How many Hall of Famers are from the 1996 NBA Draft? Taking a closer look at the legendary class

Modified Jun 27, 2023 09:46 GMT

Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant are part of the 1996 NBA Draft Class.

The 1996 NBA Draft is considered among the greatest draft classes of all time, along with the 1984 and 2003 Draft classes, but how many Hall of Famers are from the class of 1996?

Currently, there are five players from the 1996 NBA Draft class in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They are Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Ben Wallace.

A closer look at the five NBA legends

#1 Kobe Bryant

The No. 13 pick of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, Kobe Bryant turned into one of the greatest players of all time. The Hornets ended up trading him on draft day to the LA Lakers. Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

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Accomplishments: NBA Champion (5x), NBA Finals MVP (2x), NBA MVP (1x), NBA All-Star (18x), NBA All-Star Game MVP (4x), All-NBA First Team (11x), All-NBA Second Team (2x), All-NBA Third Team (2x), All-Defensive First Team (9x), All-Defensive Second Team (3x), Scoring Champion (2x), Olympic Gold medal (2x)

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#2 Steve Nash

Drafted at No. 15 out of St. Clara, Steve Nash had to wait for the right opportunity to show what he can do.

Nash didn't average more than ten points per game in the first four years of his NBA career. He turned into a star in Dallas but became an all-time great in Phoenix. He's part of the 2018 Hall of Fame Class.

Accomplishments: NBA MVP (2x), NBA All-Star (8x), All-NBA First Team (3x), All-NBA Second Team (2x), All-NBA Third Team (2x), NBA Assists Leader (5x)

#3 Ray Allen

Ray Allen was the No. 5 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Considered the greatest shooter ever until Steph Curry arrived, Allen remains underrated among his peers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2018 class.

Accomplishments: NBA Champion (2x), NBA All-Star (10x), All-NBA Second Team (1x), All-NBA Third Team (1x), Olympic Gold (1x)

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#4 Allen Iverson

The No. 1 pick of the 1996 NBA Draft was Allen Iverson. He certainly lived up to the hype to become one of the most influential players in history. His heart and talent were never in doubt, but he didn't reach his full potential. "The Answer" was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Career Accomplishments: NBA MVP (1x), NBA All-Star (11x), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2x), All-NBA First Team (3x), All-NBA Second Team (3x), All-NBA Third Team (1x), Rookie of the Year (1x), Scoring Champion (4x), Olympic Bronze (1x)

#5 Ben Wallace

Undrafted out of Virginia Union, Ben Wallace is the only undrafted player in the Hall of Fame. Wallace is among the greatest defenders the game has ever seen, despite being undersized. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Accomplishments: NBA Champion (1x), NBA All-Star (4x), All-NBA Second Team (3x), All-NBA Third Team (2x), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (4x), All-Defensive First Team (5x), All-Defensive Second Team (1x)

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Will there be more Hall of Famers from the 1996 NBA Draft?

There are many more great players from the 1996 NBA Draft like Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Marcus Camby, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Peja Stojakovic and Jermaine O'Neal.

Out of these legends, Stojakovic will perhaps have the biggest chance to make it to the Hall of Fame due to his international accomplishments.

Peja Stojakovic's career accomplishments: NBA Champion (1x), NBA All-Star (3x), All-NBA Second Team (1x), FIBA World Cup (1x), FIBA EuroBasket (1x), FIBA EuroBasket MVP (1x)