This weekend, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its 2015 class, which included Spencer Haywood, Dikembe Mutombo and Jo Jo White, all of whom were fully deserving of the honor. It’s too early to really speculate about next year’s class, but according to NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper, the list of potential candidates is going to get one important name, who’s sure to be a lock. Allen Iverson hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2009-10 season, but played a short-lived stint in Turkey in the 2010-11 season. There was a chance that would factor into his eligibility, delaying it until 2017, but apparently that’s not the case.
Important Hall development: Allen Iverson ruled eligible for nomination for the Class of 2016. His Turkey stint will be disregarded. #76ers
— Scott Howard-Cooper (@SHowardCooper) September 11, 2015
There’s little doubt that Iverson will make the cut in his first year of eligibility, and he should. However polarizing he was, he’s one of the most influential players in recent NBA history, a league MVP and four-time scoring champion. And his speech should be an all-time great one, considering the unique, tumultuous career he had.