how to build an nba hall of fame? first, define what it is—and isn’t. From the 156 players now enshrined in Springfield, we cut 57 on demographics alone: female players, international-only Springfield Is a Maddening Mess. stars and those who played before the 1946 birth of the BAA (all of whom, yes, are deserving of their own Hall). From there, we cut the 55 who didn’t clear our threshold of a 100 Hall of Fame cold, hard metrics clean it up. Rating (see below) and added 36 more (19 active, 17 retired) who did. The total tally of inductees into The Mag’s NBA Hall? A nice round 80—that is, until we enshrine Kevin Durant in two years. the replacements

Grant HillGrant Hill Elton BrandElton BrandShawnShawn Marion MarionChaunceyChauncey Billups Billups DwyaneDwyane Wade Wade Dirk NowitzkiDirk Nowitzki Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett DwightDwight Howard Howard Chris PaulChris Paul Paul PiercePaul Pierce LeBronLeBron James James Pau GasolPau GasolSteve SteveNash Nash CURRENTCURRENT HALL HALLOF FAMER OF FAMER RasheedRasheed Wallace Wallace Ray AllenRay Allen With an HOF Rating of 101, Jason JasonKidd Kidd Kobe BryantKobe Bryant Tim DuncanTim Duncan Johnson is the lowest-rated Tracy McGradyTracy McGrady ACTIVEACTIVE PLAYERS PLAYERS Vince CarterVince Carter ShaquilleshaquilleShaquille O'Neal O'Neal 2010 player to make our Hall. (Hal Greer is the highest-rated Allen IversonAllen Iverson ELIGIBLEELIGIBLE FOR THE FOR HALL THE HALLBUT NOT BUT IN NOT IN player to miss.) Defensive WS accounted for fewer than DikembeDikembe Mutombo Mutombo Garnett’s 210.8 is the highest Dubious distinction: NOT YETNOT ELIGIBLE YET ELIGIBLE FOR THE FOR HALL THE HALL 25% of his career WS. HOF Rating among active Malone’s 264.5 HOF players—bolstered by a Rating is the highest NUMBERNUMBER OF CHAMPIONSHIP OF CHAMPIONSHIP Gary PaytonGary Payton career-high 18.3 WS in the for any player who 2003-04 season. never won a title. RINGSRINGS (ABA (ABAand NBA) and NBA) ScottieScottie Pippen Pippen HoraceHorace Grant Grant ReggieReggie Miller Miller Karl MaloneKarl Malone ArvydasArvydas Sabonis Sabonis David RobinsonDavid Robinson John StocktonJohn Stockton DennisDennis Rodman RodmanChris MullinChris Mullin Otis ThorpeOtis ThorpeTerry PorterTerry Porter PatrickPatrick Ewing Ewing HakeemHakeem Olajuwon Olajuwon MichaelMichael Jordan Jordan Detlef DetlefSchrempf Schrempf 2000 Joe DumarsJoe Dumars Kevin JohnsonKevin JohnsonJeff HornacekJeff HornacekDominiqueDominique Wilkins Wilkins CharlesCharles Barkley Barkley Clyde DrexlerClyde Drexler

Buck WilliamsBuck Williams RobertRobert Parish Parish The highest HOF Rating for any player who competed in the ABA is Gilmore’s 222. His best season? Dubious distinction: Bill LaimbeerBill Laimbeer Magic MagicJohnson Johnson The 19.8 WS he hung on the ABA Abdul-Jabbar’s 329.2 HOF Rating is as a rookie in 1971-72. the highest in NBA history. From Williams boasts the Isiah ThomasIsiah Thomas Larry NanceLarry Nance MosesMoses Malone Malone lowest dominance factor 1970 to 1981, he led the league in DrazenDrazen Petrovic Petrovic (minus-3.3) of any player JamesJames Worthy Worthy WS in nine of 11 seasons. to make our Hall. Ralph SampsonRalph Sampson SidneySidney Moncrief Moncrief Kevin McHaleKevin McHale AdrianAdrian Dantley Dantley Larry LarryBird Bird Alex EnglishAlex English Jack SikmaJack Sikma 1990 DennisDennis Johnson Johnson Artis GilmoreArtis Gilmore JamaalJamaal Wilkes Wilkes KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar Abdul-Jabbar Bill WaltonBill Walton Julius JuliusErving Erving Bob McAdooBob McAdoo GeorgeGeorge Gervin Gervin Dan IsselDan Issel Nate ArchibaldNate Archibald Bob LanierBob Lanier David ThompsonDavid Thompson Elvin HayesElvin Hayes Calvin CalvinMurphy Murphy Dave CowensDave Cowens Wes UnseldWes Unseld Pete MaravichPete Maravich Earl MonroeEarl Monroe Walt FrazierWalt Frazier Rick BarryRick Barry 1980

Dave BingDave Bing Gail GoodrichGail Goodrich Wilt has the highest With 11 rings, Russell (190.5 HOF Rating) dominance factor (62.3) of Nate ThurmondNate Thurmond won the most titles of any player Bill BradleyBill Bradley John HavlicekJohn Havlicek any player in our Hall and is in our Hall. Defensive WS Mel DanielsMel Daniels ConnieConnie Hawkins Hawkins No. 2 in HOF Rating (309.6). YEAR OF L a st NBA S EA ON accounted for more than Billy CunninghamBilly Cunningham Lenny LennyWilkens Wilkens Zelmo ZelmoBeaty Beaty Chet WalkerChet Walker 81% of Russell’s career WS. Dave DeBusschereDave DeBusschere Walt BellamyWalt Bellamy Jerry WestJerry West Oscar OscarRobertson Robertson Willis ReedWillis Reed Jerry LucasJerry Lucas Wilt ChamberlainWilt Chamberlain Gus JohnsonGus Johnson Cliff HaganCliff HaganHal GreerHal Greer Elgin BaylorElgin Baylor

Bailey BaileyHowell Howell 1970

Bob CousyBob Cousy

Jones won the most titles (10) of any Bill RussellBill Russell SHOWING THE MATH K.C. JonesK.C. Jones Tom GolaTom Gola TommyTommy Heinsohn Heinsohn Sam JonesSam Jones player eliminated in the rebuilding of our Hall (93.2 HOF Rating). Jack TwymanJack Twyman A dominance factor of 0.9 did Bob PettitBob Pettit career DOMINANCE HALL OF Dubious distinction: little to help his cause. WIN FAME Inducted in 1987, SHARES FACTOR rating Houbregs has the lowest HOF Rating (minus-21.4) of Frank FrankRamsey Ramsey Clyde LovelletteClyde Lovellette Dolph SchayesDolph Schayes Career regular-season win shares (WS) are calculated any player currently Paul ArizinPaul Arizin enshrined in Springfield. Mikan would have been through a complex algorithm that factors offensive Bill SharmanBill Sharman the first to enter our Hall rating, defensive rating, individual possessions used by breaking the 100 HOF Slater SlaterMartin Martin Dick McGuireDick McGuire and faced, and team wins. 1960 Rating threshold in GeorgeGeorge Yardley Yardley 1952. He retired in 1956 Based on the notion that 10 win shares equates to with a 153.1 rating. a dominant season, we tallied the five highest WS Neil JohnstonNeil Johnston Ed MacauleyEd Macauley seasons in a player’s career; any amount above or Bob HoubregsBob Houbregs MauriceMaurice Stokes Stokes Andy PhillipAndy Phillip Arnie RisenArnie Risen Harry GallatinHarry Gallatin Vern MikkelsenVern Mikkelsen below 50 (10 WS x five seasons) is his dominance factor (DF). Adding that to or subtracting that from BobbyBobby Wanzer Wanzer his career WS yields our HOF Rating. (Michael Bob DaviesBob Davies GeorgeGeorge Mikan Mikan Jordan: 214 WS + 50.7 DF = 264.7 HOF Rating.) Jim PollardJim Pollard Retired players plotted during the year of their last active season; Joe FulksJoe Fulks all stats through Dec. 4. For the WS of any NBA player, consult Basketball-Reference.com. Al CerviAl Cervi HALL OF FAME CUTOFF LINE

BuddyBuddy Jeannette Jeannette 1950 0 0 50 50 100100 150150 200 200 250250 300300 350350

84 ESPN The Magazine 12/24/2012 FROM LEFT: Ed Johnson/AP IMAGES; Brian Drake/NBAE/Getty Images; Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images; Dick Raphael/NBAE/Getty infographic by CARL DETORRES HALL OF FAME RATING Images (2); Bettmann/CORBIS; Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images; Steve Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images; Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images; AP IMAGES; Stephen Dunn/Getty Images