ESPN Believes Suns' Shawn Marion Deserves Hall of Fame Consideration
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Former Phoenix Suns forward Shawn Marion deserves some love, and ESPN's Kevin Pelton believes some of that is due his way from the Basketball Hall of Fame.
In a recent piece that evaluated upcoming candidates such as Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade, Marion landed on the list as a potential players the Hall should still be considering alongside Horace Grant and Jimmy Jones.
"Thus far, Steve Nash is the only member of the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns to reach the Hall, with both Marion and Amar'e Stoudemire being strong contenders to join him," said Pelton.
"I tend to prefer Marion, who had the longer career and rated better than Stoudemire by advanced stats when they played together in Phoenix, but a heavier emphasis on awards would favor Stoudemire's five All-NBA appearances -- including a first-team nod in 2006-07. Because of his post-NBA career in China and Israel, Stoudemire won't be eligible for the Hall until 2024."
Drafted by the Suns at No. 9 in the 1999 NBA Draft, Marion's career would see him earn All-Star honors four times with two All-NBA third team appearances and a NBA Finals championship in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks.
Marion would be the 12th Suns player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
For what it's worth, Vince Carter (who played in Phoenix in 2010-11) is eligible in 2024.
In 2015, Bleacher Report offered this on Marion's potential entrance into basketball immortality:
"Marion will retire as one of the more effective stoppers the sport has ever seen, but he never made an All-Defensive Team. He was consistently one of the most impactful forwards, thanks to his versatility and two-way prowess, but he only made All-NBA Third Team on two separate occasions and never received a higher honor," said Adam Fromal.
"Now, he has one of the most non-traditional Hall of Fame resumes the sport has seen in quite some time. When he's up for selection, it will be the perfect chance to rectify the wrongs that Marion has seen levied upon him throughout his decade-and-a-half in the Association."
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