The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine a new class of legends in Springfield, Massachusetts, this summer. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week, Inside the most clandestine hall of fame voting process in all of sports, Star-studded Hall of Fame finalists announced, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The career-long combination of scoring, shooting and playmaking helped Mullin secure a top-75 mark inBPM and wins over replacement player. Ahead, we set out to identify the best player at each position who has been rejected by the Baseball Hall of Fame voting system. In 1994, while he didnt have the greatest finals series, he won his first championship. Since neither has ever formally appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot, they have never been officially rejected by the voters and are therefore ineligible for this list, as well. Data Provided By Made Him One", "Kenny Smith Says His Rockets Team Would've Beaten '94 Bulls with Michael Jordan", "Kenny Smith walks off 'NBA on TNT' set in solidarity with player strike", "TNT Announces 'Inside the NBA' Crew's Future Amid Charles Barkley Contract", "Daddy's Little Girl: Kenny Smith and Daughter Kayla Brianna Look to Rock Music Industry", "Awesome Basket Player Kenny Smith: Once Divorced, Now Happy With Wife Gwendolyn and Kids", "TBS's 'Meet the Smiths' gives NBA analyst Kenny Smith the spotlight", 'Gwendolyn Osborne, a Barker beauty on the Price is Right, wed former NBA Star Kenny "the Jet" Smith. He was a World Series winner in 1977 and 1978, and his 68.0 career WAR ranks 10th all-time among third basemen. After two and a half seasons, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, but a half year later, in 1990, he ended up in Houston. Smith's 7 three pointers in the first game of the 1995 NBA Finals was an NBA record at the time. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Even with the unfortunate absences, he has a heck of a case. A five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winner, Lou Whitaker spent his entire 19-year career with the Detroit Tigers, helping lead the club to a World Series title in 1984. Height: 6-3 (191cm) Weight: 170 . In fact, only Barry Bonds (162.8) and turn-of-the-century shortstop Bill Dahlen (75.3) have a higher career WAR total among eligible players not currently enshrined. He played for North Carolina in college and was known for his great assists, especially for the college level. High-profile candidates Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling will each have one more try before they reach the 10-year limit and fall off the ballot, at which time they would join a long list of former stars who have been passed over for the sport's ultimate honor. The five inductees in the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame's 2023 class have impacted the sport from the top professional levels to the junior game. His true shooting percentage over that stretch was 7.3 points better than the league average. He's 78th in blocks and 32nd in BPM. There were basically two notable phases of Mullin's career. McGrady's 9.8 offensive BPM that season, when he averaged32.1 points, 5.5 assists and 2.3 threes, is the second-highestsingle-season mark on record. Learn more and register. He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. A distinguished group of attorneys who have consistently earned high rankings from their peers in the annual Legal Elite voting. He was a model of consistency during the '70s, spending three years in Cleveland before joining the New York Yankees and posting a 114 OPS+ while averaging 23 home runs, 76 RBI and 4.0 WAR in 140 games over the course of his 11 years in pinstripes. Baseball Champions 1965. Smith then signed with the Denver Nuggets, where he would finish his career as a player. Kenny Before those difficulties arrived,Hill averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists. KENNY "BANG BANG" BOGNER PEE WEE BONITO DAVE BONTEMPO MIKE BORAO JOE BORRELL JOHNNY BOS . Besides Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines and Ichiro Suzuki, it's hard to think of a player who better fit the mold of the prototypical leadoff hitter than Kenny Lofton. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. It's not always about a player's final counting numbers when it comes to Hall of Fame candidacy. Rogers's first professional group was a late-1950s vocal act called the Scholars, which had local hits in Houston. . Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:34AM. Here, he shined as he was paired with Hakeem Olajuwon. "The reality is, I wouldnt win those two championships without Pau," Kobe said at the Oscars in 2018. The Hall of Fame boasts members from all genres of music who have reached the pinnacle of their craft. Find out more. Read more: Rob Thomson says opposing managers calls CBP "four hours of hell" >> Brian Kenny also praised Chase Utley at the end of this video, who will find his name on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2024. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks defeat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. Take a look back at every induction class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. [41] They married on September 8, 2006. His underrated career spanned three decades. When was Kenny Smith born? The Country Music Hall of Fame had a "catch-up" year in 2001, in which they had 12 honorees (rather than the usual three). 2004 All Star East Kenny Smith. Born: Mar 8, 1965 (57 years old) Birthplace/Hometown: Queens, New York. From 1971-72 to 1978-79, Lanier averaged 23.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals. "His dad is very well renowned as a Hall of Fame coach, and growing up in that setting impressed a lot on Kenny. High School, Class: St. Katherine Drexel, D. Turner's "Inside The NBA" crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal were announced as the first winners in the Transformative Media category. so says Kenny Smith. Jones said, per, . The new summer date reflects an effort for enshrinement weekend to be more accessible to fans and guests -- a change of date from recent celebrations that were held the week after Labor Day. In the game of basketball, defense will never be as glamorous as offense. UNCASVILLE, Conn. Mike Breen remembers the way he was taught the game of basketball, and quickly learned that it is best when the five players on the floor work as one. NBA 75th Anniversary Team on Thursday, rounding out the top 76 chosen by a panel of voters that included current and former players, coaches, executives and media members. "My life was set," he said. "He never seemed to step onto the court with a fully fleshed-out plan, or to have decided on a movewhether to shoot, to dribble, or to zing some oddball pass, fishy with Englishuntil he was already partway through the motion that made it possible.". SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Ault did three separate stints as Nevada's coach from . 'CYCLONE CY' SMITH CHARLES 'PETEY' SMITH KEVIN SMITH SGT. His peak is every bit as impressive, though. Published Jan. 30, 2014 5:00 p.m. EST. He played nine seasons in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings (1987-90), Atlanta Hawks (1990), Houston Rockets (1990-96), Detroit Pistons (1996), Orlando Magic (1996-97) and Denver Nuggets . Crime Dog ranks in the top 50 all-time in home runs (493, 28th) and RBI (1,550, 47th), and he was a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner at a time when the first base position was absolutely loaded. Born in Queens, New York City, Mr. Kenny The Jet Smith is a long-time member of TNTs Inside the NBA studio show. He also works as an analyst for CBS/Turner during the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Kenny Smith was born in Queens, New York. Kenny Lofton is still on the outside looking in. Hill is68th in career BPM,and there are only five players in NBA history who match or exceed all of his career marks in assist percentage, rebounding percentage, steal percentage and true shooting percentage: Larry Bird, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Nikola Jokic and Ben Simmons. His longevity made him one of just 16 pitchers to pitch in 1,000 career games, and his 1,119 appearances actually rank third behind Jesse Orosco (1,252) and Mike Stanton (1,178). Smith averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 assists while playing just under twenty minutes per game. His well-rounded, two-way game led to plenty of wins too. Kenny Smith returns for his second season as an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman, working with the Wildcats' infielders. Hall of Fame CF average career: 67.1 Lofton's career: 64.9 Hall of Fame CF average peak: 42.5 Lofton's peak: 42.0 Hall of Fame CF average JAWS: 54.8 Lofton's JAWS: 53.5. Hell to the fucking no. the way he overhyped Blake Griffin's over-the-hood dunk in the slam dunk contest, Kenny won't make it to HOF. Sacramento Kings, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1987 NBA Draft, More Kenny Smith pages at Sports Reference. "He was probably more difficult to guard (than the traditional post-up centers)," former teammateJim Washington told NBA.com's Kevin Chouinard. Honorable Mentions: Bill Freehan, Jason Kendall, Lance Parrish, Jorge Posada. As previously mentioned, Mutombo is tied with Ben Wallace for the most Defensive Player of the Year nods in NBA history with four. Smith is also the founder of the Jet Academy, the virtual live basketball camp for children of all ages. There are statistical, cultural and other arguments for dozens whose names weren't called. Paul Kennedy/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images. When was Kenny Smith born? He never won a title and only . Like many of the Hall of Fame inductees, Dave enjoyed a variety of interests and was a man of many talents. Trades and free agency afforded different, winding journeys for Springfield's latest group of basketball legends. Over a 10-year peak that lasted from 1979-80 to 1988-89, Dantley averaged 25.7 points per 75 possessions with a blistering 62.5 true shooting percentage. Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [1] The Rockets finished fifth in the NBA Western Conference with a 4834 record, upsetting the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round before being swept in the second round by eventual Finals runner-up Seattle SuperSonics. He never won a title and only made four All-Star teams, but his production over the first five years of his career was absurd. Shaquille O'Neal is starting to crack. Full Name: Kenneth Smith. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. If Kenny continues for 10 years, maybe. He won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1970 and made seven All-Star appearances over 10 full seasons in the majors, taking home the AL MVP Award in 1976 when he hit .302/.337/.432 with 17 home runs and 105 RBI for a World Series-bound Yankees team. Some people don't like him but I absolutely love him as part of the TNT crew. Smith works with the hitters and focused. [15] He helped the Rockets to a 5230 record, the best regular season in franchise history at the time. Ginobili was sort of the Will to Duncan and Gregg Popovich's Carlton and Philip Banks. While he lacks a complete body of work as a result of his career being cut short, his 3.2 WAR per 100 games played compares favorably with all-time great Johnny Bench(3.5), and that speaks volumes to the impact he made. The southpaw broke into the league with the Cincinnati Reds in 1984 at age 23, and he was still pitching in 2005 for the Houston Astros at age 44. Smith helped to force a game seven against Seattle by scoring 30 points, shooting 46 from three-point range, in a Game 6 victory for Houston. March 8, Javascript is required for the selection of a player. I love how he balances out Chuck's crazy claims with intelligent analysis. Smith averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 assists per game, and the Tar Heels lost to Indiana in the regional semifinals of the 1984 NCAA tournament. A complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. Instead, we'll zero in on what is surely the biggest conversation in the wake of this reveal. North Carolina never finished lower than 8th in the national polls during Smith's four years at the school. Take that away, and it's pretty difficult to justify the reigning MVP's absence. Afirst look at the list of eligible nominees was provided byNBA Today on ESPN,hosted by Malika Andrews, Richard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike andZach Lowe. 12 on that list was left-hander John Franco. He won two scoring titles, averaged over 30 in each of four straight seasons from 1980-81 to 1983-84 and his 24.3 points per game for his career ranks 18th in NBA history. The following 12 (presented in alphabetical order by last name) have some of the strongest such arguments. mold of the prototypical leadoff hitter than Kenny Lofton. The NBA revealed the final 26 names for itsNBA 75th Anniversary Team on Thursday, rounding out the top 76 chosen by a panel of voters that included current and former players, coaches, executives and media members. It was much more difficult to guard a guy like that. Over the last 10 seasons of his career, Carter's raw numbers understandably tailed off, but his teams were still better with his veteran presence on the floor. Smith attended several of his lectures while in high school, and continued to use Lewis's drills throughout his basketball career, to this day teaching them at his own basketball camps. Smith played well in the NBA, but he really built his following and celebrity through hard work and audacity. Kenny Smith is 41 years old. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 6'2 215 lbs. SPRINGFIELD, MA - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . The Hall of Fame's Contemporary Era Committee votes on Albert Belle's induction chances on Sunday. Aside from his offensive production, he was also a three-time Gold Glove winner who threw out 44 percent of base-stealers over the course of his career. In addition to his role on Inside the NBA, Smith also makes regular appearances on NBA TV and serves as analyst for Turner Sports and CBS Sports combined coverage of the NCAA March Madness Division I Mens Basketball Championship since 2011. The draft report was that the 63, 175 lb Smith handled the ball well and was able to get it to the open man. Will Kenny Smith make the HoF? TNT's 'Inside the N.B.A.' "From the beginning of his tenure with the Spurs, Ginobili was different," Vinson Cunningham wrote for theNew Yorker. Whether he was facing starters or reserves, his slashing, passing, three-point shooting and opportunistic defense made him one of the most impactful players of his era. The Kings werent a great team though, with a record of 24-58, giving the rookie a record 35 minutes of court time per game. Do you have a blog? Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. Obviously his playing career alone won't help him . And throughout his career, Mutombo was one of the most impactful presences in the game, despite averaging just 9.8 points. With the amount of talent that has made it to basketball's highest level, this list could probably stretch to 76 names too. Baseball Champions 1962. His in-game finishing wasn't far behind what he did on that either. Lofton comes in just under the bar. Others dont become famous until after they retire, and not always for the thing they got their start in. Dantley may not have had the same kind of wide-ranging statistical contributions as some of those who made the top 75, but the majority of them can't match Dantley's resume as a scorer. [34], On the August 26, 2020 edition of Inside the NBA, Smith left the set as a show of solidarity with the six teams that elected to boycott the day's games in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Orel Hershiser was undoubtedly one of the game's elite pitchers in his prime, rattling off a five-year peak that included a 2.69 ERA and 132 ERA+ while he averaged 252 innings per year from 1985 through 1989. Of course, Smith holds his own as a do-say-wear what he wants type of guy. Explore HOF Explore Hall of Fame Members. Prior to joining Crystal, Kenny held roles . Honorable Mentions: Bobby Grich, Willie Randolph. [8][9] He led North Carolina to the Elite Eight in 1985, losing to eventual national champion Villanova. Growing up in public housing in Houston, he was exposed to R&B, pop, and jazz in addition to country. On Friday, March 24, the Hall of Fame will host the 2023 All-Star event on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams at the Hall of Fame. As a member of the Chicago Packers, Chicago Zephyrs, Baltimore Bullets and New York Knicks in that time, Bellamy averaged 26.8 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. From 2007-08 to 2011-12, Howard averaged 20.6 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Every player named to the top 50 ahead of the league's 50th anniversary reprised a spot. How many Stanley Cups has Kenny Smith won? For his career, Howard is 59th in career points, 11th in rebounds, 13th in blocks, 25th in true shooting percentage and 61st in wins over replacement player. home/away, monthly, etc More Kenny Smith Basketball Reference pages. The Hall of Fame also awarded the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement award to Tim Nugent, the founder of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and a lifelong advocate for accessibility and . Nationality: United States. SPRINGFIELD, MA The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2022, including numerous high-profile first-time nominees includingManu Ginobili,Tom ChambersandLindsey Whalen, as well as candidates who have previously been on the ballot inChauncey BillupsandSwin Cash. Breen the longtime voice of the New York Knicks as well as the NBA on ESPN and ABC was one of the honorees Friday night by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, one of the Curt . 2020 is the year to correct that. He was named an All-Star in seven of those eight campaigns. (2:45). Individuals are inducted annually at a banquet in Louisville and receive a bronze plaque inside Louisville's Freedom Hall. High School Coach: Werner Blakely. The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame is a sports hall of fame for the U.S. state of Kentucky established in 1963. Smith began his NBA career playing for Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who was head coach for Kings until he was fired 58 games into the '87-88 season. Ginobili introduced some necessary chaos into the mix. He was a dynamic catalyst atop some loaded Cleveland lineups in his prime, and he became a hired gun for a number of playoff-bound teams later in his career. [1], After the 198990 season, Smith was traded to the Houston Rockets where he would spend the next six seasons. Over eight seasons from 2000-01 to 2007-08, McGrady averaged 26.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.7 threes and 1.4 steals. December 21, 2021 12:31 PM. AllstatscourtesyofBasketballReference. Since 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) has honored Music City's top tunesmiths - some of the greatest writers ever to pick a guitar, play a piano or put pencil to paper in search of the perfect song. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. [2], Smith was born in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City[a] and later grew up in Queens,[3] spending time in the LeFrak City neighborhood. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. A post shared by thejetontnt (@kennysmith) on Feb 16, 2020 at 1:40pm PST. Baseball historian Bill James published a list of his top 100 relievers of all time in 2017, and the top 10 is made up of six players who are currently enshrined, three players who are not yet eligible and Wagner. Discovery Sports to continue as a host on Inside the NBA. Barkleys career averages were 22.1 points, 3.9 assists, and 11.7 rebounds. In 199091 Smith averaged 17.7 points per game while leading the Rockets in assists per game (7.1) and free throw percentage (.844). The Enshrinement ceremony will takeplace in Springfield, Mass., September 9-10, 2022. As Smith has described, Barkley brings the flashlight, but Smith is the floodlight. - The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the team rosters for the 2023 Western Massachusetts Senior High School All-Star Games. If instead of the mean, you look at the median, the . View Bio. Points per game grabs much more attention than numbers like rebounds, blocks, steals and defensive-rating swing. He hit .357/.378/.496 in 135 postseason plate appearances and won back-to-back titles in 1977 and 1978. Tickets for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Enshrinement ceremony and variousevents surrounding the ceremony will be on-sale at a later date. View Bio. Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, and the late Roy Halladay were voted in over the winter while Lee Smith and Harold Baines were . What's more, much of what happens on defense isn't specifically measured anywhere. You get in to the Hall for one category. He was a ball-dominant point forward who did most of his damage inside the arc. We know that. Kenny Chesney: First . Smith began his NBA career playing for Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who was head coach for Kings until he was fired 58 games into the '87-88 season. As the NBA on TNT crew sent the production to a commercial break right after the final name (Russell Westbrook) was revealed, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith yelled, "Shout out to Chris Mullin!". Right, Born: "[7], Kenny Smith joined junior Michael Jordan and senior Sam Perkins on a North Carolina team that was a pre-season #1 and finished the season ranked #1 with a 283 record. Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and the late "Cowboy" Jack Clement-- three men whose influence still ripples across the surface of modern music -- are now members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.. He wasn't on Inside the NBA and he's not at the Hall of Fame Ceremony. His career today is only relevant due to Hakeem's dominance leading the Rockets to a back-to-back championship which results to him being a 2x NBA champion, while Chuck Barkley has never won. Some sports stars become famous over time. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Ernie and Sager will get in for sure. RAY SMITH WILLIE SMITH STEVE SMOGER . Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. . Honorable Mentions: Kevin Brown, David Cone, Jim Kaat, Mickey Lolich, Billy Pierce, Rick Reuschel, Dave Stieb, Luis Tiant, Currently on Ballot: Mark Buehrle, Roger Clemens, Tim Hudson, Andy Pettitte, Curt Schilling. The 2023 season will be the last in which the playoff has a four-team format. Kenny Lofton is a 17-year major leaguer whose time on the Hall of Fame ballot lasted only one year. The Hall of Fame. He had the best influence in terms of my workout regimen without question. In fact, he could be considered the model for such a transformation. Kenny Smith currently works for the Turner Network Television (TNT) as a professional TV analyst. Enshrinement weekend will begin at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on Friday, Aug. 11, with the tip-off celebration and awards gala, inclusive of the Class of 2023 jacket and ring presentation and the annual Hall of Fame Awards. Kenny Smith was born in Queens, New York. He was an excellent cook who hosted gourmet wild game cookouts during the shoots. Kenny Smith is not in the Hall of Fame. Do you have a sports website? The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine a new class of legends in Springfield, Massachusetts, this summer. [36], Kenny Smith played Leon Rich in the movie Hustle (2022), starring Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangmez. As a basketball fan, youll probably recognize the names Shaq or Barkley before youll recognize Smith. For context's sake, that plus-8.7 relative true shooting percentage (the player's mark minus the average) tops Stephen Curry's career mark of 7.9. He spent ten years in Cleveland, from 1992-2001, and finished out his career in 2007 with the . While he never won a championship, he is in the Hall of Fame, and also makes more than Smith, although only $40 million total. That has only been accomplished at the shortstop position by Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr, Ozzie Smith, and Omar Vizquel. Here, you might have found an equal, since Smith won championships and had more assists. They may need to have another catch-up year. What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that Dantley stands 6'5" and did the overwhelming majority of his damage inside the three-point line. He had his best year with an average of 17.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game. In a much slower-paced era, Hill was sort of the precursor to LeBron; a point forward who could finish above the rim, score from the mid-range, find open teammates and defend multiple positions. Scott Rolen belongs in the Hall of Fame, and with another nice bump of support in 2021, he appears to be well on his way to getting there before his time on the ballot comes to an end. [20][21], Smith had been gradually losing playing time to Sam Cassell,[22] but he continued to be the Rockets' starting point guard through the 199596 season. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, They said it! He didnt like losing since he hadnt done much of that in his life. A nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, he also took home a pair of Silver Slugger Awards and tallied 2,326 hits and a .267 career batting average at a time when shortstop was still a defensive-focused position. So, after being released by the Cincinnati Reds, 40-year-old Ken Griffey Sr. suddenly found himself playing alongside his 20-year-old son. Defensive Back. ABC Studios. Cleveland great Kenny Lofton only last one year on the Hall of Fame ballot before falling off, but here is why he deserves another shot at Cooperstown. Appropriately nicknamed Kenny Hustle, Williams . [30] Smith works with Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal on Inside the NBA, a winner of the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show. [24][25], The Rockets released Smith after the 199596 season, and he signed with the Detroit Pistons. Kenny Smith has never won a Stanley Cup as a player. [43] Gwendolyn Osborne filed for divorce in 2018. He finished 15th on the all-time list with 622 steals, but he was more than just a speedster, showcasing elite on-base skills with a .372 career on-base percentage and playing a terrific center field on his way to four Gold Glove Awards. Edit: Although the few that have made the HoF as broadcasters, are incredibly revered which is why I doubt Smith has much of a chance. He played from an early age, and by 1983 he was a McDonalds All American and one of the best high school players around. Known as the "Forgotten Four," Marion Motley, Woody Strode, Kenny Washington and Bill Willis reintegrated pro football in 1946, and have now been selected to share the Pro Football Hall of Fame's . In terms of players who were rejected by the voters, there are a number of standouts from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s who are worthy of another look, and Graig Nettles sits atop that list. Smith scored 23 points to lead the US to an 8785 win and the Gold Medal over a Soviet Union team that featured Arvydas Sabonis.