What should be part of the Hall of Fame process for Chris Webber and especially Kevin Johnson, another mile marker to pass along the way, instead arrives Saturday as a precarious moment and perhaps even a final message on their chances of ever getting enshrined.
The cases have nothing in common beyond a capital city — Johnson as a Sacramento native and former mayor and Webber as the former All-Star power forward for the Sacramento Kings. But they are joined this weekend as part of this wide-open scramble for the Class of 2017 by the same concern, that their candidacies could be going in the very wrong direction when the finalists from the North American committee, the group that handles most NBA and NCAA nominees, are announced in New Orleans.
Not surviving the initial round of voting would be a blow to any Hall contender, including Tracy McGrady and Ben Wallace as the biggest NBA names on the ballot for the first time. But both could recover, just as Dennis Rodman and Reggie Miller both went from being cut on the first ballot to enshrinement the next year. Failing to make finalist could be seen as a massive setback for Webber and Johnson, though, and especially in an election without Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Tom Izzo (2016) or Jason Kidd and possibly Grant Hill (2018) to suck up votes. Kansas coach Bill Self is almost certainly in from the North American group, and then the decisions get much harder, starting with McGrady with splashy numbers but hardly an automatic selection.
Webber has been on the ballot the two previous years and inexplicably failed to make it out of the first round both times, while being as confused as anyone by the surprising lack of support. (Debate whether he belongs in the Hall. But there is no discussion whether someone who averaged 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds, even with a late statistical decline, while also a skilled passer for a big man should be a finalist.) Going 0-for-3, especially in a year lacking star power, would be a loud statement to Webber about ever reaching Springfield, Mass.
Johnson, meanwhile, has rightly been a finalist while tied for sixth on the list for assists per game when the other five — Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Chris Paul, Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas and John Wall — are either in the Hall or working their way there. But mounting bad publicity from several claims of sexual misconduct, most recently a very public airing on HBO last March, after the first round of voting had been completed, will leave the basketball museum with a major PR problem if Johnson gets inducted Sept. 8. The anonymous electorate could choose to protect the Hall now.
Johnson could move forward anyway among the nominees and again reach the second and final round of balloting, results that will be released April 3 as part of the Final Four in Glendale, Ariz., about 20 miles from his home as a three-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns. But if KJ does not receive backing from at least seven of nine committee members and gets cut early after three consecutive years as a finalist, it would be impossible to ignore the premise that he has been forever doomed by developments long after retirement.
The finalists from the North American and Women’s committees will be the only major announcements at the New Orleans event held as part of All-Star weekend. The inductees from the four categories with one round of voting – Early African-American Pioneers, International, Contributor and Veterans – will be revealed at the Final Four with North American and Women’s.
Scott Howard-Cooper has covered the NBA since 1988. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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