Greg Popovich makes a curious case for the Basketball Hall of Fame, given he is the only active coach to be inducted while serving a coaching contract. This indeed is a unique achievement on its own, respecting the several accolades and accomplishments Popovich brought for the San Antonio Spurs. Noting this anomaly, Celtics legend Paul Pierce, in SHOWTIME Basketball’s podcast, tried to make a case for active players such as LeBron James to be inducted into the Hall of Fame before they retire from the game. This is quite surprising, given Pierce literally used to despise LBJ back in his early days. He had even confessed to spitting in LeBron James’ direction on the bench in 2004.
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Seems like Pierce has rescinded his beef with LeBron James, given he is now a staunch advocate for the King’s Hall of Fame status. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame which serves as one of the most complete libraries for preserving basketball history. Every year, the HOF ceremony takes place at Spring Field, inducting several players and coaches who were crucial in the development of basketball. Up until the 2022 class, 436 players and coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The class of 2023 will surely be a special one, given LeBron’s former Heat teammate Dwyane Wade and Coach Pop will be added to the list.
Paul Pierce wants active players such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
As Greg Popovich will become the only active coach as a Hall of Fame inductee, Paul Pierce also tries exploring the case of active players to be considered for the same. Paul P names several notable stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who deserve to have Hall of Fame status even before retiring from basketball. Here is a clip from the SHOWTIME Basketball podcast, where Paul Pierce justifies the same. Discussing with Rachel Nichols and T-Mac, Pierce said:
“They should start doing that with the players. You can put LeBron right there….You can add to it. You can put Kevin Durant, LeBron James and all of them guys in the Hall of Fame right now.”
This indeed makes sense, given Coach Pop is the only person to receive this honor before retiring from basketball. Popovich has won 5 NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs and was able to create a dynasty with the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and others. The case of active players such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant also makes sense, given their remarkable achievements in the field of basketball.
This is quite surprising coming from Pierce to include LeBron James in his Hall of Fame discussion. Back in 2004, when James entered the league as a rookie, Paul Pierce was rather frustrated with LeBron hyped up as the ‘Chosen One.’ What many call the ‘ultimate disrespect,’ Pierce admitted to spitting at Cavs Bench, directed toward LeBron James in 2004. Pierce and James would often face each other in Eastern Conference playoffs, where the Celtics legend would often defeat LeBron and the Cavs in their series.
However, seems like the beef between them have rescinded, given LBJ has achieved undisputed status as one of the greatest players. Once a rival, even Paul Pierce now agrees that LeBron James unequivocally deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Both Coach Pop and LeBron James deserve to be 1st ballot candidates for the Hall of Fame
Both Coach Popovich and LeBron James have made an incredible contribution to basketball, each in their respective fields. Coach Popovich is a 5-time NBA champion, leading the Spurs to glory since he assumed the position of head coach in 1996. He created a new dynasty in San Antonio, with the likes of players such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and David Robinson. Coach Pop is also a 3 time NBA Coach of the Year winner and a four-time All-Star Game head coach.
As a player, LeBron James has made remarkable contributions, just like Coach Popovich. James is the leading player in scoring points, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,652 career points. Besides this, he is also a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, and four-time regular season MVP. All of these stats, numbers, and figures make the case for LeBron James and Coach Pop much more credible to be inducted into the HOF during their active career.
