by NSL Woj
As it stands today, the NSL Hall of Fame has one single member - Kyle Bloom. However, as the league approaches its 9th season, more additions are expected to be made. While the majority of players are unlikely to be chosen, let’s take a look at who has a chance to join the legendary Kyle Bloom and stamp their presence in NSL lore.
What goes into one’s chances?
Player Ability
Winning/Achievements
Longevity
Off- The-Court Contributions
The 1%-Chancers
Scrub Squad + No Longevity
Erik Brown, Kiernan Stone, Sam Rothstein, David Rodriguez, Jon Han, Aidan Leary
Each of Erik, Kiernan, Sam, David, Jon and Leary made the league better off. However, combining their play on the court, and their minimal impact off of it, they will not be joining the NSL Hall of Fame this summer.
Short-Lived Role Players
Paul Rodriguez, John Ross, Diego Zuniga, Gabo Garcia, SeungYeop Kang
They may not be stars, but every captain did everything they could to fill their bench with players in this tier. Paul (shoutout Paul, great addition to the league, great debut as podcast host the other day, should have a breakout season in 2023), John, Diego, Sunny and Gabo only played a few years in the league, but they all made a major impact both on and off the court. Sadly, that impact wasn't big enough to be considered for the hall.
The Jordan Poole's
Josh Cooke , Nov Levi, Spencer Checkaway, Keyur Patel
This crew had the ability to go for 20+ points whenever they stepped on the court, no matter the circumstances. They were all great players, but didn't offer much in the eyes of captains in terms of winning and team play.
The careers of Nov, Spencer and Keyur have long been finished, but Josh Cooke's has only just begun. Back in 2021, he averaged 8 points per game per game and was a valuable contributor off the bench on the eventual champion, Team Matt. Then, he took his game to new heights in 2022 as he averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists for the Goodfellas. Despite the successes in such a brief career thus far, Josh would have to absolutely dominate the league - a la Steven Campbell - over the next few years to be considered.
Very Good, Not Great
Brian Conneely, Tameek Bray, Arik Avramovich, Greg Baron, Ernesto Perez, Gary Hao
Everyone here played a few seasons, and flirted with making the all star game (at worst) in every single one of them. The lack of overall team success of these players - Brian is the only one to have won a championship - and realtively short careers is what will ultimately prevent them from making the HOF.
Star Bigs, Short Careers
James Swomley, Henry Johnson, Jack Pomper, Jon Hammer, Kevin Seuch, Ryan McLaughlin
Swomley, Henry, Hammer, Ryan and Pomper all dominated the NSL game physically, and are five of the scariest players to face in league history. Hammer is close, but this group just didn't play enough years to be considered. Seuch will be making his NSL debut this coming summer.
One Year Wonders
Lucas Nathanson, Will Thompson, Josh Davis, David Spidel
Everyone here played at an All-NSL First Team Level during their time in the league. Unfortunately, that short success won't be enough for them to swindle their way into the HOF.
As Kiwi Would Say...LATE
Kyle DeWitt
Kyle is going to absolutely dominate NSL in 2023 and is the preseason favorite to win MVP. But, he's played in 4 games in his entire career. No shot.
Too Many L's
Grant Yee, Andrew Waterhouse, Cian McCormack, Erick HF, Jack Whalen, Cam Forster
When you think of the Newton Summer League, each one of these players come to mind. Unfortunately, each of their NSL careers are most likely over (and FILLED with losses), leaving no room to climb and possibly make the HOF.
Jack has had some great individual seasons, including an All-NSL 2nd Team appearance in tourney 1 back in 2019. But, he owns a 37-63 career record (2-4 playoffs), and unfortunately, he will be remembered as the captain of the year 1 scrub squad. If he comes out of retirement and plays in the 2023 season, he definitely has an outside shot at making it.
Andrew Waterhouse has the worst win % of any player in NSL at 21% (13-50, 1-4 playoffs). So despite the backyard scooter rides, sky high potential, and the fact that he held the NSL rebound record for a year back in 2015, he will not be making the NSL HOF.
Cian McCormack has probably made a greater impact off of the court (twitter fingers) than he has on it. Kiwi boasts a 15-36 career record (1-3 playoffs), and struggled with attendance throughout his career - but he does have one of the coolest shots in the history of the league - that floater that hit the top of the backboard a few times and rolled in.
Grant Yee retired from NSL following the 2020 season, but was a solid player who was usually stuck on some pretty rough teams. He owns a career record of 23-67, and does not have a playoff win in 4 attempts.
Erick HF, the Year 1 #1 pick who broke his arm before the season, is another really good player who was on some pretty mediocre teams. He has multiple all-star appearances, but has a career record of 29-63. Unless he makes a shocking NSL comeback, the losing is probably too much for him to overcome.
Finally, we have the sniper, Cam Forster. Cam had some absurd games, where he caught fire from 3 and didn't look back, but overall, he was regarded as a skilled role player, best suited for a bench role. He has an abysmal career record of 25-71 (2-5 in the playoffs).
** Dorval (32-96, 4-9 playoffs) and Willy B (35-66, 6-9 playoffs) would be in this tier if their careers were over
The Longshots
Zach Goldman - The Stallions
Case For: Zach has long been a defensive stalwart, capable of locking down the best players the league has to offer. He is a top 5 defensive player in NSL history, and was absolutely robbed of the DPOY back in 2021 on Team Henri. Recently, he has improved a ton on the offensive end, and is looking to take the next step forward on that side of the ball. He has an NSL Championship and boasts a 31-20 record all time.
Case Against: Despite how good Zach has been on defense, he has NEVER had a double digit scoring average in his NSL career as a full time member (most recent seasons - 9PPG in 2019, 8.57PPG in 2020, 9PPG in 2021). He's been a good player, but nothing special. On top of that, Zach hasn't played in as many seasons as you would expect (didn't play in 2015, 2016, 2019.1, 2022).
Need to Do: Zach NEEDS to make the all star game this year and to average 20+ PPG and 10+ RPG, which is totally possible given how much he's improved. If he does so, he probably vaults himself up into the next tier of players on this list.
HOF % Chance: 5%
Max Melville - The Villains
Case For: Max has no shot at getting into the HOF for his basketball ability, but, he has been an incredibly fast riser up the NSL executive ranks since he joined the league last season - he is probably 4th in command behind Matt, Sam and Kenny. Max has shown that he is one of the best and most enthusiastic coaches in league history, and that only looks to continue into 2023 and beyond. Everyone wants to play for him. Oh, and as a player, Max has the fifth highest win % in NSL history after only Will Thompson, Matt Rooney, Aidan Nugent and David Hamel-Sellman.
Case Against: The case against Max is pretty simple. He is the worst player in NSL history and he is only entering his second year of NSL.
Need to Do: Individual achievements don't matter too much here, since Max would be getting in for his coaching/team building/off the court efforts. If he can win the championship as a captain this year, and he continues coaching winning teams until the league finishes, he would have a solid shot to make the HOF as the greatest coach ever.
HOF % Chance: 5%
Ian Harris - The Rogues
Case For: Ian Harris is widely regarded as the best NSL role player of all time - winning multiple fourth man of the year awards to show for it. Despite his meh averages, every single captain wanted Ian on their team. He's a proven winner, as he has two championships and boasts a 10-4 playoff record, and is 7th all time in wins despite sitting out a number of recent seasons. Ian is a member of the original NSL, and will forever be a league legend.
Case Against: Overall, there was nothing spectacular about Ian's game. Yes, he brought great energy and impacted winning, but he was nothing more than a role player on the court. Since he has sat out the past few seasons, a bunch of players have caught up to him in terms of individual wins and number of championships. Solid player & great career, but solid players don't belong in the Hall of Fame.
Need to Do: If Ian wins a championship + 4th man of the year OR made an All Star Game, he would have a great claim to a spot in the HOF. Otherwise, it may be a bit tough. Another year as one of the better bench players in the league would still help his case.
HOF % Chance: 10%
Charlie Lewis - The Blizzard
Case For: This may surprise some of you, but Charlie Lewis 5th all time in regular season wins, 3rd in playoff wins, and finally won himself a championship last season - a season where he averaged 14 and 9 on 74% shooting (!!!). He has made the finals three times, and seems to alternate seasons where he averages a double double and seasons where he scores less than 5 points. The winning, longevity and overall solid play give Charlie more than a punchers chance at making the HOF.
Case Against: Yes Charlie may have a bunch of wins, but is he the reason why? Each season Charlie made the finals, he was a teammate of a top 3 MVP candidate (Soup in 2019, Yagev in 2021, DHS in 2022). Also, he has a few "scrub" level seasons to his name.
Need to Do: Chuck has enough wins to earn a spot in the HOF, now he just needs to put up some better, more consistent numbers. Making the all star game this season would go a long way for Charlie - and with Ryan out for the first few weeks of this upcoming season, a path to the ASG definitely exists. I'm not sure it gets him in, but it makes it real interesting.
HOF % Chance: 10%
Will Brown - The Villains
Case For: Will has never been the most consistent player, but he has been the best player on his team in the playoffs each of the last two seasons - and that's over studs such as Arik Avramovich and Lucas Nathanson. His stats aren't great, but he has always been a ~10 points per game player who plays elite D, and raises his level of play when the lights are brightest. He also has been involved in a few NSL brawls, which is an obvious bonus.
Case Against: As great as Will can be when his three ball is falling, he can be a ticking-time bomb when it isn't. He doesn't have the greatest basketball IQ, and when he's missing, he doesn't stop shooting. For as many games he has where his shot is falling and he is dominating, it seems like there are twice as many where he can't hit. He's always disruptive on defense and brings effort, but we are talking about the Hall of Fame here. Pass.
Need to Do: Find some consistency. Will needs to average 15+ points this season, continue his elite D, and emerge as the second best player on the Villains (over both Aidan and Nathan) en route to winning an NSL championship. Even if he does that, it still may not be enough.
HOF % Chance: 10%
Andrew Dorval - The Rogues
Case For: Andrew Dorval is third in NSL History in games played behind only Matt Rooney and Henri Rousseau, and has been an impact player every single season. He was the best player on the Hogs back in 2020 where he averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds on 38/35/21 splits. Dorval has averaged at least 10 points and 6 rebounds in 8 (!!) seasons, and has always been a solid defensive player. So, if you want consistency, Andrew is your guy.
Case Against: Andrew has the most losses (96) and the third worst win % in NSL history. Despite putting up numbers, Andrew's offensive game can be hard for some to mesh with, and based on his record, he doesn't seem to impact winning. He has always shot poorly from the field (% wise) and he is already starting to regress from his all-star level peak back in 2018-2020.
Need to Do: Andrew probably needs to have a major resurgence this year (and continue it next year as well) to have a shot to make the HOF. That would most likely include an all star season, a playoff series win and about 15-20 PPG.
HOF % Chance: 15%
Eric Zhang - The Dragons
Case For: There is a very very strong argument that Eric Zhang is the best team builder in NSL history. From great drafts to savvy trades, Eric has been the architect for some of the greatest teams ever. He assembled a squad of Matt Rooney, Henri Rousseau, Zach Goldman and himself back in 2020 - a good bet to be the best team of all time if the season wasn't cancelled due to COVID. Previously, in 2019 (tourney 3), he created a squad comprised of Rooney, Yagev, Swomley and himself - the best defensive team of all time. Finally, he was able to grab Rooney, Nugent and Keyur Patel to join him on the Zhang Dynasty back in 2018 when the league talent was much thinner than it is today. This year, he was able to pair Kyle Dewitt and Eli Adler-Cohen, forming what is possibly the most talented duo ever. On top of that, Eric has been a good role player for 8+ years, offering great leadership, defense and rebounding, and his play has slowly improved every season.
Case Against: There is also an argument that Eric Zhang is the worst offensive player in NSL history (if Jon Han or Max Melville shot more, it would easily be one of them). There was a time where it was more likely for his jump shots to go over the backboard than to hit the rim. Despite his great defense and rebounding, and his elite team building, his horrid offense is too much to overcome. His attempt to manipulate the salary cap - caught by the one and only Max Melville - during the 2023 FA process further hurts Eric's chances.
Need to Do: Eric has never won a championship (mostly due to cancellations and postponements), so to do so with a team he constructed would be a massive boost to his Hall of Fame Stock. If he is able to do this twice, he is probably a surefire lock.
HOF % Chance: 20%
Idi Nsbuga - The Killer Bees
Case For: When you think of the best players in NSL History, Idi is probably not who comes to mind, but, the Newton Summer League would not be the same without him. Known for his crazy triple doubles and spirited trash talk, Idi is definitely in the conversation to make the HOF. His single greatest argument is the fact that he has made the NSL Finals every season he has played in. Every single season. Granted, he has lost his last 3 finals series' (he hasn't won it all since Year 1), but getting there is still pretty impressive. Idi is a 2x all star and just last season, had a 31-17-12 masterclass where he shot 14-18 from the floor and hit 3 (!!) threes.
Case Against: Idi has been impressive when he plays, but attendance has always been a bit of an issue. That + the solid but not spectacular stats should keep him out of the HOF for the time being. He is 1-3 in the finals and may only have the one win because Matt got hurt in the beginning of game 2 (Team David was down in the series 1-0 at the time).
Need to Do: If Idi can continue his streak of NSL Finals appearances while averaging upwards of 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, he would put himself in a solid spot when the NSL announces their HOF inductees later this summer.
HOF % Chance: 20%
Thomas Byrne - The Blizzard
Case For: Despite only playing 3 seasons, Thomas Byrne has been one of the best scorers in league history and he willed the Bears to the NSL Finals last year - which they dropped in 3 games to the Monarchs. In his 3 seasons as a full time player, Thomas has averaged 25.2 points (2019), 25.1 points (2022.1), and 22.3 points (2022.2). Yes, I know the longevity isn't there, but those are elite numbers. He deserves it.
Case Against: Thomas only has 30 career games under his belt and has never finished above .500 in seasons where he has been the clear cut best player on his team. He's been great, but he just hasn't done enough so far to warrant a spot in the vaunted HOF.
Need to Do: Thomas is relatively close, but he needs another great year or two to beat out some of the others on this list who have double or triple the number of seasons he's played. Going for 25+ PPG this season and leading the Blizzard to a championship should get it done.
HOF % Chance: 30%
The Tough Calls
Eli Adler-Cohen - The Dragons
Case For: Eli is one of the most skilled offensive players in NSL history. He seems to score 20+ PPG every season regardless of who is on his team and led both of his teams in scoring last season despite being teammates with Henri Rousseau and Thomas Byrne. His greatest individual achievement is averaging 26 points a game and winning an NSL Championship - while holding Yagev to 0-19 from the field in the do or die Game 3 of the Finals - back in 2021. That wasn't the only time he held a star player to a poor playoff performance - last season, Lucas was held to a combined 16 points on 8-47 shooting in Games 2 & 3 of the Roses v Jackals series. Eli was one of the first players added to the league when it originally expanded, and has made the all star game each season. Let him in.
Case Against: Eli has a 26-26 regular season record and is 6-6 in the playoffs. Very very average. Many think doesn't make his teammates better and he has never won at a high level when he was the #1 option on his team. After missing the first few seasons of NSL, there is just too much of a gap for Eli to make up.
Need to Do: Another all-star year and a deep playoff run should be enough for Eli to distance himself from the rest of the contenders.
HOF % Chance: 65%
Kenny Brown - The Killer Bees
Case For: Kenny Brown, the sharpshooting sniper, is one of the most influential members of the Newton Summer League. He is the league sponsor, a podcast host, and hold a lot of power within NSL circles. Kenny's game on the court has improved each season, and he is the only league member to have a spot on the court named after them ("Kenny's Corner"). His defining on-court moment was in Game 2 of the first round in 2022, where he hit 6 threes and outscored every player on the Goodfellas - Josh Davis, Tameek Bray, Josh Cooke and Eric Zhang. The one time champion has meant too much to the league these past few years to be held out of the Hall of Fame.
Case Against: Kenny has never averaged double digits in a single season, and is still best suited for a bench role. Historically, he has choked when the lights were brightest, scoring 0 points in the 2022 NSL Semis on 0-8 shooting (and he only averaged 3.3 PPG in the 2021 Finals). Kenny has done a lot for the league, but besides a few 20 point games and winning a ring in 2021, he has been nothing spectacular on the court. Kenny has made in known he is retiring after this coming season to focus entirely on baseball, so he only has one last chance to stamp his ticket.
Need to Do: Bringing a lucky lady to watch him in the 2023 NSL Finals would be sure to get him into the HOF.
HOF % Chance: 70%
Hano Garcia - The Thornes
Case For: Hano Garcia has been a really good player every season of his career. He hasn't had the dominant seasons that players such as DHS, Henri and Matt have had, but he also hasn't had some of the rough years that players like Will Brown, Zach Goldman and Charlie Lewis have produced. He has the 4th most wins in NSL history (64% winning percentage) and has two finals appearances. His combination of wins + his individual stats + drama caused should be enough to vault him into the NSL HOF.
Case Against: Hano's NSL momentum is clearly on the downturn. He has had some issues lately with attendance, and has been relegated to a role player on teams where he shares the floor with multiple ball dominant players (last year with the Jackals and Bears). He's had a great career, but it may take one final hurrah for Hano to make the leap into the Hall of Fame.
Need to Do: Making the All Star Game this year with the Thornes would help add to an already impressive resume. If Hano does this, he's in. Otherwise, it's a coin flip.
HOF % Chance: 75%
Nathan Greenstein - The Villains
Case For: Despite turning into a bit more of a role player in recent years, Nathan has one of the most impressive NSL resumes out there. He made the All Star game in every season up until 2019 (he made it again in 2020), and has always been one of the best #2 options in the league. He is 5th in total games played, and 2nd in playoff games played, and has done a lot for the league off the court. I'd have to imagine that he is 4th in total points scored after only Matt, DHS and Henri, and he is probably top 5 in rebounds as well.
Case Against: While the raw numbers have almost always been there, Nate's game hasn't always translated to team success (7th most losses all time). He has always been a pretty inefficient player, and there is no reason that he should be in over the likes of more efficient players with similar resumes in Chris Ng, Aidan Nugent and Hano Garcia.
Need to Do: Similar to Hano, if Nate can capture a bit of that 2015 - 2018 magic and make the All Star team in an absolutely stacked 2023 player pool, he's got a spot in the HOF. If not, he just has to hope that players such as Eli and Thomas don't pass him.
HOF % Chance: 75%
Yagev Levi - The Stallions
Case For: Yagev, a member of the original NSL, has an argument to being the best defender in NSL history. In addition, he is a 5x All Star, 2x DPOY and a 1x MIP. Yagev is a better overall player than others around him on this list - Aidan, Hano, Nathan, Chris - and he belongs in the Hall.
Case Against: There are two main knocks on Yagev - winning and chemistry. He has a career record of 38-64 and has been on losing teams almost every season of his career. When he finally made the NSL finals in 2021, he went 0-19 from the field in the winner take all Game 3, which is pretty hard to recover from - he would be in if Team Yagev won that game. Great player, but others have had better careers and better moments.
Need to Do: Leading the seemingly dysfunctional Stallions to an NSL championship this summer would be massive for Yagev's chances to make it. If not, showing he can be a #1 option for a top-seeded team (and that his great 2021 season wasn't a fluke) should be enough to earn him a Hall of Fame spot. At the moment, he's really really close.
HOF % Chance: 75%
Chris Ng - Retired
Case For: For the first few years of NSL, Chris Ng was a borderline superstar. He made the All-NSL First team in Year 1 and continued that level dominant play for a few seasons. Around 2017/2018 or so, he settled in as a team-first role player who did whatever it took to win. He has an insane career record of 81-38, is 12-5 in the playoffs and has two NSL Championships.
Case Against: Chris' run as a star player was much shorter than that of Aidan or Nathan's, and he has missed a few of the more recent seasons. He won't be playing this summer, so if other people (Hano, Yagev, Nate) have good seasons, they could easily pass him.
Need to Do: Hope a few of Thomas, Hano, Nathan, Eli and Yagev have let down seasons.
HOF % Chance: 80%
Almost There
Aidan Nugent - The Villains
Case For: Similar to Nathan, Aidan has been an NSL All-Star for the majority of his career. He has been one of the best 2nd options in league history, and is good for a double double basically every game. Nugent is 68-27 all time and has 2 finals appearences. He is an incredibly efficient scorer, and everyone wants to play with him. Many people say that the only reason Aidan was so good was because of Matt, but maybe the opposite is actually true.
Case Against: There isn't a great case to be made against Nugent. Yes, he missed a few seasons since he was in Chicago and yes, he isn't a shot-creating top option, but those alone probably shouldn't boot him out of consideration. The biggest knock on Aidan is probably the fact that he has never won an NSL championship while *almost* everyone else being considered for the HOF has.
Need to Do: Win the championship this year and it's a lock. Otherwise, it's probably still a lock.
HOF % Chance: 90%
Henri Rousseau - The Killer Bees
Case For: Henri is a member of original NSL, and has played in every single season. He has always been an elite scorer, but he really stepped up his game in 2020 and 2021, leading the league in scoring both years (30+ PPG) and winning his first ever MVP (2020).
Case Against: Winning. Henri has a career 48-82 record (3-9 in the playoffs), and has never reached the second round of the playoffs. (2015 - first round L, 2016 - first round L, 2019.1 - first round L, 2019.2 - first round L, 2021 - play in game L, 2022 - first round L). That's a really rough postseason resume.
Need to Do: Win a playoff series.
HOF % Chance: 95%
The Locks
Matt Rooney - The Killer Bees
Matt, who owns a career record of 105-35 (17-6 in the playoffs), has to be the most accomplished player in NSL History. He is a 5 time MVP ('15, '16, '19, '21, '22) and is a 3 time NSL champion. The only season he didn't reach the finals was in 2022 - in the '22 playoffs, he averaged 47 points per game, 21 rebounds per game and 5 assists per game on 64/33/68 splits, so I don't think you can really blame him for that. Matt may rig the league each year, but there would be no NSL without him.
Sam Thayer - The Thornes
Sam began his NSL career as the #2 overall pick who averaged double digit points and won defensive player of the year. He has slowly transitioned into more of a sharpshooting role player, but he is still a valuable contributor. He owns a 54-33 career record, is one of the better captains/coaches in league history, and is absolutely elite at rattling opponents (especially Nate). Off the court, Sam has meant more to NSL than everyone other than the comish, and definitely deserves a spot in the NSL Hall of Fame
Steven Campbell - The Thornes
Soup is the only non-original NSL member to be considered a lock for the HOF. Ever since he joined the league back in 2018, Steven has averaged 30+ points per game and won a ton of games. His start to the 2022 season was totally absurd, as he went for 54 points then 49 points as he shot a combined 24-48 from deep. Soup has 3 finals appearances and is probably the most talented offensive player the league has ever seen. He belongs.
David Hamel-Sellman - The Villains
DHS, two time NSL champion, has been the most physically dominant player in NSL history. He is an incredibly well rounded player, is almost impossible to stop one on one, and has a loaded resume. He is only a 1 time MVP ('18), but is a 3x scoring champion, and has made the All-Star Team and All-NSL First Team every season of his career. David has a 77-36 record all time (11-5 in the playoffs), and just won the championship in what was the most-stacked season ever in terms of talent. Vood is ultra-competitive and always gives his all on the court - the league has been incredibly lucky to have him.
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