SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 12: 2023 inductees Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade react on stage during the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Induction at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2023 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
Last weekend, the ceremony was held to enshrine the 2023 class into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the sport’s ode to legends. And it was a legendary class, featuring Becky Hammon, Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, and many more.
It will be hard to live up to such a stacked class anytime soon. That shouldn’t stop the Class of 2024 from trying, though.
With this year’s ceremony in the past, it’s time to look ahead to who could be honored next year.
Who will be celebrating their enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024 next year?
Next year’s prospective class definitely doesn’t look as elite as this year’s class. While there are a lot of interesting discussions to be had about those who become eligible, there’s probably only one player who is guaranteed to be enshrined, at least in their first year of eligibility.
First, let’s take a glance at some honorable mentions who may get in eventually, but likely don’t need to book tickets to Springfield for 2024.
Kyle Korver: He won’t be making the Hall of Fame, but he is one of the greatest three-point shooters of all-time and his contributions to the game should be recognized somewhere.
Tyson Chandler: Playing for a billion teams in two decades, Tyson Chandler was one of the best defensive centers in the league, winning one Defensive Player of the Year award and one NBA championship while bringing the tap-out rebound into vogue.
Amar’e Stoudemire: Someone who may make it eventually, Amar’e Stoudemire made six All-Star teams, but only one All-NBA First Team. His team success also lacked, having never made it to the NBA Finals.
Joakim Noah: He feels like a player that will get in eventually, but not immediately. Around the same time as Chandler, Joakim Noah was one of the preeminent defenders in the NBA. He won NBA Defensive Player of the Year once and made the All-Defensive First Team twice.
Jamal Crawford: The toughest rejection. Jamal Crawford is probably the best sixth man in NBA history and racked up more than 19,000 career points. His place in history is guaranteed, even if role players don’t get a lot of love from the Hall.
So what Hall of Fame contenders does that leave?
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Author: Holden Walter-Warner
August 23, 2023 | 8:00 am
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