ESPN NBA reporter Shams Charania announced (via X) four new members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this past Tuesday. Those names included Amar’e Stoudemire, Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, and Doc Rivers. There was not much debate about Parker and Delle Donne, being that both women are WNBA champions and two-time MVPs.
The same cannot be said regarding Rivers and Stoudemire, as many immediately began pushing back at these selections. Questions about Rivers make the most sense, since he only had one All-Star selection as a player and one ring as a coach. Stoudemire did not win a title during his 14-year career, but that is true for many Hall of Fame players. With his individual stats and accomplishments, Stoudemire is deserving of this honor.
Stoudemire made an immediate impact in the league, taking home Rookie of the Year honors as a member of the Phoenix Suns. The man known as S.T.A.T. averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, while displaying the power and explosiveness that made him a top-ten pick. Stoudemire did not start immediately, but an injury to Tom Gugliotta freed up a spot early on. From there, Stoudemire held down the Suns’ starting power forward spot for eight seasons.
Between 2005 and 2011, Stoudemire earned six All-Star game and five All-NBA team selections. Over that time period, S.T.A.T. averaged nearly 24 points and nine rebounds, along with a block and a half. Those All-NBA selections may be the biggest determining factor, especially for players who were unable to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
There are only three retired NBA players with at least five All-NBA selections who are not in the Hall of Fame. One of them is former Suns point guard Kevin Johnson. The other two are Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, both of whom have only recently become eligible. Stoudemire hit that unofficial benchmark, and his numbers during that time were on par with the best players at his position.
If there are questions regarding the Hall of Fame selection of Stoudemire, then there are probably a few other members worthy of a discussion. Perhaps most notably, there is former Indiana Pacers shooting guard Reggie Miller. Over his 18-year career, Miller had five All-Star and three All-NBA selections, both of which are fewer than Stoudemire.
Miller was not a true factor in any other category either, as he averaged three rebounds and assists per game, and never made an All-Defense team. Miller was a bucket, for sure, but there was not much outside of that. If the one NBA Finals appearance and the choke sign game (in a series the Pacers lost) are removed, the conversation may be different.
Yes, Stoudemire was not known for his defense either, but he did at least provide eight or nine rebounds a game during his prime. That is more than enough to be considered a significant plus in a secondary area of the game.
Now, there is perhaps a larger conversation regarding whether HOF selections are easier in basketball than in other sports. Once again, there are probably a handful of Hall of Famers whose resumes do not blow you away. If you compare Stoudemire’s numbers and accomplishments to those of other members, though, this should not be as significant an argument as it has become.
Chris Webber, Yao Ming, Chris Mullin, and Grant Hill are other notable examples for a comparison with Stoudemire. All have a similar number of All-Star appearances, five or fewer All-NBA selections, and zero rings. In the case of Yao and Hill, they each have an All-Star honor with an asterisk, since they played in fewer than ten games during those seasons. Most would agree that the four players mentioned above are rightfully in the HOF. Since Stoudemire’s resume is similar, this Hall of Fame selection is also warranted.
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