Shaquille O'Neal shares list of 10 "best players" missing from basketball Hall of Fame
Shaquille O'Neal headlined the 2016 class that was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Among those who were inducted into the enviable body were Yao Ming, Allen Iverson, Sheryl Swoopes, Jerry Reinsdorf and Tom Izzo. Darrell Garretson, John McLendon, Zelmo Beaty and Cumberland Posey were members who were posthumously honored.
While the LA Lakers legend did not meet any resistance to his induction, others have failed to get the nod. The debate about who should be in the HOF and who should not be in the said body is a never-ending conversation.
On Sunday, Shaquille O'Neal shared a post on Instagram a list of “best players” who are not in the HOF.
![Shaquille O'Neal shared a list of players that are not in the Hall of Fame. [photo: O'Neal IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/06/5c84b-17191981580087-1920.jpg?w=500)
Of the 10 players on the list, five of them were former teammates of the “Big Diesel.” Shaq was in his last season in the NBA when he played with Rasheed Wallace in Boston. Horace Grant and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway were with him during his first few years in the league with the Orlando Magic. Robert Horry was the LA Lakers’ starting power forward when O’Neal led the team to three straight championships (2000 -2002).
In 2008, Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks were traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O'Neal. The blockbuster move allowed O’Neal to join forces with Amar’e Stoudemire in Phoenix.
Each of the players on the list has strong cases of making it to the Basketball Hall of Fame. From an individual accomplishment standpoint, Alvin Robertson might be the biggest snub. “Dog” was a four-time All-Star and a three-time steals champ. He was the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year winner during the 1985-86 season.
Robert Horry was a role player but he played a big part in each of his seven championships. Shaquille O'Neal won three straight NBA Finals MVP from 2000 to 2002 but “Big Shot Bob” made several clutch plays during LA’s grand slam. Many have been clamoring for his induction for years already.
Shaquille O'Neal played against two of the Basketball Hall of Fame 2024 inductees
Shaquille O'Neal played 19 seasons in the NBA. Unsurprisingly, he had the opportunity to suit up against hundreds of players during his Hall of Fame career. Two of those who lined up across him will be inducted into the HOF in October. O’Neal will welcome Chauncey Billups and Vince Carter to the exclusive basketball body.
Billups was part of the 2004 Detroit Pistons team that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the NBA Finals. He was the starting guard that stopped a star-studded Lakers team led by O’Neal, the late Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton.
Vince Carter did not win the championship in his 22-year NBA career but got the nod to be in the Hall of Fame. Carter’s impact was more than just on the basketball court. He put the spotlight on Canada when he starred for the Toronto Raptors early in his career.