Shaquille O'Neal and Other Greats Who Will Make It into the NBA Hall of Fame
Shaquille O'Neal retired earlier this week, and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he will be elected to the NBA Hall of Fame.
There is also a variety of players who deserve to make it into the Hall, and this list takes a look at each of these players' main accomplishments.
The Hall of Fame only takes in players who have accomplished amazing things in the NBA and most of these players have done just that, and then some.
Enjoy!
Shaquille O'Neal
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Accolades
4x champion, 1x MVP, 15x All-Star, 14x All-NBA (8 first-team selections, 2 second, 4 third)
"The Big Diesel," "Shaqzilla" and "The Shaqtus" are some of the nicknames that have come across Shaquille O'Neal's great legacy.
He is single-handedly one of the most dominant forces to play in the NBA. His low-post skills were just tremendous on both the offensive and defensive side of the court.
A great rebounder, scorer and defender, Shaq could do almost anything on the court (except for make free throws and threes).
He retired as a champion, an amazing player and with one of the greatest attitudes in NBA history. He will always be remembered and will make the Hall of Fame, 100 percent guaranteed.
Kobe Bryant
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Accolades
5x champion, 1x MVP, 13x All-Star, 13x All-NBA (9 first, 2 second, 2 third)
"The Black Mamba" is one of the greatest players to play the game. His career started slow, but soon enough, Kobe became an elite player in the league.
During his prime, Kobe was the complete package: a great defender, one of the best offensive players and a great passer and rebounder for his size and position. Not to mention he is one of the most clutch players to play the game.
It wasn't until 1999, when Phil Jackson became the coach of the Lakers, Kobe was able to show his true potential in the league. He quickly became an elite SG in the league and is the second-best SG in NBA history (behind only Michael Jordan).
Bryant will retire a legend.
Tim Duncan
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Accolades
4x champion, 2x MVP, 13x All-Star, 13x All-NBA (9 first, 3 second, 1 third), 13X All-Defense (9 first, 4 second)
Widely considered the greatest PF to play in the NBA, Duncan has made himself known as a great player and a champion in the league.
His ability in the post during his prime was just amazing. On both the offensive and defensive side, Duncan was just a beast. He could do almost anything in the post. He could block shots and make post moves—make baskets and prevent baskets.
He is also a proven champion, winning four championships and three Finals MVPs. During the playoffs, he was even better.
Even as he got older, Duncan was and still is a great rebounder and low-post player.
Dirk Nowitzki
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Accolades
1x MVP, 10x All-Star, 11x All-NBA (4 first, 5 second, 2 third)
Dirk is the greatest European player to play the game hands down. He is also one of the greatest big-man shooters in NBA history, being one of few big men who can shoot the long ball and mid-range shot with ease.
He is the greatest player in Mavericks history and has been the cornerstone of both Dallas teams to make the Finals ('06 Mavs and '11 Mavs).
Some people compare Dirk to the legendary Larry Bird, with some of those people even saying that Dirk is better.
He also is one of the greatest scorers in the game, posting 11 straight 20-plus PPG campaigns. He has also been very clutch with games on the line.
Steve Nash
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Accolades
2x MVP, 7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA (3 first, 2 second, 2 third)
Nash is the greatest Canadian basketball player in the game.
He is a top-five PG in NBA history because of his ability to find open teammates with ease. He has averaged over 10 APG in six seasons, having had two consecutive 10-plus APG campaigns in the past two seasons.
Nash has also been a very consistent shooter in his career with a 49 percent career FG percentage.
His greatest seasons so far have come as a member of the Phoenix Suns during his second tenure with the team. He completely changed the Suns team in a positive way and is one of the greatest Suns in team history.
Jason Kidd
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Accolades
NBA steals leader, 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA (5 first, 1 second)
Right now, Jason Kidd and his teammate Dirk Nowitzki are both trying to win their first championship.
Kidd in his prime was one of the best PGs in the league. His court vision was one of the best, and his ability to know where his teammates were at all time was just astonishing.
Kidd played his best basketball as a member of the New Jersey Nets. When he joined the Nets, he completely turned the team around and made them championship contenders, taking them to the Finals twice, only to lose to the Lakers.
For a PG his size, he was a great rebounder and that was one of the reasons why Kidd was so much better than others in the league. As mentioned, his passing ability was also amazing, as well as his shooting.
He is currently third in most three-pointers made trailing Reggie Miller and new leader, Ray Allen.
Kevin Garnett
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Accolades
1x champion, 1x MVP, 14x All-Star, 11x All-Defense (9 first, 2 second), 9x All-NBA (4 first, 3 second, 2 third)
Kevin Garnett has been a beast throughout his entire career in the NBA.
He is the greatest player in Timberwolves history and one of the best offensive and defensive PFs to play the game. He gave the Timberwolves a voice in the NBA. Prior to Garnett being drafted by the team, Minnesota had never won more than 30 games in a season; Garnett changed all that.
He finally won his first championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, and made his legacy even greater. He definitely deserves to be a Hall of Famer.
He has made the All-Star team every single season he has been in the NBA except for his rookie season, which is a great feat.
Allen Iverson
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Accolades
1x MVP, 11x All-Star, 4x scoring champ, 3x All-NBA first team
He is not currently on an NBA roster, but in his prime he was one of the deadliest PGs in the NBA.
He had almost everything: speed, offense, defense, hands. He made all the players on the court look good with his great passing ability and made himself look good while he was at it.
During the later part of AI's career, he struggled heavily, but those numbers are quickly forgotten whenever you think about all the other things he has accomplished in his career.
One of the most exciting and best PGs to play in NBA history.
LeBron James
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Accolades
2x MVP, 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA first team
He is the best player in the NBA right now.
He proved doubters wrong by making it to the Finals, and now all he has to do is win the grand prize to seal the mouths of haters.
He is the best all-around player in the league with his great scoring, passing, rebounding and defending abilities. He has already won two regular-season MVP awards, countless All-Star votes and has more to come.
LeBron is not even in his prime right now, and he is already someone who will make it to the Hall of Fame without a doubt.
Notables: Vince Carter/Tracy McGrady
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Both of these players in their primes were some of the biggest talents in the league.
Vince was arguably the most exciting player to watch with his mind-boggling dunks and his huge plays while T-Mac was one of the best all-around players.
At the peak of their NBA careers, everyone could say that these two guys would make it to the Hall of Fame, but after injuries and old age struck, they started to wear out.
These two were great players and should be considered for the Hall of Fame
