Top NBA Players Who Became First-Ballot Hall of Famers
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame stands out from other sports halls because it selects outstanding basketball performers without delay. In contrast to many other sports that build large lists of late deserving athletes, basketball’s top institution quickly admits NBA legends when they become eligible. Most NBA players, hall-of-famers make it into the exhibit on the day they qualify, which is called first ballot entry.
NBA Players Who Became First-Ballot Hall of Famers (1959-2024)
| Player | Year Inducted | Position | Legends Score |
| Michael Jordan | 2009 | G-F | 197 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1995 | C | 171 |
| Magic Johnson | 2002 | G-F | 145 |
| Tim Duncan | 2020 | F-C | 139 |
| Larry Bird | 1998 | F | 137 |
| Kobe Bryant | 2020 | G-F | 129 |
| Shaquille O’Neal | 2016 | C | 124 |
| Karl Malone | 2010 | F | 111 |
| Julius Erving | 1993 | F-G | 107 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 1979 | C | 94 |
| Jerry West | 1980 | G | 91 |
| Bill Russell | 1975 | C | 90 |
| Moses Malone | 2001 | C-F | 90 |
| Kevin Garnett | 2020 | F-C | 84 |
| David Robinson | 2009 | C | 83 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 2023 | F-C | 79 |
| Oscar Robertson | 1980 | G-F | 69 |
| Charles Barkley | 2006 | F | 68 |
| John Havlicek | 1984 | F-G | 59 |
| Steve Nash | 2018 | G | 56 |
| Dwyane Wade | 2023 | G | 49 |
| Gary Payton | 2013 | G | 49 |
| Elgin Baylor | 1977 | F | 48 |
| Bob Pettit | 1971 | F-C | 48 |
| Elvin Hayes | 1990 | F-C | 46 |
| Allen Iverson | 2016 | G | 45 |
| Jason Kidd | 2018 | G | 45 |
| John Stockton | 2009 | G | 41 |
| Isiah Thomas | 2000 | G | 41 |
| Scottie Pippen | 2010 | F-G | 40 |
| Alonzo Mourning | 2014 | C-F | 33 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | 2015 | C | 31 |
| Clyde Drexler | 2004 | G | 30 |
| Grant Hill | 2018 | F-G | 29 |
| Tracy McGrady | 2017 | G-F | 28 |
| Bob Cousy | 1971 | G | 27 |
| Tony Parker | 2023 | G | 24 |
| Paul Pierce | 2021 | F-G | 24 |
| Jerry Lucas | 1980 | F-C | 20 |
| Yao Ming | 2016 | C | 17 |
| Alex English | 1997 | F | 17 |
| Pau Gasol | 2023 | C-F | 14 |
| Ray Allen | 2018 | G | 14 |
| Robert Parish | 2003 | C | 13 |
| Kevin McHale | 1999 | F-C | 12 |
| Vince Carter | 2024 | G-F | 12 |
| Ed Macauley | 1960 | C-F | 7 |
| Andy Phillip | 1961 | G-F | 5 |
| George Mikan | 1959 | C | 4 |
| Manu Ginóbili | 2022 | G | 4 |
| Bill Bradley | 1983 | F-G | 1 |
