It has been five years since former Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion retired, which makes him eligible for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And according to Marion, there shouldn’t be any doubt whether he deserves the nod.
In a recent chat with The Athletic’s Michael Lee, Marion said that he believes he “should be a shoo-in” but is also aware of the “political” side of Hall of Fame selection process.
“I think the legacy I left for the game is there. But who is it to decide? Who is making the decisions? What do they base it off of? If you look at all the numbers, to me, I should be a shoo-in. Should I not?” said Marion. “What am I supposed to do? What am I not supposed to do? It’s out of my control. I know it’s a political thing. It’s a lot more other stuff going on. But certain things, you earn that. I earned that.”
Shawn Marion spent 16 seasons in the NBA, playing with Suns, Mavs, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers among other teams. Marion was NBA champion in 2011 with Dallas, while earning four All-Star selections and two All-NBA Third Team honors. This doesn’t exactly scream Hall of Fame, right? Well, there is more than meets the eye with Marion.
While he wasn’t a flashy guy, Marion was lauded for his versatility on the court. He was doing a bit of everything and is the only player in NBA history to have 17,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 1,000 blocks and 500 three-pointers over the course of his career. He also has the biggest win share (124.9) among all players who are eligible for Hall of Fame, but are not yet selected.
Because of all this, we would bet that Marion will be a Hall of Famer one day after all.
