From Eddie Johnson to Magic Johnson, Pete Rose’s loss is felt everywhere in the NBA community. And for a big part of the MLB community, his absence in the Hall of Fame of is palpable. Matt Barnes paid tribute to two greats of the diamond and the court we lost on the same day – Pete Rose and Dikembe Mutombo. But he had a special expectation related to Charlie Hustle. And it’s something a good few fans have been hoping for.

Rose passed away at 83. Dikembe Mutombo lost his fight to brain cancer at 58. Several athletes reacted to the compounded grief in their ways. For Matt Barnes, it was through an emotional “damn,” and joined hands emojis in two separate Stories for both.

But in his tribute for Rose, Barnes added an extra, “HOF’em.” Mutombo has been a HoFer since 2015. So it’s an outright plea to induct the hits leader in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1989, Rose voluntarily accepted a lifetime ban from baseball for gambling on his team, the Cincinnati Reds. For as long as the ban is in place, he wouldn’t be inducted in the Hall of Fame even posthumously. For three decades, Rose and his fans, including the celebrity ones like Matt Barnes, have campaigned to lift his ban and give him the well-deserved HoF spot.

Rose last wrote a letter to MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred in 2022 requesting reinstatement. He was apologetic for his actions and fans believe the punishment is disproportionate to Rose’s impact on the game.

Pete Rose’s impact felt in the NBA too

After retiring from playing, Rose remained attached to baseball and the Reds as a coach and manager. However, witnesses testified that he had been gambling on the Reds during his coaching career. Multiple MVP titles were tainted by the scandal and the subsequent ban.

Ferguson Jenkins, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle, are HoFers who also had bans on their names and were reinstated. The precedents exist and fans continue fighting for Rose.

Along with Barnes, Magic Johnson was among those who paid tribute to the fallen icon. He didn’t mention the ban or appealed to lift it when he wrote on X, “We’ve lost one of the greatest, most exciting and toughest players that’s ever played in baseball history! Thank you, Pete, for helping me fall in love with baseball. Rest in peace… Cookie and I will be praying for the Rose family. All of baseball should be mourning this true legend!”

Manfred last rejected Rose and fans’ plea in 2023. But the campaign to honor his legacy hasn’t diluted. With several pro athletes also supporting the cause, fans continue to demand Pete Rose’s place in the Hall of Fame.