With the recent conclusion of this year's induction of the newest members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, some analysts have begun setting their sights on the 2019 class.
In his piece for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley presents four potential inductees for next summer's Hall of Fame ceremonies.
Topping Buckley's list is Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Aside from all the accolades Kobe has amassed over his 20-year career, Kobe is also third in the NBA's all-time scoring list with 33,643 career points. The 40-year-old is a shoe in to the HOF; it's just a matter of when rather than if.
Considered by many as the greatest power forward of all-time, Buckley also projects that former San Antonio Spurs cornerstone Tim Duncan will also take part in next year's ceremonies. The former Rookie of the Year has two season MVP's, four Finals MVP's, and five NBA titles to his name.
Boston Celtics great Kevin Garnett is another eligible candidate. KG is a 15-time All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA team member, has one regular season MVP, and was the Defensive Player of the Year back in 2008. The 6-foot-11 big man also won a championship with the C's in 2008.
Finally, Buckley believes that Chauncey Billups is going to be a finalist for next year's class. The two-time All-Defensive team member led the Detroit Pistons to a famous upset against the Lakers in 2004 en route to his one and only NBA title.
In order to be eligible for the HOF, a former NBA star must have retired at least three years prior to his induction. Aside from the list presented above, there remains a number of players who have decided to call it a career over the past five or so seasons. This makes for an equally, if not an even more star-studded 2019 Hall of Fame class.
Follow Us
Subscribe