Written by Ben Pogany
Perhaps more than any other professional sport, the NBA is a league that revolves around its stars. It's also a league in which stardom can be acheived from the moment of inception. There's no double or triple A to ascend, no learning the system. One need look no further than the season's of Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose to see how brighly young stars can shine in the National Basketball Association. But that's not to say that they've quite earned their place among the greats of the game just yet. To be sure, there are stars, and then there are supernovas. Let's take a look at the NBA's current Hall of Fame hopefuls, and who has some left to prove.
Locks:
Kobe Bryant--Could very well end up the greatest shooting guard ever. "No means No" has amassed five championships, 13 All-Star appearances, one league MVP, and could make a very compellling case when its all said and done for greatest Laker ever.
LeBron James--I'm just continually astounded and appalled at how good King James is, and he's only getting better. There are certainly a lot of haters out there, but lest we forget it took Jordan seven years to reach the promised land, and he entered the league at 21.
Kevin Garnett--Best power forward of this generation. This 14-time All-Star is the only player to ever average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for 9 consecutive seasons.
Shaquille O'Neal--Four rings, 15 All-Star games, and arguably the most dominant player since Wilt Chamberlain.
Allen Iverson--At barely 6 feet, he's still led the league in scoring four times. And no, I'm not just talkin bout practice.
Jason Kidd--The 10-time All-Star is a triple-double machine and the only player in NBA history to record at least 15,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists in his career.
Steve Nash--2-time MVP and arguably the best assist man since John Stockton.
Tim Duncan--Boring as he may be, the guy knows how to win. The 13-time All-Star has won four championships, three in which he served as a finals MVP, and will likely go down as the greatest power forward to ever play the game.
Dirk Nowitzki--The greatest European-born player ever? The German Wunderkind is an 9-time All-Star and Mark Cuban's franchise man.
Ray Allen--The most 3-pointers in NBA history and arguably the greatest acting performance among his colleagues for 'He Got Game' (discounting Shaq in Kazaam of course)
Paul Pierce--9-time All-Star, 1-time stab victim, and the heart and soul of the C's for more than a decade.
Fringe:
Vince Carter
Yao Ming
Grant Hill
Tony Parker
Tracy McGrady
Manu Ginobili
On Pace:
Dwyane Wade
Kevin Durant
Dwight Howard
Derrick Rose
Amare Stoudemire
Chris Paul
Carmelo Anthony
Pau Gasol
On the Waiting List:
Reggie Miller
Gary Payton
Chris Mullen
Kevin Johnson
Bernard King
Jo Jo White
Chris Webber
Anfernee Hardaway
Alonzo Mourning
Mitch Richmond
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