First ABCA Legends Class Headlined by Russell, Cousy
May 12, 2015 10:13:56 GMT -6
London, Derek, and 1 more like this
Post by Bayi on May 12, 2015 10:13:56 GMT -6
Eight lucky nominees were nominated for the first ever Hall of Fame voting. Three even luckier nominees were selected to join the hallowed halls of the ABCA Legends Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2026 is headlined by two unanimous members - former MVPs Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Additionally, Neil Johnston made it in with 80% of the vote.
Two players - Dolph Schayes and Bob Pettit - received the minimum of 30% of votes to be included on the next ballot, which will happen during the 2028 offseason. Three others - Maurice Stokes, George Mikan, and Tom Meschery - did not receive enough votes and are no longer eligible for the Hall of Fame.
About the Class of 2026
Bill Russell
Bill Russell - the second pick in the ABCA Legends creation draft - played for Cairo Zamalek for five seasons, racking up a Hall of Fame resume with five all-star appearances, three All-League appearances, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and his first and only Most Valuable Player award during the 2015 season, where he put up 19.7/11.1/3.8 with 0.6 steals per game and a league leading 3.3 blocks per game while shooting over 60% from the field. His star shone hot and fast, as he was traded to Sydney and fell into a supporting role. He retired in 2024.
Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy was the third pick in the ABCA Legends creation draft - right after fellow Hall of Famer Bill Russell - and was taken by the Spurs. However, he never stayed in one place long, becoming a true superstar journeyman with stops in San Antonio, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia before his rookie contract was finished. During his career he was a seven-time All Star, a five-time member of the All-League team and six-time member of the All-Defensive team, and 2014’s Most Valuable Player - a season in which he led the league in both assists and steals behind 18.9/5.7/10.0 and a monstrous 5.31 assist-to-turnover ratio. He retired in 2024.
Neil Johnston
Neil Johnston’s short 9-year career began as the Atlanta Hawks’ first round pick in the creation draft - pick #16 - where he was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls. It was a good move, as Johnston anchored the juggernaught Bulls through back-to-back championship runs (winning both Finals MVP awards) in 2014 and 2015. He was a four-time all star and a three-time All League member. He officially retired in 2022, but effectively retired a year earlier before coming back to Mexico City and playing zero minutes.
Total Votes
Bill Russell (100% of ballots)
Bob Cousy (100%)
Neil Johnston (80%)
Dolph Schayes (30%)
Bob Pettit (30%)
Maurice Stokes (10%)
George Mikan (10%)
Tom Meschery (0%)
The Class of 2026 is headlined by two unanimous members - former MVPs Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Additionally, Neil Johnston made it in with 80% of the vote.
Two players - Dolph Schayes and Bob Pettit - received the minimum of 30% of votes to be included on the next ballot, which will happen during the 2028 offseason. Three others - Maurice Stokes, George Mikan, and Tom Meschery - did not receive enough votes and are no longer eligible for the Hall of Fame.
About the Class of 2026
Bill Russell
Bill Russell - the second pick in the ABCA Legends creation draft - played for Cairo Zamalek for five seasons, racking up a Hall of Fame resume with five all-star appearances, three All-League appearances, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and his first and only Most Valuable Player award during the 2015 season, where he put up 19.7/11.1/3.8 with 0.6 steals per game and a league leading 3.3 blocks per game while shooting over 60% from the field. His star shone hot and fast, as he was traded to Sydney and fell into a supporting role. He retired in 2024.
Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy was the third pick in the ABCA Legends creation draft - right after fellow Hall of Famer Bill Russell - and was taken by the Spurs. However, he never stayed in one place long, becoming a true superstar journeyman with stops in San Antonio, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia before his rookie contract was finished. During his career he was a seven-time All Star, a five-time member of the All-League team and six-time member of the All-Defensive team, and 2014’s Most Valuable Player - a season in which he led the league in both assists and steals behind 18.9/5.7/10.0 and a monstrous 5.31 assist-to-turnover ratio. He retired in 2024.
Neil Johnston
Neil Johnston’s short 9-year career began as the Atlanta Hawks’ first round pick in the creation draft - pick #16 - where he was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls. It was a good move, as Johnston anchored the juggernaught Bulls through back-to-back championship runs (winning both Finals MVP awards) in 2014 and 2015. He was a four-time all star and a three-time All League member. He officially retired in 2022, but effectively retired a year earlier before coming back to Mexico City and playing zero minutes.
Total Votes
Bill Russell (100% of ballots)
Bob Cousy (100%)
Neil Johnston (80%)
Dolph Schayes (30%)
Bob Pettit (30%)
Maurice Stokes (10%)
George Mikan (10%)
Tom Meschery (0%)
