NBA: The 25 least deserving Hall of Famers of all-time: 4. Chuck Cooper
Stats: 6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg
We get the historical significance and importance of Chuck Cooper. He broke through what felt like an impenetrable barrier in 1950, becoming the first African American drafted in the NBA. Cooper should be glorified and recognized forever but in terms of the former small forward deserving a spot in Canton, we find that impossible.
Cooper’s game was nothing to write home about. With only six total seasons spent in the association, he ended his career with averages of 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. Efficiency was never his friend, as he shot just 33.9% from the field. Even if we gave Cooper preferential treatment and extrapolated and focused on only his best season, we still don’t have very strong ground for making him a Hall of Famer.
After officially making the league in 1950, Cooper averaged a career-high 9.3 points per game to go along with 8.5 boards. Decent numbers? We suppose. But Hall of Fame bound? Absolutely not,
When it comes down to it, Cooper was given a ceremonial spot amongst the all-time greats. And while he symbolizes something much bigger than the game of basketball, standing objectively here, he didn’t earn his spot.