Monday, April 5th, 2010 at 12:41 pm  |  38 responses

Pippen, Malone Lead HOF Class of 2010

by Ryne Nelson

The Hall of Fame Class of 2010 might not stand out as a particularly noteworthy group, but best believe: This group touched more lives than ever before. Chairman of the HOF committee, Jerry Colangelo, vowed there would be more transparency in the selection process, and several players who “slipped through the cracks” would be recognized this year.

It was about time.

Scottie Pippen, Cynthia Cooper, Karl Malone and the ’92 Olympic Dream Team were can’t miss first ballot inductees. But this decade’s first HOF class may very well be remembered as the Class of Hope. Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson, the 1960 Olympic Team, and Bob Hurley Sr are all, finally, getting the call.

Larry Bird represented the Dream Team. The 1998 inductee said winning the ’92 gold medal was his proudest achievement. Bird also said Dennis Johnson was the best player he’s ever played with…

Johnson, was the starting point guard on the ’84 and ’86 Celtics and ’79 Seattle SuperSonics championship teams. He won Finals MVP with the Sonics and later earned six All-Defensive First Team honors. He died of a heart attack in February 2007.

The Hall posthumously inducted another Johnson — Gus. He played in five All-Star Games in the late ’60s and early ’70s and was named to four All-NBA Second Teams. Johnson won a title with the Pacers in 1973, before the franchise became part of the NBA. He died of inoperable brain cancer at age 48.

Walt Bellamy, a 1993 HOF inductee, accepted the honor for the 1960 Olympic team. Bellamy confidently stated that the team — which included fellow Hall members Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas — will all be in Springfield, MA for the August enshrinement.

Hurley will become only the third boys’ high school coach ever enshrined. His 38 years coaching in Jersey City, NJ have produced 984 victories, 24 State titles and nine Tournament of Champions crowns.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: ,

  • ggdg Posted: Apr.5 at 12:43 pm
    first

  • horsey Posted: Apr.5 at 12:46 pm
    earned it…love pippen…when’s rodman getting in?

  • hillbilly Posted: Apr.5 at 1:04 pm
    Re: Dennis Johnson’s posthumous HOF induction.
    Finally, some recognition for one of the most clutch players in NBA history. God Bless ya, DJ.

  • Dtown Posted: Apr.5 at 1:33 pm
    yeah.. Pip is a no brainer.. Wish Karl would of got a ring.

  • underdog Posted: Apr.5 at 1:49 pm
    I really miss the NBA of the early ’90s. These days guards dominate the game too much. Of course, I still enjoy watching games, it’s different, though. I guess it’s just the evolution of the game, and me gettin’ older…

  • horsey Posted: Apr.5 at 2:00 pm
    did that not go up? rodman…hall of famer…no question…

  • smiles Posted: Apr.5 at 2:01 pm
    If Rodman is not enshrined which most likely is going to happen then fukc Colangelo and his board of idiots they don’t know sh1t what makes a HOF player

  • Gerard Himself Posted: Apr.5 at 2:02 pm
    underdog: trust me, you’re not the only one. I really enjoy watching games, but I don’t like all the quick whistles, the quick T’s, the fact that a player is almost unable to express himself in fear of being fined. That if you hang onto the rim for half a second too long, you’ll get a T. That Mutombo at one point in his career couldn’t do the fingerwag anymore after a block, because it’s “taunting”. That the NBA made it almost impossible for big men to protect the paint. If you’re Brook Lopez, Chris Kaman, whoever and a Wade or Rose or Paul or LeBron is flying at ya, you’ll get a foul more often than not. I could go on and on, but I’m afraid I’m boring folks already with this rant.

  • Jukai Posted: Apr.5 at 2:39 pm
    Ah, cool, Collangelo is going to get all the snubs in.
    So uhm, where are? Chris Mullin, Bernard King, Spencer Haywood, and George Mcginnis, who are all on the level or above Gus Johnson (i’d say Dennis Johnson too, but I know some guys here would spit venom at me if I did)
    And WHY THE F*CK IS ARTIS GILMORE STILL NOT IN THERE?

  • Jukai Posted: Apr.5 at 2:48 pm
    I mean, I get it, Bernard King was an injury wreck when scoring 3s were a dime-a-dozen, George McGinnis was just a Walter Davis clone, Chris Mullin was too Larry Bird-lite and Spencer Haywood mayyyy have had a small cocain problem and a small trying-to-murder-his-coach problem.
    But I don’t get the Artis Gilmore thing. If hacks like Dan Issel got in, what in the world is the excuse for Artis Gilmore?

  • Todd Spehr Posted: Apr.5 at 2:57 pm
    Spot on Jukai – Artis Gilmore’s admission is a black eye on the Hall. ‘Nard King gets my vote. His body of work, despite all his injuries, ranks with the best SFs ever.

  • tmw554 Posted: Apr.5 at 3:06 pm
    much rather see gilmore get in than rodman

  • RUN'N'GUN219 Posted: Apr.5 at 3:26 pm
    ^ WHY?

  • Lz - Cphfinest3 Posted: Apr.5 at 3:28 pm
    Underdog, Gerard; couldn’t agree more. Todays rules (no handchecking, ticky-tack fouls on drives, and close to no traveling/palming called) makes speedy guards almost unguardable. I think that it is plain wrong that players like C. Paul, T. Parker etc. can be practically untouchable because of their speed. Chris Paul’s game is nice and all, but he is probably the player whose game benefits most by the rules. People ask why we don’t see any real good centers anymore, when Dwight (Ben Wallace 2.0) is the best the NBA has to offer you know the level has fallen. The answer could be that there is no real need for the dominant center anymore, the quick guards are the new centers; they has to be double-teamed in the sense that no one defender can stay in front of them, so the defense constantly has to adjust. Just as when Shaq, Dream etc. roamed and dominated. The NBA although still a great show, is not nearly as competetive as it was in the 90′ies. To much jumpshooting by 6-10 PF’s, pumpfaking your man and leaning into him (Kobe’s trademark move), refs blowing their whistle at the least of contact, and friendly smiles among players. Bring back the tough competitive spirit of the 90′ies!

  • Tommy Patron Posted: Apr.5 at 3:34 pm
    Don’t know that I’d describe Dan Issel as a hack…..

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Apr.5 at 4:02 pm
    RIP Dennis Johnson and Gus Johnson, and congratulations on making it into the Hall. It’s been a long time coming.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Apr.5 at 4:04 pm
    Also, Bernard King needs to be in the Hall of Fame. Period. I don’t care how many years he missed due to injury (yes it’s a shame… but), when he was healthy he was one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Apr.5 at 4:05 pm
    Also, Bernard King needs to be in the Hall of Fame. I don’t care how many years he missed due to injury (yes it’s a shame… but), when he was healthy he was one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

  • Oli Posted: Apr.5 at 4:39 pm
    lol, SI.com didn’t have a pic of the ’92 dream team and instead took one of the ’96 team…

  • letsmotor Posted: Apr.5 at 5:36 pm
    good to see all the inductees receive this honor. still, i want to see rodman in there one day. in other news, when’s slam going to write a post up about yesterday’s games?!

  • I will miss AI Posted: Apr.5 at 8:39 pm
    um no offense to gus johsnon or nothin but how does he get in a and rodman or mullin dont……

  • davidR Posted: Apr.5 at 8:54 pm
    what underdog, gerard, and lz said. the game was more enjoyable when it was tougher. the ticky-tack fouls, quick whistles, and 1984 like state where nobody can express themselves makes the game seem very watered down. also, did anyone see the cleveland-boston game yesterday, when tony allen was called for interference on lebron’s 3? that was a huge riggup call.

  • mo Posted: Apr.5 at 9:00 pm
    Hopefully someday Dennis Rodman will be rightfully inducted

  • Jukai Posted: Apr.5 at 11:12 pm
    Rodman is also a pretty big snub. If Dennis Johnson is going to get in on defense, all-star game games and championships, then Dennis Rodman DAMN well better get into the HOF.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Apr.5 at 11:48 pm
    Co-sign Jukai about Artis Gilmore. LET HIM IN!

  • letsmotor Posted: Apr.6 at 12:26 am
    @davidR: yeah, that call was terrible, just as bad as in the playoffs last year when dwight blocked lebron from behind and was called for the foul. that was on a three too, I believe. something tells me that if the cavs are in the ecf, the refereeing is gonna be like sac vs. lal all over again.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Apr.6 at 1:24 am
    I’m not too familiar with Adrian Dantley, but I know he was one of the many kick@ss Small Forwards during the eighties with high-octane offense, who has made the Hall of Fame. He also shot the day lights out for like four conscutive seasons with 30+ ppg… Pretty incredible.
    So, to Jukai or whoever else: How do you see him compared to Bernard King?

  • Tredders Posted: Apr.6 at 3:06 am
    Is Artis Gilmore still eligible?

  • Jukai Posted: Apr.6 at 4:54 am
    Teddy-the-Bear: A bit difference, Bernard King was a lot more of a small forward-power forward, he had a lot of Lebron-ish drives but the dude loved to post and spin… while Dantley had a lot more of a guard flare to him, he was a dead eye shooter off the dribble (and not on the turnaround, like King had down pat) and scored a lot on skillful penetrations, very fundamental and nowhere near as flashy as King.
    They were both apparently d*cks in their own right though.
    I also feel worse for Dantley career wise, than I do for King… sure King was injured a lot, but Dantley was traded so many times from teams that next year won a championship, it’s not even funny.
    Also, it wasn’t just Dantley and King— the late 70s to early 90s was the mecca for scoring small forwards: Alex Englsh, Dominique WIlkins, Walter Davis, Julias Erving, Larry Bird… these suckers could put the ball in the hoop!
    This is when I pretext all of the above by saying I didn’t watch basketball for most of that time, just taking that from game footage I’ve seen soooo… Eboy would be better to ask, he’s like, 57.

  • Matt Gill Posted: Apr.6 at 6:50 am
    Jukai, doesn”t Larry Bird-Lite sneak in as part of the 92 Dream Team? needs to be there as a thoroughbred gunner in his own right however!
    Chris Dudley??? Dwayne Schnizus?? Greg Kite???

  • pilight Posted: Apr.6 at 8:35 am
    Cooper certainly should have been a no-brainer first ballot choice. In the less than enlightened real world of the Naismith, she didn’t get in until her second ballot…

  • nastierthanu Posted: Apr.6 at 9:13 am
    Wow I guess I’m the only person pissed off about the 92 dream team selection. I’m not pissed about all the players just 1. I think we know where I’m going here. Christian I am cheeks laettner is now in the hall of fame. F’ing great. I would much rather see tommy sheppard get inducted

  • BostonBaller Posted: Apr.6 at 9:38 am
    Jukai, take it from a real ol’ skool cat (mid 40′s lol) the guys you named were indeed all that and more, you had guys like Jack Sikma who had just as many hair styles as moves (plenty) The Bucks were tight with Marquis Johnson & Sidney Moncrief among others. EVERY team had at least one guy everyone wanted to watch. A lot of the 2nd tier guys could start these days and I’m not just saying that. You could field a team of current coaches and GM’s and compete in todays playoffs. Tom Chambers was a beast and today McHale would be the best center in the L and he was actually a PF. Another Celtic…Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell. I still love the games today but there is a lot missing. BTW, why is everything an assist these days? How do you get an assist on a jump shot? Steals are also inflated…I digress..

  • Allenp Posted: Apr.6 at 12:01 pm
    Boston Baller
    Steals have been inflated since Magic was getting them. It’s all done by the team stat guys, and they obviously have an incentive to cheat.

  • p Posted: Apr.6 at 4:52 pm
    i really think that Rodman should be inducted, though i think that it won’t be possible for him to be inducted until he is probably dead and that’s a stretch unfortunately. one of the most consistent rebounders his size in recent memory

  • Jukai Posted: Apr.6 at 9:38 pm
    Matt Gill: Didn’t mean to offend dude, being called Larry Lite still puts you in a top level category. Chris Mullin is highly underrated in the basketball circuit.
    And didn’t the 80s have the most inflated assists out of any period of time?

  • Allenp Posted: Apr.7 at 4:37 pm
    Oops, I meant assists. Sorry.

  • Grading the East | DoIt Sports Lounge Posted: Apr.8 at 7:44 am
    [...] Read more on Slam [...]

Comments




The comments section is a place to further discuss the topics in this post. Commenters who seek to accomplish any of the following may be banned: - Personally attack other commenters. - Make derogatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or religion. - Troll, or comment with the intention of creating problems. Trolling includes, but isn't limited to, baiting people to flame at you, encouraging people to leave the site, spamming and using alternate IDs.