This class doesn't compare to 2025's legends
The Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday that Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, Brandon Roy, and Joe Johnson are eligible for induction in 2026 for the first time. On the women's side, Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker join the ballot, along with coaches Mike D'Antoni and Bruce Pearl. The 1996 U.S. Olympic women's team is also eligible. This follows a 2025 class that included Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Sue Bird, and the 2008 Redeem Team from Beijing. Let's be clear: 2026's group doesn't have that level of starpower.
Nearly 200 candidates are vying for Springfield, including returning names like Amar'e Stoudemire, Marc Gasol, Doc Rivers, Penny Hardaway, Bill Laimbeer, Robert Horry, Kevin Johnson, and Shawn Marion. The list will be refined in February when finalists are announced, with the final selections revealed April 4 during the NCAA Final Four. Not everyone on this ballot deserves to get in, so let's separate the legitimate Hall of Famers from the guys riding reputation.
Blake Griffin is a lock and deserves it
Blake Griffin revolutionized what athletic big men could do. Six All-Star selections, five All-NBA teams, and a Rookie of the Year award that came after missing his entire first season with a knee injury. Griffin's peak with the Lob City Clippers was must-watch basketball—dunking everything, developing a jump shot, and eventually becoming a legitimate playmaker. His game evolved from pure athleticism to skilled post play and three-point shooting by the end of his career.
Griffin's longevity matters too. He played 13 seasons despite serious injuries that would've ended lesser players' careers. He adapted his game as his athleticism declined, becoming a floor-spacing big man in Detroit and Brooklyn. The Hall of Fame isn't just about championships—it's about impact and evolution. Griffin had both. He's getting in on the first ballot, and he should.
Jamal Crawford is the definition of a compiler who shouldn't get in
Jamal Crawford won three Sixth Man of the Year awards and played 20 seasons. Those are Hall of Fame credentials on paper. In reality, Crawford was a volume scorer who shot 41% for his career, never made an All-Star team, and was a defensive liability his entire career. Winning Sixth Man of the Year three times means you were the best bench scorer—not that you were a Hall of Fame player. Lou Williams won it three times too. Is he a Hall of Famer? Absolutely not.
Crawford's career was built on highlight-reel crossovers and scoring 50 points a few times late in his career when defenses didn't care. He never led a team to sustained playoff success. He was never a top-20 player in the league at any point. The Hall of Fame should honor greatness, not longevity and fun handles. Crawford was entertaining, but entertainment doesn't equal Hall of Fame worthiness. If he gets in, it sets a terrible precedent for what the Hall actually means.
Brandon Roy's peak was incredible but too short
Brandon Roy made three All-Star teams in five seasons before knee injuries destroyed his career. At his peak, he was one of the league's best shooting guards—a clutch scorer, smart playmaker, and legitimate two-way player. If he'd stayed healthy for 12-15 years, he's a Hall of Famer without question. But he didn't. He played six NBA seasons, with only three at an elite level. That's not enough.
The Hall of Fame shouldn't be about what could have been. It should reward what actually happened. Roy's story is tragic, but tragedy doesn't make you a Hall of Famer. He was phenomenal for three years and broken after that. Compare that to Griffin's 13 seasons of impact or even Joe Johnson's sustained production across 17 years. Roy doesn't have the résumé, no matter how much we loved watching him play.
Joe Johnson is a borderline case who probably gets in
Joe Johnson made seven All-Star teams across 17 seasons and was one of the most consistent scorers of the 2000s and early 2010s. He never won a championship, never made All-NBA First Team, and peaked as the best player on good-but-not-great Hawks teams. But his longevity and consistency matter. Johnson averaged 20-plus points for seven straight seasons and was a legitimate number-one option in Atlanta and Brooklyn.
The case against Johnson is that he was never a top-10 player and never elevated his teams to championship contention. The case for him is that being a seven-time All-Star with 20,000 career points and elite clutch scoring gets you into Springfield eventually. He's not first-ballot, but he probably gets in within a few years. It's not exciting, but it's deserved based on how the Hall has historically operated.
Candace Parker is first-ballot, no debate
Candace Parker won two WNBA MVP awards, two WNBA championships, and was a seven-time All-Star. She's one of the greatest women's basketball players ever. She revolutionized what power forwards could do in the WNBA, playing inside and outside with equal effectiveness. Parker's getting into Springfield on the first ballot, and there's zero controversy about it. She's a lock.
Elena Delle Donne is also a legitimate Hall of Famer with two MVP awards and six All-Star selections. Her career has been plagued by injuries, but when healthy, she was one of the WNBA's most dominant players. Both Parker and Delle Donne are getting in, and both deserve it without question.
Marc Gasol and Amar'e Stoudemire deserve it more than Crawford
Marc Gasol won Defensive Player of the Year, made three All-NBA teams, and was a champion with Toronto in 2019. He was the best defensive center of his era not named Dwight Howard and a skilled offensive player who could pass, shoot, and post up. Gasol's Hall of Fame case is stronger than Jamal Crawford's by every measurable standard. If the committee puts Crawford in before Gasol, they're valuing highlights over actual basketball excellence.
Amar'e Stoudemire made six All-Star teams and five All-NBA squads during his peak with Phoenix and New York. He was a revolutionary pick-and-roll finisher who helped define the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. Injuries derailed his prime, but his peak was higher than Crawford's ever was. Stoudemire deserves serious consideration, and if health hadn't destroyed his knees, he'd be a lock.
The 1996 U.S. women's Olympic team is getting in
The 1996 U.S. women's Olympic basketball team won gold in Atlanta and helped launch the WNBA. That team included Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, and other legends who transformed women's basketball in America. They're getting inducted as a collective, and it's completely deserved. That team's cultural impact on the sport is undeniable.
The bottom line on 2026's class
Blake Griffin is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne are locks. The 1996 women's Olympic team gets in. Marc Gasol and Amar'e Stoudemire deserve serious consideration. Joe Johnson probably gets in eventually. Jamal Crawford shouldn't be anywhere near Springfield, but the Hall has a history of letting compilers in based on nostalgia. Brandon Roy's peak was incredible, but three elite seasons isn't enough. The final selections will be announced April 4, and we'll see if the committee values actual greatness or just longevity and likability.