Honorable Mentions: Dick Allen, Norm Cash, Carlos Delgado, Steve Garvey, Keith Hernandez, Gil Hodges, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, John Olerud, Rafael Palmeiro, Boog Powell. Some never make it in their chosen field. The win against the Lakers also marked the final NBA game for Magic Johnson, who returned to the NBA that season after a five-year absence. Smith averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 assists per game, and the Tar Heels lost to Indiana in the regional semifinals of the 1984 NCAA tournament. He was a model of consistency during the '70s, spending three years in Cleveland before joining the New York Yankees and posting a 114 OPS+ while averaging 23 home runs, 76 RBI and 4.0 WAR in 140 games over the course of his 11 years in pinstripes. Three men have been chosen to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022 . In order to be considered for this list, players must have appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot and since fallen off by way of failing to reach 75 percent before hitting the year limit or the 5 percent needed to stick around on the ballot. For his entire career, the Hall of Famer made seven All-Star teams and seven All-NBA teams. He played from an early age, and by 1983 he was a McDonalds All American and one of the best high school players around. Lofton produced six seasons with a bWAR of 5.0 or more, including his 1994 season when he led the American League with a . Over the first 11 seasons of his career, Mutombo averaged 12.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks. Smith scored 23 points to lead the US to an 8785 win and the Gold Medal over a Soviet Union team that featured Arvydas Sabonis. "He always seems to know where that crack in the wall is," former Celtics coach K.C. There are statistical, cultural and other arguments for dozens whose names weren't called. Full Name: Kenneth Smith. Even still, he's top 75 in career points, 30th in career wins over replacement player and 19th in career BPM. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Lofton comes in just under the bar. After averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 assists per game with the Sacramento Kings, Smith was named a member of the NBA All-Rookie team in 1988. In both cases, he trails only Michael Jordan and LeBron James, arguably the two greatest players of all time. While he lacks a complete body of work as a result of his career being cut short, his 3.2 WAR per 100 games played compares favorably with all-time great Johnny Bench(3.5), and that speaks volumes to the impact he made. Cleveland great Kenny Lofton only last one year on the Hall of Fame ballot before falling off, but here is why he deserves another shot at Cooperstown. The Rockets then went 5527 in 199293, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the playoffs in seven games. [37], Smith has been married twice. Learn more and register. Steve Kerr, Hubert Davis and Dell Curry were the only players who matched or exceeded both of his marks for total threes and three-point percentage over that stretch. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [1] The Rockets finished fifth in the NBA Western Conference with a 4834 record, upsetting the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round before being swept in the second round by eventual Finals runner-up Seattle SuperSonics. Do you have a blog? [24][25], The Rockets released Smith after the 199596 season, and he signed with the Detroit Pistons. Every player named to the top 50 ahead of the league's 50th anniversary reprised a spot. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? SPRINGFIELD, MASS. He won two scoring titles, averaged over 30 in each of four straight seasons from 1980-81 to 1983-84 and his 24.3 points per game for his career ranks 18th in NBA history. They won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season conference championships in 1984 and 1987, and tied for first in 1985. 2004 All Star East Kenny Smith. "If I put Kevin McHale or Bill Walton on him, he just yawns and says 'Oh, well, another little guy on me. His voting support jumped from 23.2 to 39.8 percent in his final year on the ballot, and it's fair to wonder if he might have ultimately made the cut under the previous 15-year limits rather than the new 10-year cutoff. "L.A. wouldnt have those two championships without Pau Gasol. The Country Music Hall of Fame officially inducted the members of its 2020 class of inductees Dean Dillon, Marty Stuart, and Hank Williams, Jr.with a ceremony Sunday (Nov. 21, 2021) at the . Lewis averaged 30.9 points per game and was a First Team Division II All-American as a senior at South Carolina State. Growing up in public housing in Houston, he was exposed to R&B, pop, and jazz in addition to country. High School: Oscar F. Smith (Chesapeake, VA) Pro Career: 7 seasons, 89 games. 2020 is the year to correct that. Archbishop Molloy in Queens, New York, Draft: How old is Kenny Smith? As Smith has described, Barkley brings the flashlight, but Smith is the floodlight. Enshrinement Speech. ), recorded 4,073 assists (5.5 avg) while shooting .480 from the field, .399 from three-point range, and .829 from the free throw line. He's 78th in blocks and 32nd in BPM. He was a key role player, at best. He wrapped up his 22-year career with 390 home runs and 1,314 RBI, earning six All-Star selections and winning two Gold Glove Awards. If Kenny is inducted as a media member, he won't be a Hall of Famer as a player. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. "He was probably more difficult to guard (than the traditional post-up centers)," former teammateJim Washington told NBA.com's, were much like the centers of today, where they could shoot the outside shot and take the ball to the basket. #22HoopClass, : https://t.co/QCITOO5LpK pic.twitter.com/ZdklJZa2uR, Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) December 21, 2021. One of the best big men of his era, Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy is top 50 in NBA history in career points, rebounds, field goals, free throws, minutes and win shares.. Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Gregg Popovich headline the class. No one matches or exceeds Jokic's playoff marks in all of the above (25.9, 11.3, 6.4 and 1.0). [1] In the first game of the 1995 Finals against the Orlando Magic, Smith had 23 points, 9 assists and made seven three-pointers, including the game-tying shot which sent the game into overtime. It's not that Jerry Smith deserves . MORE: Inside the most clandestine hall of fame voting process in all of sports. (2:45). Even with over 30 years of NBA history in the books since his retirement, Lanier is still top 75 in career points and rebounds. Galante has an important Knoxville connection as he signed Kenny Chesney at the beginning of his music career. Allen Jr., Allison Graham Rogers Towers, P.A. He averaged 8.5 points and 3.6 assists per game, and shot .382 from three-point range and .821 from the free throw line. Teammates Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez are already enshrined, and Concepcion's case is one worth further consideration from the Veterans Committee. The southpaw broke into the league with the Cincinnati Reds in 1984 at age 23, and he was still pitching in 2005 for the Houston Astros at age 44. Tickets for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Enshrinement ceremony and variousevents surrounding the ceremony will be on-sale at a later date. The latter two were all about fundamentals and structure. [1] He finished in the NBA top ten in three-point percentage three times (199293, 199394, 199495), and top ten in free throw percentage twice (199293 and 199394). [26][27][28][29], Smith joined Turner Sports in early 1998, working as a studio analyst for end of the NBA regular season and the playoffs. Four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili is among the first-time candidates for Hall of Fame induction. Ginobili introduced some necessary chaos into the mix. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, They said it! Although Smith's points, assists, steals and minutes per game declined for the fifth straight season, he was still productive in 199596. And, like Bellamy, he was able to dominate with more than just his size. In 2021, Mr. Smith received the 16th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award for his dedication and significant contributions to civil and human rights, the social justice movement, and for laying the foundation for future leaders through their careers in sports. Read more: Rob Thomson says opposing managers calls CBP "four hours of hell" >> Brian Kenny also praised Chase Utley at the end of this video, who will find his name on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2024. The CFP will expand to 12 teams starting with the 2024 season. Smith is an analyst, alongside Charles Barkley, Shaquille ONeal and Ernie Johnson, host Inside the NBA, which has won four (4) Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Show Daily. The guys are certainly a great team, allowed to be themselves with minimal scripts. In fact, over half of the top 75 are behind Jokic in MVP shares. the way he overhyped Blake Griffin's over-the-hood dunk in the slam dunk contest, Kenny won't make it to HOF. Other Grand trophies include the 178 . George Foreman is a perfect example of this he earned more money from his grill than he did as a boxer. Over a 10-year peak that lasted from 1979-80 to 1988-89, Dantley averaged 25.7 points per 75 possessions with a blistering 62.5 true shooting percentage. The enshrinement ceremony will take place the following day in Springfield's historic Symphony Hall. And though it would've been almost impossible to live up to that billing, a healthy prime would've put him much closer. The full list of nominees from the North American and women's committees were unveiled in December. For example, the deterrence that a rim protector like Dikembe Mutombo generates by merely being on the floor doesn't show up in the box score (at least not explicitly). In 1992, he recorded a 43% shot average from downtown. Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and the late "Cowboy" Jack Clement-- three men whose influence still ripples across the surface of modern music -- are now members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.. What's more, much of what happens on defense isn't specifically measured anywhere. They did use a first-round pick in the 2022 . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Smith played college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning consensus first-team All-American honors as a senior in 1987. He had his best year with an average of 17.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett take their places among the legends. Smith ranks second in University of North Carolina school history with 768 assists, including 86 assists in NCAA tournament play. The next year, he broke a record with 3pt shots 7 in one game, during the finals, which Houston again won. All of the players who were voted in will receive plenty of well-deserved praise, so they're not the focus of this piece. [31] Smith covered basketball for the 2001 Goodwill Games,[30] and he occasionally appears on NBA TV as an analyst. It even has its own Emmy-nominated . [18][19] The Rockets won back-to-back championships in 199394 and 199495 with Smith as the starting point guard. Perhaps another example of this is Kenny Smith. Only Stephen Curry's 10.4 in 2015-16 was higher. The Veterans Committee righted one wrong when Alan Trammell was finally elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018, and it should be only a matter of time before his longtime double-play partner joins him. The league average true shooting percentage over those 10 seasons was 53.8. Of the eight players who had more wins over replacement player than Carter over that stretch, only Tracy McGrady failed to make the 75th Anniversary Team (more on him later). Shaq's career averages were 23.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 10.9 rebounds that puts him behind Smith with assists. Arguably the greatest sixth man in NBA history, Manu Ginobili ranks 23rd in NBA history in career BPM. It is the best basketball show ever. He has been largely ignored by the Hall Of Fame. You get in to the Hall for one category. He played nine seasons in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings (1987-90), Atlanta Hawks (1990), Houston Rockets (1990-96), Detroit Pistons (1996), Orlando Magic (1996-97) and Denver Nuggets .