Throughout Netflix’s new Olympic basketball docuseriesCourt of Gold, the term “hall-of-famers” is bandied about with abandon. In the first episode, U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball coach Steve Kerr tells his squad, “Half of you are already hall-of-famers.” Elsewhere in the episode, squad members LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are called “walking hall-of-famers”. Here, the term “hall-of-famers,” in the most literal sense, refers to basketball players who’ve been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Players who enter the Hall of Fame are considered to have reached the pinnacle of their sport, typically professional basketball players who have won major team and/or individual honors, or accomplished other exceptional achievements in the game. Of course, as anyone with even a passing interest in basketball knows,four-time NBA championsLeBron James and Steph Curry, and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant, are widely considered the most talented and accomplished players of their generation, and some of the greatest of all time. But this fact alone doesn’t necessarily put them in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
James, Curry & Durant Aren’t Hall-Of-Famers Just Yet
They Actually Have A Long Way To Go Before Induction
In fact,none of James, Curry or Durant are in the basketball Hall of Fameas it stands. The three of them are all still currently playing in the NBA, and haven’t yet been considered for the ultimate honor that can be bestowed upon individual basketball players. Indeed, they still have some way to go before they are even included in the conversation about induction.
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That might sound unfair, given thatLeBron James is now the top point-scorer in NBA historyand is already in the conversation for the greatest player of all time, Steph Curry has scored more three-pointers than anyone else in history, and Kevin Durant is the most decorated Olympian in basketball history. In these ways, the three of them even exceedChicago Bulls legend and star of previous Netflix docThe Last Dance, Michael Jordan. Nevertheless, hall-of-famer rules are the same for everyone, no matter how talented or decorated a player is.
Players Only Get Inducted Into The NBA Hall Of Fame After They Retire
No Current Player Could Be Inducted Until 2028 At The Earliest
The rules for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame dictate thatplayers must have been retired for three full seasons to be eligible for induction. This period was previously five years, but a rule change in 2015 allowed for a swifter entry into the Hall of Fame for the likes ofOscar-winner Kobe Bryant, and Chris Bosh.
Kobe Bryant was the first player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame fewer than five years after his retirement as a player, in 2020, the year after his death.
Current coaches are now allowed to be hall-of-famers, provided that they’ve been coaching at some level for at least 25 years, and are at least 60 years of age. Players still have to wait until retirement from their role, however, meaning that nocurrent player in the NBAcan be a hall-of-famer. Were LeBron, Steph or KD to retire tomorrow,the earliest they could be inducted into the Hall of Fame would be 2028.
Why People In Court Of Gold Refer To LeBron, Steph & KD As Hall-Of-Famers
Their Places In The Hall Of Fame Are Already Waiting For Them
Yet, inCourt of Gold, various interviewees, from coaches to commentators to other players, continually refer to James, Curry, and Durant as hall-of-famers, even though they’re still a long way off taking their place in the Hall of Fame.The reason they’re referred to as such is thatthey’re all clearly going to be admitted into the HOF once they retire. Whatever happens from this point on, all three players, along with at least three others in the US 2024 Olympic squad, are virtually guaranteed places in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“The humbleness of Curry, the lead-by-example quality of James, and the trash-talking wit of KD combine to create a truly unstoppable force."- Greg MacArthur -ScreenRant’s Review ofCourt of Gold
Their achievements and stature in the game are levels above some of the other players who’ve already been inducted. It’s simply a case of when, not if, which is why Kerr and others are so blasé about calling LeBron, Steph, and KD hall-of-famers throughoutCourt of Gold. Were it not for LeBron James’ longevity in the sport, he’d probably already have been inducted. He could have retired at the age of 35, as Michael Jordan initially did, and been in the Hall of Fame two years ago. However, it’s partly his desire to keep playing, breaking every record put before him, that defines his greatness.
