Top 5 NBA teams with most Hall of Famers

Being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is the most prestigious post-retirement distinction that is awarded to a professional basketball player. Not only successful NBA players, but superstars and personalities with influence on the game from across the globe can be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

5 NBA teams with the most Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame members

As is the case with most NBA records, the LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics are the dominant franchises, as they have been immensely successful since the 1940s. In this list, we take a look at the five NBA franchises with the highest number of Hall of Famers.

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#1 Boston Celtics - 40 Hall of Famers

Boston Celtics' logo.

The Boston Celtics had the most NBA Championship wins in history before the LA Lakers won their 17th title in the 2020 NBA Finals. With the enormous success the team has seen throughout the franchise's history, it is not a coincidence to see Boston leading this list.

A total of 40 Hall of Famers have been a part of the Boston Celtics during their history. Out of those 40 members, 36 were players while four were head coaches who guided the Celtics across different eras.

The most iconic Celtics players in the Basketball Hall of Fame are Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. The most recent Boston Celtics big name to enter the Hall of Fame is Kevin Garnett (a member of the 2020 class).

Some Hall of Famers who had brief participation with the Celtics were Shaquille O'Neal and Dominique Wilkins, but they are more commonly associated with other franchises.

Red Auerbach, Tommy Heinsohn, and Bill Fitch won titles with Boston as coaches, and they were inducted into the Hall of Fame. The other coach enshrined in the Hall of Fame, who guided the Celtics at some point, is Rick Pitino.

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#2 LA Lakers - 31 Hall of Famers

LA Lakers' logo.

The LA Lakers won their record-equalling 17th NBA Championship in 2020, and continued to dominate the history of The Association.

Even before last year's title, the Lakers were the most iconic and recognizable franchise in the NBA due to their success in the 21st century and the many superstars who have represented the team.

The Lakers boast the second-most Hall of Famers among NBA franchises with 31 (27 players and four coaches). The most recent Hall of Famer in the LA Lakers' history was also their most iconic and beloved player, the late, great Kobe Bryant.

Bryant was a part of the 2020 class and is the most recognizable Hall of Famer from the LA Lakers. Other Lakers legends in the HOF include Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and George Mikan.

Karl Malone, Gary Payton, and even Dennis Rodman are among the LA Lakers' Hall of Fame members, even though they had short stints with the organization.

John Kundla, Bill Sharman, Pat Riley, and Phil Jackson are the four Lakers' coaches inducted to the Hall of Fame, and they all won titles with the organization.

#3 New York Knicks - 29 Hall of Famers

Knicks' legends.

Even though the New York Knicks have not won an NBA Championship in 48 years, the popular franchise remains a cornerstone piece in the NBA. The Knicks play at the most iconic basketball arena in the world (the MSG) and have been represented by some of the greatest players and coaches the league has seen.

The New York Knicks have the third-most Hall of Famers in NBA history with 29 (22 players and seven coaches).

The most iconic Hall of Famers in Knicks' history are members of their two title-winning teams (1969-70 and 1972-73). Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave Debusschere, Bill Bradley, Jerry Lucas, and Earl Monroe were part of those teams.

Bernard King and Patrick Ewing are other iconic figures in Knicks' history, although they did not win a ring with the franchise.

Red Holzman coached the organizations to two championships, and he heads the list of New York Knicks' coaches in the Hall of Fame. Larry Brown, Pat Riley, Don Nelson, Rick Pitino, Lenny Wilkens, and Phil Jackson (who served as an executive for the Knicks) are the other HOF coaches in Knicks' history.

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#4 Golden State Warriors - 24 Hall of Famers

Golden State Warriors' logo.

The Golden State Warriors rank third behind the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics in NBA Championships (six, tied with the Chicago Bulls) and in NBA Finals appearances with 11. They also make the list of teams with most Hall of Fame inductees with 24 Hall of Famers, of which 19 were inducted as players and five as head coaches.

Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Arizin, Rick Barry, Neil Johnston, Chris Mullin, and Jamaal Wilkes are the most recognizable Hall-of-Fame players in Warriors' history.

On the coaching side, Al Attles, Alex Hannum, Don Nelson, Bill Sharman, and Rick Welts (who served as the Warriors' Chief Operating Officer) have made the HOF.

Over the next decade, the Warriors will climb higher up this list as the members of their recent dynasty (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and coach Steve Kerr) are locks to make the Hall of Fame.

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#5 Atlanta Hawks - 24 Hall of Famers

Atlanta Hawks' court logo.

On the Atlanta Hawks' side, some of their Hall-of-Fame members date back to their days at St. Louis and their championship-winning team in 1958. The Hawks have 24 Hall of Famers, and the number includes 20 inductees as players and four head coaches.

The most popular Hawks' inductees are Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, Ed Macauley, and Dominique Wilkins. On the coaching side, the four coaches who directed the Hawks are Red Auerbach, Alex Hannum (who led them to their NBA title in 1958), Red Holzman, and Lenny Wilkens.

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