Does Kevin Johnson have a good case for the Basketball Hall of Fame? Would you get him in?
1 Finals (93') - with Barkley
2 Conference Finals (89', 90') - without Barkley, but with Chambers, Eddie Johnson (in 89'), Jeff Hornacek, pre-All-Star Dan Majerle
Made it to the Semi WCF 3 more times (92', 94', 95')
3 times All-Star
5 times All-NBA (4 times Second, 1 time Third)
Kevin Johnson = HOFer?
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Kevin Johnson = HOFer?
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durantbird
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Re: Kevin Johnson = HOFer?
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Colbinii
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Re: Kevin Johnson = HOFer?
No. He doesn't have the story-line arc for players with a similar small resume who were able to get in.
Re: Kevin Johnson = HOFer?
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Owly
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Re: Kevin Johnson = HOFer?
Player goodness ... without a long look pretty surely yes.
He's been voted 76, 82, 51, 55, 69, 75 on the projects here. Unless you really weren't a scorer, that range would (and should) get you in. So even without going to worst guys in (even excluding guys where there are or have been committees, or whatever so not say L. Dampier [ABA] or Radja [Europe] or at least somewhat college guys [e.g. Sampson, Bradley, Murphy]) it's not "well I think he's better than Mitch Richmond or Gus Johnson or Dennis Johnson or Heinsohn" (or whomever you might consider weaker links). I think there's some clarity he's not a marginal case in terms of player quality even if were to say "we've made some mistakes" (as the lowest entrant as a bar probably lets too many people in).
In terms of accolades/narrative they do look thinner than his goodness and indeed by HoF probability he's not a great candidate by what they have tended to like https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/hof_prob.html (156th, .1905)... though if they're going to induct several and have some older players ... the top 100 are basically gone that are eligible (Foust stands out ... I think if he were going in, he'd be in by now, though you never know).
But the elephant in the room is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Johnson_(basketball)#Controversies
He did win a Citizenship award in his time and even got some heat along the David Robinson lines (too interested in charities, schools(!), too nice) I think without knowing how guys actually do the NBA likes celebrating guys going on to serve as politicians. One kind of wonders ... Jerry Colangelo has been a senior figure in national level basketball even before his chairmanship of the Hall ... he might well have known stuff before the public?
He's been voted 76, 82, 51, 55, 69, 75 on the projects here. Unless you really weren't a scorer, that range would (and should) get you in. So even without going to worst guys in (even excluding guys where there are or have been committees, or whatever so not say L. Dampier [ABA] or Radja [Europe] or at least somewhat college guys [e.g. Sampson, Bradley, Murphy]) it's not "well I think he's better than Mitch Richmond or Gus Johnson or Dennis Johnson or Heinsohn" (or whomever you might consider weaker links). I think there's some clarity he's not a marginal case in terms of player quality even if were to say "we've made some mistakes" (as the lowest entrant as a bar probably lets too many people in).
In terms of accolades/narrative they do look thinner than his goodness and indeed by HoF probability he's not a great candidate by what they have tended to like https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/hof_prob.html (156th, .1905)... though if they're going to induct several and have some older players ... the top 100 are basically gone that are eligible (Foust stands out ... I think if he were going in, he'd be in by now, though you never know).
But the elephant in the room is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Johnson_(basketball)#Controversies
He did win a Citizenship award in his time and even got some heat along the David Robinson lines (too interested in charities, schools(!), too nice) I think without knowing how guys actually do the NBA likes celebrating guys going on to serve as politicians. One kind of wonders ... Jerry Colangelo has been a senior figure in national level basketball even before his chairmanship of the Hall ... he might well have known stuff before the public?