A new Hall of Fame class was announced this week. The NBA notables are Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Adrian Dantley. Ewing and Hakeen both had stellar careers at the college and pro levels, going to a combined six NCAA Final Fours and three NBA Finals (four if you count the Knicks trip in 1999 that Ewing missed due to injury). They were among the best centers in the league for most of their careers, and both have to be considered among the top dozen or so centers in NBA history. It was their first time on the ballot, and they both deserved to get in immediately.
Dantley taking this long to get in is an outrage; he is as much of a no-brainer as Ewing and Hakeem. Yet, it took him eight tries to finally get voted in. That is an absolute joke; Dantley had a stellar career at both levels and could have gotten in on the strength of either his college or pro career. Yet he was shut out for this long. Here's how good Dantley was:
College numbers: 25.8 points on 56 percent shooting and 9.8 rebounds per game in three seasons. Averaged 30.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in his second year at Notre Dame.
Pro numbers: career averages of 24.3 points and 5.7 rebounds over 15 seasons, along 21.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in six postseason appearances. Averaged over 25 points per game in seven different seasons, and 30 points per game four different times. Shot over 50 percent from the floor in 12 of his 15 seasons, and made the All-Star team six times. Finished in the top three in scoring average five different times, and won the scoring title twice.
Now how on earth can you exclude someone with those credentials from the Hall of Fame? Politics, maybe? That's got to be it, because there is no legitimate reason to have disqualified him. Yes, he never won a ring, but neither did a lot of other people. So what! Now, I'm sure that the voters who didn't want to pick him until now will have some stupid justification. Whatever! At least they got it right, finally. Congrats, AD! It's long overdue.
Now, as far the controversial selection of Dick Vitale, I'm on the fence . On the one hand, if team owners who did little more than write checks and own the team for a long time can get in, then anyone who actually did some work has a right to a spot. Vitale has done more to promote college basketball than darn near anyone else out there who wasn't wearing a uniform and playing.
During an era littered with scandals, players leaving early, and coaches job-hopping like there's no tomorrow, Vitale has been a steady cheerleader for the game itself. While his act is wearing thin nowadays for anyone who's been watching him for a long time, that act has done a great deal for the game as a whole. You really have to separate any personal annoyance you have with him and look at the whole picture. He is not Chris Berman, who needs to go away now. After careful deliberation, I have to say I'm OK with Vitale getting in. Congrats to you, Dukie V!
Me getting into the Hall of Fame is Awesome baby with a captial A. Going in with the likes of the General Bob Knight Dean Smith Coach K makes me tear up man. It is sensational I am a diaper dandy when it comes to the Hall.
I wasn't aware that Adrian Dantley was balling like that.
Dickie V can kiss my ass well he does that everyday on ESPN
Still can't believe Hakeem never won an NCAA title
Dickie V owes us big time
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