Worst NBA Hall of Famers

Mitch Richmond’s Hall of Fame induction was controversial. Bob Galbraith / AP Photo

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, is the ultimate destination for the game’s greatest talents. But it has come under heavy scrutiny over the years. And for good reason. It’s a hot mess.

The voting process is so secretive, exclusive and convoluted you need an advanced physics degree and top CIA clearance to understand it correctly. And the fact that the college basketball Hall of Fame and the professional basketball Hall of Fame aren’t completely separate entities (there actually is a College Basketball Hall of Fame run by the NCAA) is a head-scratcher.

More than anything, though, the standard by which NBA players enter the Hall of Fame is the most bothersome. Because it has no rhyme or reason. These NBA players should have their Hall of Fame credentials revoked.

30. Bernard King, Small Forward

Bernard King is one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history. Paul Benoit / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 4, 1956 (Brooklyn, New York)

Hall of Fame year: 1990

Career: 13 seasons (1977-1985, 1987-91, 1993)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (1977-79, 1993), Utah Jazz (1979-80), Golden State Warriors (1980-82), New York Knicks (1982-87), Washington Bullets (1987-91)

Career stats: 874 G, 22.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG

NBA titles: None

Bottom Line: Bernard King

Bernard King scored 19,655 points in his career. Susan Regan / AP Photo

This one really hurts to add to the list, but we’ve got to find some way to get our point across.

Bernard King is one of the greatest scoring talents in NBA history, but a devastating leg injury cost him the entire 1985-86 season, and he never really became the player he was before.

While he became a better passer as the years went on, his rebounding was horrendous.

29. Grant Hill, Small Forward

Grant Hill made it past the first round of the playoffs once in 19 seasons. Duane Burleson / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 5, 1972 (Dallas, Texas)

Hall of Fame year: 2018

Career: 19 seasons (1994-2013)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (1994-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-07), Phoenix Suns (2007-12), Los Angeles Clippers (2012-13)

Career stats: 1,026 G, 16.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG. 4.1 APG

NBA titles: None

Bottom Line: Grant Hill

Grant Hill played in 1,026 career games in the NBA. Gregory Smith / AP Photo

This is definitely a hard player to include here for the length of his career and his influence on the game, but it’s hard to get around the fact that Grant Hill’s career has a clear delineation.

For the first six seasons of his career, he was one of the NBA’s elite players. After a devastating ankle injury in 2000, he was a role player.

Injury aside, he made it past the first round of the playoffs just once in 19 seasons.