Sidney Moncrief
There was no possible way we could start this list without Sidney Moncrief leading it off, seeing that he arguably is the shining Hall of Fame snub out there from those eligible for induction.
Multiple arguments have been made on behalf of Moncrief’s Hall of Fame bona fides, including this one from yours truly, and how it’s well overdue to see the Bucks great enter the halls that house many players of his caliber.
The level to which Moncrief played at, both on a team as well as an individual level, speaks for itself, considering he is often viewed as the heart and soul of that era of Bucks teams in the 1980’s. The same goes for the long list of honors Moncrief picked up at the height of his powers.
Those accolades range from five straight All-Star appearances, All-NBA selections from 1982 to 1986 ,and winning the first two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984. Add in the element that Moncrief stands as the only backcourt player to win a DPOY on two separate occasions and it only enhances the history his playing career represents in the eyes of many following the league.
Sure, there’s no hiding from the fact that two key items are missing from Moncrief’s dazzling résumé, those being he never won a championship ring and chronic injuries playing a significant part in his career coming to a premature end after the 1990-91 season.
With that said, Moncrief has certainly come close to entering the Hall of Fame by being named a finalist for many classes. Of course, his bid has yet to go beyond that point and as he humorously told former Bucks reporter Telly Hughes back in February of 2017, Moncrief’s excitement over the process has yet to get the better of him, despite the honor of simply being considered:
"“I always think I played the game of basketball because I liked to play. I loved to play basketball. I never played it for awards. I didn’t play it to go in the Hall of Fame, so it’s a pretty good feeling. My wife said I should be more excited than I am. I said well, when I’m elected to the Hall of Fame, you might get a smile out of me.”"
For the sake of all Bucks fans everywhere, let’s hope we’re all able to experience Moncrief celebrate his accomplished career with an infectious smile following his induction speech somewhere down the line.