Ben Wallace absolutely deserves to be in the Basketball HOF.
I recognize that it isn’t cool to be that guy and just bash on a player for no reason other than the fact that you want to hate on him.
But that’s exactly what I am going to do.
Yes, there is a larger theme at work here.
The Hall of Fame: Who should be in and why? But in order to convey this message appropriately I feel I have to do it like this.
I don’t give a fuck about Tracy McGrady. How he squeezed into the HOF as a first-ballot blows my mind.
Especially considering guys like Ben Wallace and Chris Bosh have been contentious entries. On their second-ballot.
The only bone of contention here is why Body and Bosh weren’t first-ballot. He had to wait a second year, after T-Mac gets in first try?
If you’ve read this and thought “wait is this guy saying that Bosh and Big Ben were better than T-Mac?”, that isn’t exactly what I’m saying (although I could make a case).
Ben Wallace and Chris Bosh had better careers than T-Mac. That’s a fact.
And you don’t get into the HOF for being better than other HOF’ers. You get in by having as good or better careers.
At least, you used to. Now we have a new bar, thanks to T-Mac.
He got buckets. No dispute here. The man could score like he breathes.
McGrady is a two-time scoring champ, 7 time All-Star and 7 time All-NBA selection. He dropped 62 points in a game, and averaged over 30 in the playoffs. Twice.
That’s stud level shenanigans.
But no Finals appearances.
All his fault? Fuck no. He was legitimately a top 15 players in the league.
His best seasons were with the 04/05 and 06/07 Rockets and the 00/01 Magic.
All first round exits.
Fantastic player? Yes.
Dominant? Yeah.
Lethal threat? Ya.
Superstar? Sure.
But the HOF? That’s weak shit.
Winning a ring isn’t a prerequisite for entering the HOF.
John Stockton
Steve Nash
Patrick Ewing
None of these guys won championships and still, deservedly, made the HOF.
They had sustained playoff success and numerous personal accolades.
Nash won back to back MVP’s and made multiple conference finals. He’s 3rd All-time in assists, behind Stockton at 1st.
T-Mac isn’t anywhere to be found after the second round, and his peronal accolades are impressive (7 All-NBA teams is no joke) but not spectacular.
Ben Wallace won the DPOY award 4 times.
4 TIMES.
That’s tied for the most in NBA history.
He was All-Defensive Team 6 times.
5 All — NBA selections.
An All Star 4 times.
And a championship, with the 04 Pistons, when they swept Kobe and Lakers. While guarding Shaq.
And he can’t get in first go?
Bosh won back to back titles with the Heat. He has 11 All-star appearances, and an All-NBA selection.
He didn’t get in his first time.
But a guy with no finals appearances and a couple scoring titles gets in as a first ballot?
T-Mac is way more popular than both Bosh and Wallace. He’s more talented. He got more buckets.
But trying to explain how he got into the HOF over two guys with championships and equal, if not better, personal accolades just isn’t doable.
Don’t kid yourself.
T-Mac is the bar.
Not Ben Wallace.
