50 Greatest NBA/ABA Players Not In the Hall Of Fame
By Phil Watson
Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. BernsteinNBAE via Getty Images)
Mark Eaton was the definition of a late bloomer, going from a 25-year-old fourth-round draft pick in 1982 to one of the most dominant inside defensive forces in NBA history.
Eaton’s defense was a big component to the Utah Jazz’s rise to prominence in the 1980s as he allowed Utah to take chances on the perimeter, with the Jazz knowing Eaton was there to protect the rim.
He led the NBA in blocked shots four times, including an NBA-record 5.6 per game in 1984-85, and he is the NBA’s all-time leader with a career average of 3.5 blocks a game.
Eaton was a five-time All-Defensive pick and was Defensive Player of the Year in both 1984-85 and 1988-89.
He was forced to retire after the 1993-94 season, which he sat out with a bad back, but is still fourth on the all-time list with 3,064 blocks despite playing only 11 seasons.
Eaton was not an offensive player, averaging 6.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game over 875 career appearances, shooting 45.8 percent overall.
But he was a defensive force … enough of one that Hall of Fame consideration is in order.