On ESPN, it was reported that 6-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen and 2-time MVP "The Mailman" Karl Malone are heading the hall-of-fame class of 2010.
Overall Analysis and Thoughts: Both players were on the "50 Greatest NBA Players Of All Time" list when the NBA celebrated its 50th birthday in 1996 and the only thing that kept them out of the Hall sooner was the 5 year waiting period.
Scottie Pippen- Long considered "Jordan's sidekick", Scottie Pippen proved he was more than just a sidekick helping Michael Jordan bring 6 championships to the Windy City. Though Scottie Pippen did not win as many individual accolades as Jordan, Michael Jordan did not win a championship until the all-defensive star Scottie Pippen helped carry the load and Chicago to two separate 3-peats.
Key Stats and Accomplishments: 10 All-Defensive Team honors (8 first-team) Named on the "50 Greatest NBA Players" list in '96 6 championships 16.1 PPG, 6 RPG, 5.2 APG (4 seasons of 20+ PPG) 5th all-time in total steals (2,307) All star MVP in 1994 2-time Gold Medal in '92 and '96 And the list goes on.....
Karl Malone- "The Mailman" was the model of consistency averaging 25 PPG in a career that spanned nearly 2 decades. Along with John Stockton, he was part of one of the best and most consistent duos in NBA history. Karl Malone's accomplishments and accolades extend to the point where few players could ever reach and was/is consistently considered one of the greatest power-forwards ever to play the game during his lengthy tenure in the NBA.
Key Stats and Accomplishments: 11 NBA First Team honors 2-time NBA MVP ('97 & '99) 25 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG (2nd all time leading scorer with 36,928 points) Named in '96 one of the "50 Greatest NBA Players" 2-time Gold Medal in '92 and '96 All star MVP in 1989 and Co All Star MVP with Stockton in 1993 And it goes on and on...........
Both men have been obvious first-ballot Hall of Famers for years, and all they had to do was wait five years after they retired.
Joining them in the Hall of Fame this year are Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, high-school coaching great Bobby Hurley, Sr., four-time WNBA Champion (and two-time MVP) Cynthia Cooper, and posthumous selections Dennis Johnson (three-time NBA champion-- once with the Sonics, twice with the Celtics), Gus Johnson (1973 ABA champion with the Pacers), and Maciel "Ubiratan" Pereira, a member of five South American championship teams.
The 1960 and 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball teams were both named to the Hall of Fame as well.
(edited by ekedolphin on 5.4.10 2328) "Say, the next time you want to win your daughter back, you could just try giving her a pony, the apocalypse doesn’t really cut it!" --The Prince, Prince of Persia (2008)
Fan of the Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl XLI Champions), Indiana Pacers and Washington Nationals
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Co-Winner of Time's Person of the Year Award, 2006
The Dream Team will have all of it's members enshrined twice (except for Laettner and Mullin but Chris Mullin still has time to get in even if he didn't get in this year).
As for Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson, Bobby Hurley Sr., Cynthia Cooper, Miciel "Ubiratan" Pereira, and Jerry Buss, I am glad they all made it to Springfield but this year was headed by The Dream Team, Scottie Pippen, and Karl Malone. Besides Laettner and Mullin, every person on the '92 Dream Team was named on the "50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time" 14 years ago.
Originally posted by The GameThe Dream Team will have all of it's members enshrined twice (except for Laettner and Mullin but Chris Mullin still has time to get in even if he didn't get in this year).
[...]
Besides Laettner and Mullin, every person on the '92 Dream Team was named on the "50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time" 14 years ago.
And you know... according to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson's book, When The Game Was Ours, the only reason the '92 Dream Team chose Laettner as their twelfth guy was because he'd put in more time with USA Basketball than their other choice:
Shaquille O'Neal. (Who was also named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players 14 years ago, though many people [myself included] felt that given his accomplishments at the time, it was a bit premature).
"Say, the next time you want to win your daughter back, you could just try giving her a pony, the apocalypse doesn’t really cut it!" --The Prince, Prince of Persia (2008)
Fan of the Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl XLI Champions), Indiana Pacers and Washington Nationals
Certified RFMC Member-- Ask To See My Credentials!
Co-Winner of Time's Person of the Year Award, 2006
One year deal hopefully means Motivated Rondo, which should be entertaining on a team that has already provided incredible amounts of entertainment this off season.