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Standing 6’1” tall, out of Spokane, Washington, there isn’t an argument anywhere that claims John Houston Stockton is anything but a first ballot Hall of Famer. As such, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend, along with David Robinson and Michael Jordan. Which got me thinking, will John Stockton be the last short, white, American-born, Basketball Hall of Famer ever? Ummm…yeah, looks that way.
In seeking to investigate this theory, we compiled two lists:
1. A list of the best American born whiteboys currently retired and not in the HOF.
2. A list of the active whiteboy ballers that fit this description.
The criteria used were pretty straightforward, but I’ll explain anyways: These lists includes players who are white, born in the United States, not already inducted into the Hall of Fame, and stand 6’6” tall or shorter.
These lists do not then include Steve Nash (6’3”) from Canada, Manu Ginobili (6’6”) from Argentina, or Ricky Rubio (6’3”) from Spain. It also does not include players like Chris Mullin (6’7”) - who is not in the HOF yet for some reason – because, while he is white, and was born in the US, he is not short. Lastly, it does not include some obscure guy from the 50s who hasn’t gotten into the HOF yet, but somehow ends up on the ballot in 2012...you pretty much had to be in the league at some point during the careers of the most recent HOF inductees. The lists are as follows:
Best Short, White, American Born, Basketball Players, Not in the HOF (Retired):
1. Mark Price (6’0”): A 4-time All Star, and one of the best pure shooters of all-time, he is probably the most under-rated player in NBA History. If he didn’t play at the same time as Isiah Thomas, he would probably get the credit he deserves for popularizing the role of the shoot first PG – which every NBA team now employs. But he did play with Isiah, and lost to Jordan, and now everybody forgets about him. Has no real chance at the HOF.
2. Dan Majerle (6’6”): Drafted 14th overall in 1988, ‘Thunder Dan’ was a 3-time All Star in a career in which he played for the Suns, Cavaliers, and Heat. Bronze medal winner in the ’88 Olympics, he averaged 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game over his 14-year career.
3. Rex Chapman (6’4”): 12-year NBA vet and one of only (5) white-boys to ever participate in the Slam Dunk Contest. Chapman averaged 14.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game for his NBA career. Drafted 8th overall by the Hornets in 1988, he also played for the Bullets, Heat, and Suns while battling injuries throughout his pro career.
Honorable Mention:
* Jeff Hornacek (6’4”) – 1-time NBA All Star, 1-time 3-point shootout winner.
* Scott Skiles (6’2”) – Had 30 Assists in a Game (12-30-90), Most Improved Player Award (’90).
* Danny Ainge (6’4”) – 1-time NBA All Star, made 1,002 (3)-pointers for his career, averaged 11.5 ppg.
* John Paxson (6’2”) – 3x NBA Champ, tallied 5,560 points and 2,758 assists for his career, middle name is MacBeth
* Bobby Sura (6’5”) – Averaged 8.6 ppg for 13-year career, career high of 13.8 ppg in 1999-00
* Steve Kerr (6’3”) – All-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage, 5 x NBA champ
* Tim Legler (6’4”) – 12-year career, 4th all-time in 3-point field goal percentage, led league in ’95.
* Craig Ehlo (6’6”) – Played 14 years in NBA, scored 7,492 points, and was kicked in the head by Jordan in a playoff game
* Jon Barry (6’5”) – a noted LeBron hater, I respected him as a player...not as an analyst
Best Short, White, American Born, Basketball Players – Active:
1. Kirk Hinrich (6’3”): An NBA All-Rookie first teamer in 2003-04, and an NBA All-Defensive Second teamer in 2007, he currently carries the torch for the short white-boys in today’s NBA. He has a career average of 13.9 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game over his 6-year career.
2. Jason Williams (6’1”): One of the most exciting players in the NBA when he first broke into the league with the Kings, he toned down the act considerably as his career went on. An All Rookie Team selection in 1998-99, he won an NBA title as the starting PG for the Heat in 2006. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.5 assists for a career,that after retiring last season, has once again resumed.
3. Steve Blake (6’3”): A journeyman at this point in his career, but he always seems to be in and around the starting line-up regardless of the uniform he wears. He has averaged 7.6 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game over his 6-year career.
Other Short White Guys In and Around the NBA Currently:
* Chris Quinn (6'2")
* Luke Ridnour (6’2”)
* Matt Carroll (6’6”)
* Adam Haluska (6’5”)
* Casey Jacobsen (6’6”)
* JJ Reddick (6’4”)
If John Stockton’s not the last short, white, American-born basketball player who will ever be inducted in the HOF, I think it is fair to say that he will be the last one for at least about 20 years. Let me know if I missed anybody though. Specifically, is Teddy Dupay playing anywhere? Oh and by the way, if Bobby Hurley doesn’t get into that car accident, he’d of followed Stockton into the Hall...that’s not a joke…I’m serious about that.
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