Vlade in the HOF
- Thread starter AleksandarN
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This is a tough question, and you are going to get radically different results depending on whether you are talking to an American or European audience.
As a player? Not a chance. Not even remotely close. Shaq is a Hall of Fame player, not Vlade. But for his overall role in developing and popularizing basketball around the world? It could happen. I can only guess at his impact since I was not there, but entirely apart from his work on the court, he has played the role of international ambassador for the sport for 15 years during which time basketball has grown exponentially in popularity around the globe.
As a player? Not a chance. Not even remotely close. Shaq is a Hall of Fame player, not Vlade. But for his overall role in developing and popularizing basketball around the world? It could happen. I can only guess at his impact since I was not there, but entirely apart from his work on the court, he has played the role of international ambassador for the sport for 15 years during which time basketball has grown exponentially in popularity around the globe.
HOF is not all about NBA players. I could name a couple of players that only those of serbian background would know that are in the hall of fame.
As a pioneer of european players into the NBA, as an ambassador of basketball throughout the world as well as his countless achievements througout his career, he would have to be considered.
As a pioneer of european players into the NBA, as an ambassador of basketball throughout the world as well as his countless achievements througout his career, he would have to be considered.
He deserves to be be on the ballot because of his international influence on the game of basketball. The HOF is not just for level of play, but also the impact a person has on the game. Vlade's influence is felt all over the league. He was among the first to open the door of players from across the seas. He is also among the most successful. Therefore, I believe that he should and will be elected tot he HOF.
That aside, he is the best flopper to ever play the game!!!
That aside, he is the best flopper to ever play the game!!!
My first "off-the-cuff" reaction was no, but reading Bricklayer's post reminded me that this is the "Basketball" Hall of Fame, not the "NBA" Hall of Fame, and Vlade's contribution to the game of basketball is considerable to say the least, even if his individual accomplishments aren't comparable to other NBA Centers that have been inducted.
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u know whats going to get vlade in the HOF? its if he becomes a coach or front office worker and he has done alot for the sport, then he might get in.... but not for his playing... and i know hes already done alot for the sport, but it might take more than hes done. and by the way, being it is the "basketball HOF, not the "NBA" HOF, then he has an easier chance of getting in.
Stats in the NBA no. But his international career is one of the most decorated of any international player. We are talking about a guy who made a debut representing his country at the age of 18 at a senior level. By the age of 19 he was the starting center for the NT. This is a country that has won more world championship than any other. He was won world championships, european championships, won Olympic silver medals. He was a the captain of his country.
His international career alone will at least deserve consideration. He might not have the stats in the NBA but his contribution to basketball at international level simply cannot be questioned because there simply aren't many out there that have achieved what he has achieved.
He is the probably the best basketballer that Serbia and Montenegro has ever produced and when you consider that there alredy are players from former yugoslavia in the hall of fame then I think its fair to say that Vlade will be in with a pretty good chance.
His international career alone will at least deserve consideration. He might not have the stats in the NBA but his contribution to basketball at international level simply cannot be questioned because there simply aren't many out there that have achieved what he has achieved.
He is the probably the best basketballer that Serbia and Montenegro has ever produced and when you consider that there alredy are players from former yugoslavia in the hall of fame then I think its fair to say that Vlade will be in with a pretty good chance.
Its the empty numbers theory. The HOF is really quite exclusive. Fellow super Sf scorers such as Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Kiki Vandeweghe, Mark Aguirre etc. etc. also aren't in, and those guys all used to be absolutely prolific 25-30ppg SF scorers. I think Nique will eventually get in because he did it with flair and was one of the perennial faces of the game for years and years, but I'm not surprised he's a borderline case.
super guy.....
will he receive consideration? possibly, if for nothing else, his personality and ambassadorship
will he get in?? highly doubtful...
for a guy who spent 16 seasons in the nba to be an allstar one time and expect to get into the hall of fame....well....
there are guys that are probably about as nice who probably were allstars more than once that dont and wont get in....
sabonis isnt even in the HOF yet....based on the argument some use for vlade, sabas would have to be admitted long before vlade...
vlade will be remembered as a very good player and a great ambassador to the game.....however hall of famer is probably a bit of a stretch...and theres certainly no shame for that....its a very exclusive club....and u just dont think of vlade in the same breath as u do wilt, kareem, etc...
will he receive consideration? possibly, if for nothing else, his personality and ambassadorship
will he get in?? highly doubtful...
for a guy who spent 16 seasons in the nba to be an allstar one time and expect to get into the hall of fame....well....
there are guys that are probably about as nice who probably were allstars more than once that dont and wont get in....
sabonis isnt even in the HOF yet....based on the argument some use for vlade, sabas would have to be admitted long before vlade...
vlade will be remembered as a very good player and a great ambassador to the game.....however hall of famer is probably a bit of a stretch...and theres certainly no shame for that....its a very exclusive club....and u just dont think of vlade in the same breath as u do wilt, kareem, etc...
I think Sabas will get in -- but he has the advanatage of having a period in his early pre-injury career where people felt he might be as good as any center in the game anywhere. He's kind of like Walton I think.
With Vlade its all about the intangibles and how they weigh. Mentioned above not a prayer for the on court work. It all comes down to how important they feel the trole he played off the court was.
With Vlade its all about the intangibles and how they weigh. Mentioned above not a prayer for the on court work. It all comes down to how important they feel the trole he played off the court was.
Yup, pretty much sums up how I feel.
There is no way you can make an argument for him being there as a player. He did have a great career, but players who get selected for the HOF usually are OUTSTANDING players, and players with great stats. With all fairness, Vlade never was a stat-padder, he was just a perfect team-mate...and nowadays those guys usually do not get consideration.
There is no way you can make an argument for him being there as a player. He did have a great career, but players who get selected for the HOF usually are OUTSTANDING players, and players with great stats. With all fairness, Vlade never was a stat-padder, he was just a perfect team-mate...and nowadays those guys usually do not get consideration.
Vlade Divac lead his native country to TWO world championship titles. Not to mention his other acheivements on the international stage. This is the "Basketball Hall of Fame" and not the "NBA Hall of Fame"... Correct?
Divac understood that basketball was a team game and he played it as such. He did not pad stats for personal glory.
He should not get into the hall of fame for being a decent human being, however his skill and life acheivements should put him there.
Divac understood that basketball was a team game and he played it as such. He did not pad stats for personal glory.
He should not get into the hall of fame for being a decent human being, however his skill and life acheivements should put him there.
Yeah, that might be the route in for him. There have been a number of suspect HOFs over the years, and even the recent HOF picks from Europe would not have been HOFers if they had spent their career in the NBA (with the possible exception of Petrovic, but he wasn't based on NBA work at the time he died). But there is a separate class of lesser talented HOFs that might be called just "firsts" -- composed of people who broke down barriers or invented new twists to the game. Might be Vlade's best shot. If he can claim any significant portion of credit for the flood of the best international players into the NBA, than he has been a very significant figure indeed and changed the game forever.
Be tough for him though, because having played his whole career opposite the great NBA centers, when it comes time to put him down as an inductee, I suspect many voters are going to ask how he can get in ahead of some of those other guys who were better than him head to head. However, I'm not sure if the rules dictate one international inductee a year or not, but that has been the pattern for a number of years now. So maybe through that device -- put him on a separate track from his NBA brethren to avoid the direct comparisons.
Be tough for him though, because having played his whole career opposite the great NBA centers, when it comes time to put him down as an inductee, I suspect many voters are going to ask how he can get in ahead of some of those other guys who were better than him head to head. However, I'm not sure if the rules dictate one international inductee a year or not, but that has been the pattern for a number of years now. So maybe through that device -- put him on a separate track from his NBA brethren to avoid the direct comparisons.