Billy Holmes’25

Staff Writer

On April 6th, it was announced that thirteen individuals would have their names etched into basketball royalty forever as the 2024 NBA Hall of Fame Class was announced. When looking at this class, the main standouts in terms of popularity and recognition throughout the basketball world are Vince Carter, Chauncy Billups and Jerry West. All three men have had an undeniable impact on the basketball world and have shaped legacies which will last forever throughout the sport. 

Carter, who gained nicknames such as “Vinsanity” and “Half Man, Half Amazing” as a result of his astonishing dunking abilities, played an NBA record 22 seasons and was named an all star 8 consecutive times from 2000-2007. Carter also holds a plethora of other accomplishments, such as winning NBA rookie of the year in 1999, being a part of the United States’ gold medal teams at the Olympics in 2000, along with winning the NBA’s Teammate of the Year Award and the league’s Sportsmanship Award in 2016 and 2020, respectively. Fans lovingly remember his incredible performance at the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest, which many consider to be one of, if not the best individual performances in the history of the contest; along with his mesmerizing dunk on Frédéric Weis, a 7-2 Center for the French Olympic Team, during the 2000 Olympic games which many have nicknamed the “Dunk of Death.” Carter was selected by the Hall of Fame selection committee during his first year of eligibility. 

When reflecting on Chauncey Billups’ basketball playing career, it is safe to say that the 5 time all star left an undeniable legacy. After being drafted 3rd overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Billups bounced around the league as he played for four different teams during his first six years in the NBA. But, after arriving in Detroit during the 2002 offseason, Billups was able to find a secure home in the NBA. Throughout the 2003-2004 NBA season, Billups was one of the main factors in helping the Pistons win the NBA title. Although the 2004 Pistons are commonly referred to in today’s NBA discussions as being one of if not the last teams to win an NBA title without a true, bonafide superstar on their roster, Billups’ averages of 21 points and 5 assists against the Shaquielle O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led Lakers earned him the 2004 NBA Finals MVP. After the championship season, Billups continued to have an extremely successful professional career as he averaged 10 or more points for another 10 seasons following his championship with the Pistons. 

When factoring in all of his accomplishments as a player and executive, there is a case to be made that nobody has had a more successful, long standing career in professional basketball than Jerry West. After being enshrined into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1980 for his immaculate playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, which included 10 All NBA First Team selections, an NBA Championship in 1972, and the honor of being the first and only NBA player to ever win the NBA Finals MVP while playing for the losing team, Jerry West began his career as an executive. He started off his executive career with the Lakers as a scout in 1979 before transitioning to the role of general manager for the team in 1982. During his tenure with the Lakers as an executive, West played a major role in creating some of the most highly skilled NBA teams of all time, including the “Showtime” Lakers led by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, and the 2000-2002 Lakers led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. After a five year stint as the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies, West took some time away from the NBA before joining the Warriors front office in an executive role, winning two more NBA titles. In 2017, West left the Warriors to join the Los Angeles Clippers as an executive consultant, a position he still currently holds. With his 8 NBA Championships as an executive, Jerry West possesses easily one of the greatest resumes as an executive in the history of professional basketball. 

Featured image courtesy of Yahoo Sports.