NBA: 50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /

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Ron Boone #24 (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 47. Ron Boone

This will be the first entry of multiple ABA legends who are currently outside of the Hall of Fame. Considering it is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and not an NBA-specific Hall, ABA success is beyond relevant.

One of the great players who thrived outside of the NBA, but isn’t currently in the Hall of Fame, is eight-year ABA veteran Ron Boone.

Amongst who aren’t currently in the Hall of Fame, Boone received the third-most votes for the ABA All-Time Team. He even received more votes than several players who are in the Hall of Fame, and received just one less than 1986 inductee Billy Cunningham.

The primary reason for the votes he received was that Boone scored at about as prolific a level as anyone in ABA history.

Boone finished his ABA career with 12,153 points, which ranks third in the league’s history. The more compelling context is that every other player in the top five—Louie Dampier, Dan Issel, Mel Daniels, and Julius Erving—has been enshrined in Springfield.

Boone also proved he could thrive in the NBA by averaging 22.2 points and 4.1 assists per contest during his first season in the Association.

Boone made the All-ABA First Team in 1974 and the All-ABA Second Team in 1975. He was a four-time ABA All-Star. Most important of all, however, is that he helped the Utah Stars win the ABA Championship in 1971.

It was one of two ABA Finals appearances for Boone, whose scoring ability and value to winning makes for an interesting case study in Hall of Fame omissions.