Basketball Hall of Fame: 5 Players who could get inducted to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019
The Hall of Fame is where the best basketball players in the world are timelessly enshrined. These players are mostly NBA players because the lights of Los Angeles and New York are unrivaled anywhere else in the world.
However, certain players of a shining international resume can also become first-ballot Hall of Famers while other players have to deal with being a borderline HOF caliber for extended amounts of time.
There are various ways of making one's case, and team success or individual awards don't make up the entirety of reasons. In today's current crop of stars, does one exclude Klay Thompson from the HOF list because he doesn't have individual awards even though he has a trio of rings already?
Does one exclude Westbrook because he hasn't won a ring even though he has a MVP and two straight averaging a monster triple-double line statistic?
Be that as it may, here are the top five candidates who could get inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, the first of which is no surprise at all.
#1 Tim Duncan
Widely regarded as the greatest Power Forward of all time as well as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he is a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and an NBA All-Star Game MVP. He is also a 15-time NBA All-Star and the only player to be selected to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 consecutive seasons.
The above list is extraordinary, but his true standout feature was being a very coachable player. His teammates frequently commented on how inspiring it was to see a MVP winner compete in training like he was fighting for playing time in the NBA.
Alongside Parker and Ginobili, Tim Duncan formed the league's most durable and long lasting Big 3 all the way from 2001 to his retirement in 2016. He was a silent leader, capable of leading from the front but never having the need to do so, since he had very good teammates and he prioritized letting his actions do the talking for himself.
A 5-1 Finals record, 2 MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs and a career average of a double-double guarantees the "Big Fundamental" a spot in the Hall of Fame.