What players, if they retired at 27, would have made the Hall of Fame?

[CelticG1]

I'm thinking that the nba championships are a lot less meaningful if the age is 27.

They are important in the body of a career because you have twice as much time to get there or figure it out.

Not to mention you prob don't really enter your prime until 27 .

I don't think anyone has done it but it would be like placing Wade over KG because of a championship which would be ludicrous

[edwardjkasche]

NBA MVP.  Any of them not make it to the hall?

The only MVPs not currently in the HOF are players who aren't yet eligible - LeBron, Duncan, Nash, Kobe, KG, Iverson, Dirk, Shaq, and Rose.

All but one are presently locks for enshrinement, even LeBron at 28 years-old.

Rose is the only outsider, as he is nowhere near a HOF-er yet, but he's young and has plenty of seasons ahead of him... if he ever steps foot on the court again.

[hardlyyardley]

Fred Lynn

[Redz]

Lenny Bias

[LarBrd33]

You're joking right?

Jordan was 27 for the 90-91 season.

Bird was 27 in 83-84

Kobe was 27 in 05-06. Etc.

No way any of those dudes have the resumes to get in at that point. At all.

I don't agree.

Jordan (absolutely):
1x Olympic gold medal
1x NCAA championship
1x Naismith/Wooden/Oscar
2x NBA MVPs
1x NBA Champion
1x NBA Finals MVP
1x NBA Defensive Player of the Year
5x NBA Scoring champion (in a row)
7x All-star (in a row)
4x All-Defensive First team (in a row)
5x All-NBA First team (in a row)

Bird (probably):
1x Naismith/Wooden/Oscar
1x Rookie of the Year
2x NBA Champion
1x NBA Finals MVP
1x NBA MVP
5x All-Star (in a row)
1x All-star MVP
5x All-NBA First team (in a row)

Kobe (maybe):
3x NBA Champion
8x All-star
1x NBA All-star MVP
1x NBA Scoring champion
4x All-NBA First team
4x All-Defensive First team

EDIT:  I'd argue that Magic has probably the most significant 27 year old HoF resume in history.

Now do LeBron... he only turned 28 in December.


    NBA champion (2012)
    NBA Finals MVP (2012)
    3× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009–2010, 2012)
    8× NBA All-Star (2005–2012)
    2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
    NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
    NBA scoring champion (2008)
    6× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2012)
    2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
    4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2012)
    NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
    USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012)
    Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2012)
    Cleveland Cavaliers all-time leading scorer
    Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003)
    2× USA Mr. Basketball (2002–2003)
    3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003)
    2× Consensus National H.S. Player of the Year (2002–2003)

If he retired right now he's got a 99% chance of making the Hall of fame according to basketball-reference:  http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/hof_prob.html?redir

FYI, the calculation requires a minimum of 400 games to be ranked.  I imagine Derrick Rose, having won an MVP, will be ranked on that list pretty highly eventually.

Do Magic... I don't think he had won an NBA MVP until he was 28... but like Kobe (who had Shaq), Magic won 3 titles with Kareem by that age. 

[nickagneta]

The answer is probably very few to none.

Remember, up until the early 80's most NBA players spent 4 years in college and started their careers at 22 or 23 years old. Also, it was not uncommon for even the best rookie players to have to come off the bench and earn their way into the starting line up for 1-3 years.

So in essence, you really are only dealing with players after the Magic/Bird draft and even then very few of them. Magic, KG, MJ, Duncan. That might be it and even then I am not sure.

Now if you consider their contributions to basketball before 27 and count college and Olympics as well, then that opens the doors a bit more. I mean Russell had 2 national championships and a gold Olympic medal by the time he was 23. Add in the beginning of his Celtic career and he might make it. I am sure there are others that might fit into things then like Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, among others.

[Chelm]

You're joking right?

Jordan was 27 for the 90-91 season.

Bird was 27 in 83-84

Kobe was 27 in 05-06. Etc.

No way any of those dudes have the resumes to get in at that point. At all.

I don't agree.

Jordan (absolutely):
1x Olympic gold medal
1x NCAA championship
1x Naismith/Wooden/Oscar
2x NBA MVPs
1x NBA Champion
1x NBA Finals MVP
1x NBA Defensive Player of the Year
5x NBA Scoring champion (in a row)
7x All-star (in a row)
4x All-Defensive First team (in a row)
5x All-NBA First team (in a row)

Bird (probably):
1x Naismith/Wooden/Oscar
1x Rookie of the Year
2x NBA Champion
1x NBA Finals MVP
1x NBA MVP
5x All-Star (in a row)
1x All-star MVP
5x All-NBA First team (in a row)

Kobe (maybe):
3x NBA Champion
8x All-star
1x NBA All-star MVP
1x NBA Scoring champion
4x All-NBA First team
4x All-Defensive First team

EDIT:  I'd argue that Magic has probably the most significant 27 year old HoF resume in history.

Now do LeBron... he only turned 28 in December.


    NBA champion (2012)
    NBA Finals MVP (2012)
    3× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009–2010, 2012)
    8× NBA All-Star (2005–2012)
    2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
    NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
    NBA scoring champion (2008)
    6× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2012)
    2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
    4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2012)
    NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
    USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012)
    Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2012)
    Cleveland Cavaliers all-time leading scorer
    Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003)
    2× USA Mr. Basketball (2002–2003)
    3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003)
    2× Consensus National H.S. Player of the Year (2002–2003)

If he retired right now he's got a 99% chance of making the Hall of fame according to basketball-reference:  http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/hof_prob.html?redir

FYI, the calculation requires a minimum of 400 games to be ranked.  I imagine Derrick Rose, having won an MVP, will be ranked on that list pretty highly eventually.

Do Magic... I don't think he had won an NBA MVP until he was 28... but like Kobe (who had Shaq), Magic won 3 titles with Kareem by that age.

I would say that comparing achievements of a Magic at 27 vs Lebron now, it really depends on how you weight the different categories.  I would argue that the 5 championships (4 NBA) vs. Lebron's 1 overshadows the 3v1 in the regular season MVP debate, but that's mostly semantics.  They're both spectacular.  And yes, Lebron is a complete 100% guaranteed lock if he retired today.

Magic:
1x NCAA Champion
1x NCAA Final Four MVP
1x NBA MVP
4x NBA champion
3x NBA Finals MVP
8x NBA All-Star
2x NBA Steals leader
4x NBA assists leader
5x All-NBA First Team

[Chelm]

The answer is probably very few to none.

Remember, up until the early 80's most NBA players spent 4 years in college and started their careers at 22 or 23 years old. Also, it was not uncommon for even the best rookie players to have to come off the bench and earn their way into the starting line up for 1-3 years.

So in essence, you really are only dealing with players after the Magic/Bird draft and even then very few of them. Magic, KG, MJ, Duncan. That might be it and even then I am not sure.

Now if you consider their contributions to basketball before 27 and count college and Olympics as well, then that opens the doors a bit more. I mean Russell had 2 national championships and a gold Olympic medal by the time he was 23. Add in the beginning of his Celtic career and he might make it. I am sure there are others that might fit into things then like Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, among others.

The Hall of Fame does consider all contributions.  It's not the NBA HOF.  As I showed above, Magic Johnson was absolutely, 100% for sure a lock.  I mean, he was 28 when he won his LAST championship.

[nickagneta]

Bill Walton is in the Hall of Fame and 98% of his productive basketball years all occurred from 27 and earlier. So he is a definite. Russell a definite. Magic as well. Abdul-Jabbar is a definite. Jordan as well. Bird too. Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, ... There's probably a bunch more names from the 70's that would also have to include ABA experience.

This really is simple. If you were a superstar, had college accolades and awards, won multiple MVP and titles before 27 then you are in.

[CelticConcourse]

Yao Ming. He'd be a 100% lock.

For cultural purposes mostly though.

[RebusRankin]

To add to the discussion, a guy like Bob Mcadoo likely gets voted in earlier, by 27 he had 3 scoring tittles and a MVP. David Thompson also fits this one.

Here's a question along these lines, is there anybody not in the Hall who might have been if we freeze their career at 27?

[jambr380]

To add to the discussion, a guy like Bob Mcadoo likely gets voted in earlier, by 27 he had 3 scoring tittles and a MVP. David Thompson also fits this one.

Here's a question along these lines, is there anybody not in the Hall who might have been if we freeze their career at 27?

That's like an album that has 17-18 songs, but you wish only had 8-9 because the other songs are horrible - it detracts from what could be a very good album...I'll be interested to see what people come up with.

[BballTim]

To add to the discussion, a guy like Bob Mcadoo likely gets voted in earlier, by 27 he had 3 scoring tittles and a MVP. David Thompson also fits this one.

Here's a question along these lines, is there anybody not in the Hall who might have been if we freeze their career at 27?

  Sidney Moncrief

[Redz]

To add to the discussion, a guy like Bob Mcadoo likely gets voted in earlier, by 27 he had 3 scoring tittles and a MVP. David Thompson also fits this one.

Here's a question along these lines, is there anybody not in the Hall who might have been if we freeze their career at 27?

  Sidney Moncrief

Robert Parish

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/parisro01.html

edit: sorry, I had your question reversed (thought you wanted a Hall of Famer who would not be a Hall of Famer if his career stopped at 27

[nickagneta]

To add to the discussion, a guy like Bob Mcadoo likely gets voted in earlier, by 27 he had 3 scoring tittles and a MVP. David Thompson also fits this one.

Here's a question along these lines, is there anybody not in the Hall who might have been if we freeze their career at 27?

Edit. Misunderstood this.