You can find a lot of things when you visit the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
There are all sorts of phenomenal displays and exhibits dating back from the inception of the game, and of course, the plaques awarded to those who have been enshrined into the famous facility that sits just over 90 miles from Boston. If you look at the list of inductees in this storied institution, you will find the greats who, according to those who vote, have won entrance to the hallowed grounds based on both their accomplishments and contributions to the game.
There is however one individual who hasn’t gotten the call to glory from the high and mighty in Springfield. To me, it seems pathetic that the voters have forgotten him as if he was invisible and irrelevant to them.
Who might I be referring to you ask? Well let’s just say he is, in my opinion, the greatest high school player in the history of the State of Indiana, (with all due respect to Oscar Robertson) and arguably one of the most prolific professional players that ever laced them up.
I refer, of course, to the great George McGinnis, and as the years continue to pass, his absence in the Hall of Fame is troubling to anyone who watched him play and understands the game.
From his days as a star at George Washington High School, to the superb college season in which he obliterated the Big Ten Conference at Indiana University (a mere dress rehearsal for a stellar professional career), McGinnis rode roughshod through every defense opponents threw at him. In the process, he accumulated all of the statistics, personal accolades and championships necessary to fill his Hall of Fame worthy resume.
With his strength, agility, and speed, “Big Mac” was an Adonis who toyed with the competition in a way that left those in the sports media shaking their heads in amazement.
“To think George McGinnis isn’t in the Hall of Fame makes me think the voters need a little history lesson,” commented Robin Miller, who covered McGinnis for the Indianapolis Star. “Not only was he one of the best high school players ever in Indiana or anywhere else, he was the American Basketball Association’s MVP when he should have been finishing college.”
Many coaches and players I have spoken to over the past two years about McGinnis’ absence in Springfield express similar views. Count in Hall of Fame coach and NBA analyst Hubie Brown who coached against him while leading the Kentucky Colonels to an ABA title.
“I have always said the best two players in the ABA were Julius Erving and George McGinnis,” Brown told me during a discussion at the 2014 NBA Finals. “He clearly belongs in the Hall of Fame.”
While many point to statistics as the overwhelming fact as a criteria for induction, McGinnis clearly has those working in his favor as well, after compiling over 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, and 3,000 assists, to go along with his three NBA All Star appearances.
Today, McGinnis resides in Indianapolis where he owns a tremendously successful business and maintains a profile that can only be described as both low and humble.
He did not respond to a request for an interview, and my few past experiences conversing with him lead me to believe he is content with his career and really doesn’t want to join the debate I am raising here despite his impeccable credentials as an athlete.
While he was never a media darling, it is unconscionable to think the voters have apparently forgotten how phenomenal he was throughout his storied career. “Watching him run the fast break like a guard was ground breaking because a six foot nine inch power forward didn’t do that back then,” added Miller. “He carved out his own identity despite playing along side one of the greatest small forwards in history, Roger Brown, and a perennial All Star center in Mel Daniels. That in itself should give the voters some idea of what a force McGinnis was early and often in his career.”
While the election process for the Hall of Fame is kept extremely private, it is obvious those with voting power are either forgetful or simply out of touch when it comes to McGinnis.
Personally I feel the Hall is a joke without him. Hopefully, those involved in what can only be described as a charade will grant this gifted player his rightful place amongst basketball royalty soon. Maybe then, I can simply smile instead of saying what took you so long. Either way, let’s open the doors in Springfield for George McGinnis and put this gross oversight to rest. If Dick Vitale, Jerry Conlangelo, and Phil Knight of Nike can get in, then it is high time to put McGinnis above those who never touched a basketball. To borrow a phrase from Knight’s company, “Just Do It” sounds right to me.
Danny Bridges, who feels McGinnis put the “P” in power forward long before the stars of today, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
