As the league turned 75 in 2021 and the NBA Hall of Fame turned 50, the organizing committee announced a new structure for inductees. All 50 prior inducted players are organized into five “tiers,” as suggested by Bill Simmons and voted on by committee members. All proceeding inductees have also been placed into a tier as part of their enshrinement. The tier system applies to NBA players only.
Tier 5
The entry level tier, with players who don’t meet the criteria for the tiers below, or players who do but had their career capped by injuries or other factors.
Tier 4
Players who reached the heights of MVP or at least MVP level play but not for a lengthy period, or players who never reached that level but were consistently just below for a sustained amount of time.
Tier 3
Players who meet the criteria for tier 2 but were considered the best player in the league for only a short period, or players who were never the best in the NBA but sustained an MVP level pace for a sustained period.
Tier 2
Legendary players who were arguably the best in the NBA for an extended period, but not the greatest of all time. Minimum requirement of at least one league MVP or Finals MVP, near the top of one or more career leaderboards, and led the league at least once in a major category.
Tier 1
The best of the best; players who, at some point, were considered possibly the greatest of all time. Minimum requirements of multiple league MVPs, multiple Finals MVPs (if applicable), near the top of one or more career leaderboards, and led the league multiple times in a major category.
