NBA Legend ‘Shocked & Dismayed’ Jazz’s Danny Ainge Isn’t Hall of Famer

Through his extensive time both on-court and in the front office in the NBA, current Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has made his mark on the league for some time now. Despite this, he is still yet to receive the long-awaited honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It is safe to say that current Hall of Famer Bill Walton is not a fan of the verdict:

"I got to know Danny over some of his life,” shared Walton in a

recent interview

with

Bally Sports

’ Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson. “He’s quite a bit younger than I am. And then I got to rebound for him on the Boston Celtics; (there) wasn’t a lot of rebounds to be had there...He was a critical component and I’m shocked and dismayed that Danny Ainge is not in the Basketball Hall of Fame.”

- Bill Walton on Danny Ainge’s HOF status, via

CelticsWire.

As a player, Ainge was never the superstar of any team, but he did collect one All-Star appearance in 1988. He also managed to get two chips on the court as well, solidifying his importance on the Boston Celtics’ runs in the 80s. In his 14-year career, he had career averages of 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.

Looking strictly into his production as a player for his Hall of Fame status, it’s clear to see why he hasn’t exactly secured those HOF honors yet. His run as an executive though makes a compelling addition to his case.

Being the head of basketball operations for the Celtics for close to 20 years does tend to get you some extra points in the Hall of Fame. When considering some of the franchise-saving moves he made during his tenure (the Kevin Garnett trade, the Ray Allen signing, trading for the picks to select Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, etc.), he did pretty well at his job too. So much so that it netted him a championship ring in 2008.

The jury is still out on Danny Ainge’s Hall of Fame status with questions surrounding if his legacy holds enough to merit it. Regardless, if he manages to soon bring a championship to Salt Lake City, it could make the decision much clearer for voters to bring him in...

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