Should Danny Ainge be in the Hall of Fame?
Definitely put him in! - 76%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 8.2%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 6%
No opinion. - 0.6%
No way! - 9.1%
69. Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge is one of those guys who depending on whom you talk to is either one of the most overrated players of all time or one of the least appreciated. He definitely was not the most popular, but boy could he play. He became a household name when he led BYU to an upset of Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament on a memorable full court drive in 1981; the same year he won the Wooden Award as national player of the year.
Ainge chose baseball over basketball but soon realized he wasn’t going far as a .200 hitter and came back to the hardwood. Playing on the great Celtics teams, it took Ainge awhile to acclimate but he became big part of the great Celtics teams of the 80’s winning two rings. Traded to the Blazers towards the end of his career, Ainge almost helped Portland upset the Bulls in 92. He was a great shooter and terrific ball handler for a 6 foot 4 guard and was the second player in league history with 900 three pointers. Ainge may have Hall worthy credentials, but he certainly does not have the “rep”. To show how negative the bias was against Ainge to this day if you ask people who bit who in the infamous altercation with Tree Rollins of the Hawks in the 1983 playoffs they will tell you Ainge. It was actually Rollins who bit Ainge.
The Bullet Points
- Country of Origin: Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A.
- Eligible Since: Monday, 01 January 2001
- Position: Shooting Guard
- Played For: Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings
- College: BYU
- Drafted: 2nd Round, 31st Overall in 1981
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Major Accolades and Awards: NBA All-Star (1) (1988)
Most 3-Point Field Goals (1) (1987-88)
NBA Championship (2) (Boston Celtics, 1983-84 & 1985-86)
John R. Wooden Award (1) (1981)
NABC Player of the Year (1) (1981)
Consensus First Team All-American (1) (1981)
WAC Player of the Year (1) (1981)
First Team All-WAC (4) (1978, 1979, 1980 & 1981) -
Other Points of Note: Top Ten Finishes: Free Throw Percentage (1986-87)
Top Ten Finishes: 3-Point Field Goal Percentage: (4) (1986-87, 1987-88, 1990-91 & 1992-93)
Top Ten Finishes: Effective Field Goal Percentage: (2) (1987-88 & 1992-93)
Top Ten Finishes: 3-Point Field Goals: (6) (1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 & 1992-93)
Top Ten Finishes: 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: (6) (1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 & 1992-93)
Top Ten Finishes: Minutes Played (1) (1987-88)
Top Ten Finishes: Offensive Rating (1) (1992-93) - Notable All-time Rankings: 100. Offensive Rating: 113.9
Should Danny Ainge be in the Hall of Fame?
Definitely put him in! - 76%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 8.2%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 6%
No opinion. - 0.6%
No way! - 9.1%
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