The votes for the 2017 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class came and went this summer without one notable nominee. In his first year of eligibility, Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace was the odd man out for this year's enshrinement.

It is worth noting that the contributions considered are for the entire sport of basketball, not just the NBA. While he was nonetheless disappointed by the results, Wallace said he is confident he will be selected in next year's voting during an appearance on ESPN's The Jump:

“I definitely felt I should've gone in this year, but hopefully next year, things will work out,” Wallace said. “I did all my work on the court. I'm not one to come out and boost or brag about what I did. My body of work speaks for itself. So I'm going to leave it at that.”

There is certainly truth to Wallace's comments, especially given how thin this Hall of Fame class was in terms of NBA talent compared to previous years. While the other nominees were certainly deserving, not even the most astute basketball fans were too familiar with the names aside from seven-time All-Star Tracy McGrady.

Meanwhile, Wallace was arguably the greatest defensive player of his generation, helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA finals against a dominant Los Angeles Lakers squad. His four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards are tied for the most in league history. As a result, it should only be a matter of time before Wallace finally receives the nod.