4x NBA Champion LeBron James (Credits – Yahoo Sports and The Guardian)

LeBron James currently stands as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Some believe he is the absolute best, while others consider him second to Michael Jordan. Either way, his resume is quite extensive and nobody else can even compare to his. James has had success on various levels of the sport of basketball, including national and international. And despite being nearly 39 years old, he still dominates like a player in his prime.

Recently, The King shared his opinion on the NBA Hall of Fame eligibility rules. He took to X and said, “Why do players have to be retired before going into the HOF?? Coaches get in while still coaching rightfully so. Wondering what’s the difference though.” James’ take on the rules is quite valid since a few other sports induct athletes who haven’t retired from their respective sports.

A perfect example of this would be the UFC, a mixed martial arts promotion that often inducts present fighters into the Hall of Fame. Jon Jones was one such fighter who was inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame despite actively still fighting. If the NBA changed its rules, players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant would automatically receive Hall of Fame honors. This is solely based on their contributions to the league over the last decade.

What are the requirements to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame?

There isn’t too much required of a player to render themselves eligible for the NBA Hall of Fame. An NBA athlete is required to be retired for four consecutive years and on the fifth year, they will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Other rules require eligible athletes to have had some significant contributions to the league’s success.
Players will be inducted based on their performance and how impactful their presence was on the court for the teams they have played with. Additionally, their accolades will also be taken into consideration. So far, the athletes mentioned above are already first-ballot Hall of Famers.

LeBron James currently stands as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points and he currently has over 39,000 points recorded being the first ever to cross that threshold. Similarly, Kevin Durant is arguably the greatest scorer the NBA has ever since. Stephen Curry is responsible for reshaping the league into a fast-paced three-point shooting game. Curry is the all-time leader in three-pointers made.