The paths to the Hall of Fame are impenetrable. It is a formula that comes up very regularly when it comes to discussing the pantheon of basketball and in particular the system that allows players, coaches or managers to enter it.
We simply know that, to become a Hall of Famer, the person concerned must receive at least 18 votes, out of a panel of 24 voters. Told like this, it seems pretty basic, but the mystery remains.
“I have served in every function of every committee”tell to ESPN Bob Cousy, 94 years old and member of the pantheon since 1971, of which he was even the president. “For some reason, I never took the time to learn about the voting process. It’s pretty Byzantine and it probably wouldn’t go through the Supreme Court. “
The former Boston point guard himself cannot provide further details. Who are these 24 voters? Then who names them? Finally, how long do they have the power to select future members of the pantheon? For this last question, the answer is: three years.
For the first two questions, it is more mysterious. Because unlike the pantheons of American football and baseball, the identity of the voters of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is unknown to the general public. Our knowledge is limited simply to the official site of the institution, which announces that the 24 voters are composed of “Hall of Famers, Executives, Members of the Media and Other Basketball Experts”.
Secrecy for more integrity
Why this difference with other sports? Like Bob Cousy, Jerry Colangelo is not really very precise… “No particular reason”replies the head of the Hall of Fame. “It’s just always been that way. “
There is, however, an advantage in this hidden and seemingly counterintuitive process: avoiding pressure. “We want to protect the people who vote and this helps to avoid things that can happen in other sports,” says Jerry Colangelo. “If the names are known, there is potentially a concern for integrity. Among the voters, we have coaches, leaders, journalists who are still working. “
Keeping decision-makers secret, is it really effective in avoiding controversy and pressure? “All Halls of Fame have flaws, because that’s the very nature of voting: there’s always a bias”explains a former voter. “But here, there is no corruption. “
It is also a guarantee to obtain a fairer vote, where the actors will not tremble in the face of possible media fallout. “Why so much confidentiality? It’s not to be secret, but to protect voters, so they don’t end up in an uncomfortable situation.”assures John Doleva, the president of the Hall of Fame.
This allows a Hall of Famer to refuse to vote for a former teammate, who was nevertheless eligible, without it becoming a subject of debate on television sets or on social networks for example. What has already happened, we learn in This article from our colleagues at ESPN.
Obviously, voters should never reveal their identity and even less reveal the backstage of their vote publicly. If that happened, what would be the sanction of the Hall of Fame?
“To be honest, we have never seen such a violation in the media”, notes John Doleva, who is therefore unable to give the nature of the sanction, itself visibly secret. Decidedly, the paths of the Hall of Fame are still as impenetrable…
