Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame — almost every basketball-associated entity’s dream is to receive the highest honor in their field. And every year multiple such entities get their dream fulfilled. This also becomes important because the players still have multiple other awards and accolades to recognize their contribution, but some departments have just the HOF as the notable one.

However, there is no denying that the Hall of Fame still stands as the top honor for any player as well. And every year, at least one person or more is bestowed with the honor, along with other entities. Every year except for three instances when others received HOF nomination and induction but none of the players did — 1965, 1968, and 2007. Let’s have a closer look at the most recent instance first.

Hall of Fame inductees in 2007

The Naismith Memorial Basketball HOF Class of 2007 might not have featured any individual players. But don’t let that fool you—it was packed with figures who shaped the sport in ways that still echo today. Let’s start with the 1966 Texas Western team. This group made history by being the first to win an NCAA championship with an all-African-American starting lineup. “We didn’t set out to make a social statement. But we did, and we’re proud of that,” team captain Harry Flournoy said, as per a 2007 Mass Live article.

Now, when you think of iconic NBA coaches, Phil Jackson is probably one of the first names that comes to mind. By the time of his induction, Jackson had already won 9 NBA titles. Tying him with Red Auerbach for the all-time record. Reflecting on his coaching journey, Jackson said back then, “(Coach) Red Holzman made me his assistant coach. I didn’t sit on the bench, they didn’t do that back then, but I learned a lot from the experience and here I am, 37 years later.” 

But Jackson wasn’t the only coaching legend in the Class of 2007. Enter Roy Williams, one of the most successful coaches in college basketball. Williams had a stellar career coaching at Kansas before moving to North Carolina. At North Carolina, Williams won national titles and solidified himself as one of the all-time greats. Speaking of coaching, Van Chancellor also deserves a spotlight. He’s a name synonymous with women’s basketball excellence. The very mastermind behind the Houston Comets, leading them to four consecutive WNBA titles.

And what about Marvin “Mendy” Rudolph? You might not think referees get much love, but Rudolph was a legend in his own right. He officiated a staggering 2,112 number of NBA games. This included all 7 games of the 1969 Finals, making him the only referee—along with Earl Strom—to work every game of a Finals series. His career spanned 22 consecutive seasons in the NBA Finals. A feat that speaks volumes about his integrity and the reason behind his Hall of Fame induction in a role that is often overlooked. Moving to the international stage, Mirko Novosel and Pedro Ferrandiz were pivotal in taking basketball to a global audience.

Novosel turned Yugoslavia into a basketball powerhouse, leading them to a gold medal at the 1980 Olympics and securing silver and bronze in other years. If you’ve ever seen European teams go toe-to-toe with NBA players, you can thank coaches like Novosel. Similarly, Pedro Ferrandiz transformed the game in Spain. He introduced fast-break basketball to Europe and turned Real Madrid into a dominant force in European basketball. Ever wonder where European basketball got its signature style? Ferrandiz was at the forefront of that transformation.

Hall of Fame Inductees in 1968

The story of 1968 was the same as 2007 in terms of none of the players getting inducted into the HOF. It was also the same in terms of some influential names coming in. Clair Bee, for instance, was a name synonymous with basketball in the 1930s and 1940s. Imagine coaching a team that went undefeated not once, but twice at the National Invitational Tournament. That’s exactly what Bee did with Long Island University (LIU), leading them to two NIT championships in 1939 and 1941.

Bee was more than just a coach—he was a pioneer. He invented the 1-3-1 zone defense, still used today, and helped introduce the 3-second rule. He wasn’t just about strategy, though; Bee also authored Chip Hilton’s Sports Stories for Young People, which inspired young athletes for decades. Seemingly, the reason that he got inducted as a contributor and not as a coach. The upcoming 3 names, however, received induction as a coach in the Hall of Fame. The first name is none other than Howard Cann.

Cann spent his entire career at New York University (NYU), both as a player and coach. Can you picture the scene in 1934, when NYU faced Notre Dame in the first college game ever played at Madison Square Garden? Cann’s influence helped turn the Garden into a college basketball mecca. Named National Coach of the Year in 1947, he led NYU to an undefeated season in 1933-34 and a trip to the NCAA Final Four in 1945. Now, Amory “Slats” Gill might be the lesser-known name. But his impact was no less important. For nearly 30 years, Gill coached Oregon State, transforming the team into a West Coast powerhouse.

Over his career, Gill led the Beavers to multiple conference championships. Thus, making them a force to be reckoned with. His legacy lives on in Gill Coliseum, the arena named in his honor at Oregon State. Finally, there’s Alvin “Doggie” Julian, who coached Holy Cross to an incredible NCAA championship victory in 1947. His success proved that even smaller schools could compete at the highest level. Julian didn’t stop there, though. He moved on to Dartmouth, where he won three Ivy League titles and left his mark on basketball with his book, Bread and Butter Basketball, a go-to resource for coaches everywhere.

Naismith HOF inductees in 1965

Yet another year passed without inducting any player into the HOF, but this year, they inducted 4 remarkable individuals. Let’s start with Walter Brown first. If you’re a fan of the Boston Celtics, you have him to thank for that. Brown didn’t just co-found the team in 1946—he also led them to an incredible 7 championships in eight years. But his impact went beyond just wins. He made history by drafting Chuck Cooper, the NBA’s first player of color.

Brown even created the NBA All-Star Game alongside NBA President Maurice Podoloff and NBA Publicity Director Haskell Cohen. No wonder that he received his Hall of Fame nomination as a contributor. Then there’s Paul Tony Hinkle, known as the “Dean of Indiana College Basketball Coaches.” Imagine coaching 3 sports and being great at all of them—that was Hinkle at Butler College. In 1929, his Butler squad received their crown as national champions.

Even if you’ve never heard of him, you might know the Tony Hinkle Memorial Fieldhouse. The legendary arena is named in Hinkle’s honor. He, however, did not receive his nomination as a coach, but as a contributor to the game. The third name on the list is Howard Hobson. Think about the first NCAA basketball championship—Hobson led the Oregon Ducks to that victory in 1939. He wasn’t just about winning, but the one who revolutionized the game with his strategies and coaching.

Hobson even took Yale basketball teams across the country, making his mark on both coasts. If you’re ever reading a basketball book from that era, chances are, Hobson had a hand in shaping it.

The final name on the list is William Mokray. You might not recognize his name, but if you’ve ever dived into basketball history, his work is everywhere. His passion for the game went beyond playing; he documented it. Mokray wrote for major publications and created the first NBA Guide. And compiled stats that would have been lost to time without him.

These were the three instances in which basketball players were excluded when it came to induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.