Why Penny Hardaway needs to represent Memphis in the basketball Hall of Fame | Giannotto

There are four types of people who can be nominated to be in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Player. Coach. Referee. Contributor.

That last distinction has been a bit nebulous over the years.

“A person is eligible for enshrinement as a contributor at any time for significant contributions to the game of basketball,” the Hall of Fame’s website reads. “What constitutes a ‘significant contribution’ shall be determined by the BHOF, its election process committee, and the contributor direct-elect committee.”

Now go through the Hall of Fame database of inductees, which grew by 12 Saturday night. Type in the word Memphis. Six names show up.

Hubie Brown, the former Memphis Grizzlies coach who was inducted as a contributor in 2005.

Roger Brown, who played seven games for the ABA’s Memphis Sounds in his final professional season.

Mel Daniels, who played with the Sounds for one season (1974-75) at the same time as Brown.

Allen Iverson, who infamously played three games for the Grizzlies in his final NBA season (2009-10).

John Calipari — you know his connection to Memphis.

And now Pau Gasol, officially enshrined Saturday as the first significant member of the Grizzlies to have his career honored in Springfield, Massachusetts.

None of them, of course, are actually from Memphis. Indeed, no Memphis native has made it to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Not a player. Not a coach. Not a referee. Not a contributor. Not even Penny Hardaway.

Not right.

Not in a city with as rich a basketball history as Memphis.

“If you’re talking about pure play in my prime, I’m better than anybody,” Hardaway told The Commercial Appeal’s Jason Munz during the Memphis basketball team’s recent trip to the Dominican Republic. “You know there’s guys that played less years than me that are in the Hall of Fame and I got the same stats. Doesn’t bother me because of how they try to judge it. ‘If he wouldn’t got hurt as early as he did, he would’ve been a surefire.’ Like if I’d have had two more good years, then I’m probably in. I know I’m a Hall of Famer. I can play with any of those guys.”

He’s right.

Hardaway’s peak in the NBA probably should have been recognized by this point. The knee injury that ultimately derailed his meteoric rise, if it happened today, might not have done as much damage given the advances in medicine and surgery. Even so, the mark he left on the league and the game deserves recognition.

But that has been an argument used for a while. The Memphis Flyer’s Frank Murtaugh made a strong case just a few months back, pointing out that Hardaway compares favorably to recent Hall of Fame inductees Maurice Cheeks, Sarunas Marciulionis, Jamaal Wilkes and Satch Sanders — other than his NBA prime wasn’t as long as it could have been.

It’s unclear how Hardaway has fared in previous Hall of Fame voting. There are screening committees that select finalists to be voted upon. Perhaps, though, we ought to go about Hardaway’s candidacy differently. To emphasize what he means in Memphis and how important Memphis is as a contributor to the game.

OPINION: College basketball's current chaos is a moment made for Penny Hardaway, Memphis

What better person to represent Larry Finch than the former player who followed in his footsteps as the coach at the University of Memphis.

What better person to represent Keith Lee and Elliot Perry than the superstar who fell in love with the Tigers watching the first became a star at Treadwell High School playing alongside the latter.

What better person to represent every level of the sport in Memphis than the man who coached and supported countless youth basketball players from here, who went to the Elite Eight with Memphis State and the NBA Finals with the Orlando Magic as a player and — until he became the coach of the Tigers — was part of the ownership group with the Memphis Grizzlies.

There are four types of people who can make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame. It’s long past time one is from Memphis.

You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Penny Hardaway should represent Memphis in the basketball Hall of Fame