Detlef Schrempf is biggest snub in Basketball Hall of Fame nominations

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame published its nominations for the class of 2026. The list included a few no-doubt candidates for enshrinement and one huge snub.

Detlef Schrempf wasn't among the players, coaches, broadcasters, referees and teams listed in the first stage of the three-stage voting process for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. While the group included likely inductees like former WNBA MVPs Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, it didn't include the three-time All-Star and two-time Sixth Man of the Year.

Detlef Schrempf has a Hall of Fame resume

Schrempf played 16 NBA seasons after the Dallas Mavericks made him the No. 8 pick in the 1985 draft. He blossomed after a trade to the Indiana Pacers, where he won Sixth Man of the Year in 1991 and 1992, after finishing second in the voting in 1990. In the 1992-93 season, Schrempf averaged 19.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and six assists, starting too many games to get the Sixth Man of the Year three-peat.

One reason Schrempf may be unappreciated by Hall voters is the same reason he was unappreciated early in his career. When Schrempf joined the NBA, European players were rare. When he made the All-Star team in 1993, it was the first time a European player had done so. Despite shooting 42.9 percent and 47.8 percent from three-point range in his first two seasons, Schrempf's playing time was still limited, thanks to being stuck behind former No. 1 pick Mark Aguirre.

Overall, his achievements are worthy of a plaque in Springfield. He made two All-Star teams with the Seattle Supersonics to go with his one with the Pacers. Schrempf played on excellent teams, playing for three 60-win Sonics teams and reaching the NBA Finals in 1996. He went to the Western Conference Finals with the Dallas Mavericks in 1988 and the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000. He scored 15,761 career points, grabbed over 7,000 rebounds and delivered nearly 4,000 assists — and that doesn't count his international play for West Germany.

He was a unique player, combining rebounds, outside shooting and excellent defense to the degree that most players with his offensive and defensive numbers are either already in the Hall or headed there.