. He made big shots and regularly posted 15+ assist games. KJ was one of just three players to average 20+ points and 10+ assists per game at the time of his Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame induction in 2012.

That’s right. He’s in the Bay Area Hall of Fame and the Sacramento Sports HOF as well.

The Suns made two conference finals trip and an NBA Finals trip with him on the roster during the 1992-93 season. Johnson was a problem for opposing defenses.

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3. Amar’e Stoudemire

Career stats:

• 18.9 ppg
• 7.8 rpg
• 1.2 apg
• 1.2 bpg
• 53.7% FG

Accolades:

• 6-time All-Star
• 5-time All-NBA
• 2002-03 Rookie of the Year

Amar’e Stoudemire was a very big deal during his time with the Suns. Save for one season lost completely to injury, he put up massive numbers every season. The team was doing a lot of winning, too.

Eventually though, they decided he wasn’t meant to be a Sun anymore. Stoudemire went to the Knicks, where he emerged as an immediate superstar in the Big Apple.

Unfortunately, his peak didn’t last very long over there, with some failed chemistry alongside Carmelo Anthony and additional injuries and frustrations.

Stoudemire’s peak was good enough though to get him a spot in Springfield. He was one of the best forward in the game for several seasons, after all.

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2. A.C. Green

Career stats:

• 9.6 ppg
• 7.4 rpg
• 1.1 apg
• 0.9 spg
• 49.4% FG

Accolades:

• 3-time NBA Champ
• 1988-89 All-Defense
• 1989-90 All-Star

If you think Mikal Bridges is impressive by playing 300+ games in a row, well, let us remind you about A.C. Green. The NBA’s iron man did not miss a single game from November 19, 1986, through April 18, 2001.

That is 1,192 consecutive games. He was part of three Lakers championships and was ready to play every night. He played strong defense, cleaned the glass, and played a key part in all of those titles.

His iron man streak makes him an all-time legend, and for that alone, Green genuinely belongs in the Hall. A number of his teammates from his Showtime Laker days have been inducted into the Hall, with the most recent being Michael Cooper.

Someday, A.C. Someday.

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1. Shawn Marion

Career stats:

• 15.2 ppg
• 8.7 rpg
• 1.9 apg
• 1.5 spg
• 1.1 bpg
• 48.4% FG
• 33.1% 3PT

Accolades:

• 4-time All-Star
• 2-time All-NBA
• 2010-11 NBA Champion

We told you that there would be a number of Phoenix Suns on this list. Now, there’s one more to finish it out. Shawn Marion, known for having one of the coolest nicknames ever (The Matrix), was a problem during his heyday.

Even though he never earned an All-Defense selection, he was Top 15 in Defensive Player of the Year voting on seven occasions. He was a double-digit per game rebounder with the Suns. Marion had a three-year run of blocking 1.5 or more shots a night, despite being a 6-foot-7 forward.

Not too long after leaving the Suns, Marion landed in Dallas, where he helped Dirk Nowitzki and co. finally get over the hump to win the title. He was an integral part of their run to the championship.

Considering how much of a Swiss army knife he was on both ends, it’s surprising to not see The Matrix in the Hall of Fame.

He’s been retired from the game for 10 years, and it’s not an impossibility to see it happen. But, it would certainly be great if he got the recognition he deserved.

Who do you think has been unfairly snubbed from the Basketball Hall of Fame? Sound off in the comments.

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