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Milwaukee Bucks: Marques Johnson nominated in one of best Hall of Fame classes

By Jordan Treske

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 24: Marques Johnson talks to the press prior to his jersey retirement during the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks on March 24, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 24: Marques Johnson talks to the press prior to his jersey retirement during the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks on March 24, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). /
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News broke Thursday afternoon that Milwaukee Bucks legend Marques Johnson has been nominated among a star-studded class of hopeful Naismith Hall of Fame inductees.

One of the best players in Milwaukee Bucks history has a chance to be included in the hallowed halls in Springfield, Massachusetts next fall.

We learned Thursday afternoon that Bucks legend and current Fox Sports Wisconsin color analyst Marques Johnson has been nominated for next year’s Naismith Hall of Fame class.

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Johnson is among the nominees of an incredibly loaded Hall of Fame class that is headlined by first-time nominees such as Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh.

In addition to that, Johnson is among fellow nominees and previous finalists such as Chauncey Bullups, Chris Webber and Ben Wallace on the players’ side of things.

Of course, this all comes a year after Johnson was a finalist for last year’s Hall of Fame class that eventually saw fellow Bucks legend Sidney Moncrief and former Bucks player Jack Sikma get inducted into the Hall this fall.

With that said, we’re not that far removed from seeing Johnson’s Bucks legacy come full circle as the organization retired his famed No. 8 jersey in March during the team’s magical run last season. Along with that, Johnson was also inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame last January that preceded his number being retired by the Bucks a couple of months later.

It goes without saying that Johnson will face stiff competition in hoping to hear his name be included in this go-around as the triumvirate of Bryant, Duncan and Garnett all appear to be shoo-ins to headline next year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The same could easily apply to Bosh as well, even as some skeptics may dock his chances based on longevity purposes due to his career-ending blood clot ailments a few years ago.

Unfortunately, longevity has been among the biggest reasons why Johnson has yet to have his own name be included in the hall, given his playing career was derailed by a career-ending neck injury, which he suffered during his time with the LA Clippers during the 1986-87 season. Johnson did end up making a brief comeback with the Golden State Warriors a couple of seasons later where he reunited with his longest NBA coach in Don Nelson for a 10-game stint.

We’ll find out whether Johnson sticks throughout the nomination process when the finalists for next year’s class will be announced February 14 as part of this season’ NBA All-Star festivities in Chicago. And from there, the class of inductees will be announced on April 4 during this season’s NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.

Next. Bucks Roundtable: Reflecting on the streak. dark

Also worth noting is that former Bucks head coach George Karl is among the nominations from the crop of coaches that are looking to grace the halls in Springfield.

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