On the Brink: Predicting the fates of 16 borderline NBA Hall of Famers
By Cal Durrett
3) Antawn Jamison
Former NBA player Antawn Jamison has yet to make it into the Hall of Fame, despite having a surprisingly strong career. He not only scored more than 20,000 points but won Sixth Man of the Year and made two all-star teams. Normally, that would be more than enough for a player to cut but he largely seems to have been ignored.
If Jameson doesn't make the Hall of Fame, he would be one of only two non-active players to score at least 20,000 points and not be inducted. Admittedly, his case is different from most, with him being a consistently strong scorer but making just two NBA all-star teams.
Some of that was due to him playing his best years with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference and having tough competition to make the All-Star team. He was later acquired by the Dallas Mavericks and won Six Man of the Year and his only season there.
He later joined the Washington Wizards, where he was paired with fellow All-Stars Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas to form a big three. That helped him make another All-Star team but he largely flew under the radar over his 16-year career.
With 55 players in NBA history having scored at least 20,000 points, it seems odd that he and Tom Chambers would be the only players to do so and not make it in. Based on precedent, Jameson should be a Hall of Famer, although his case beyond that is flimsy.