Dallas – After three years of disappointment, Nuggets assistant and former NBA great Adrian Dantley seems used to being snubbed by the Hall of Fame.
Dantley was one of 10 candidates named by the North American Screening Committee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2006.
But the six-time NBA all-star said he won’t be among the inductees named today in Indianapolis, which means he will be passed over for the third time.
“I could say some things, but there is no sense in me saying some things,” Dantley said Sunday. “I’m not worried about it. They vote for who they vote for, that’s all. It has nothing to do with basketball.”
Dantley ranks 18th in NBA career scoring with 23,177 points.
The 15-year NBA veteran was an All-American player at DeMatha Catholic High (Md.), scored 2,223 points and was a first-team All-American at Notre Dame and was the leading scorer for the gold medal-winning 1976 Olympic team.
The 1984 NBA comeback player of the year averaged 20 points or more in all but four of his seasons and led the league in scoring during the 1983-84 season with a 30.6 average.
“I don’t even think about it unless someone brings it up. I’ve got past that point,” Dantley said.
Said Nuggets coach George Karl: “There are so many people who I think should be in both the baseball and basketball hall of fames. I know they try to make it a special place and a special honor. This seems to me more frustrating, the guys that aren’t in it.
“(Former baseball star) Dale Murphy is not in it. There are so many incredible baseball players that aren’t in it, and basketball is the same way. A.D. falls in that category.”
B-Russ comes back
Bryon Russell has accepted that he is a former NBA player. Russell recently returned to Denver as a development coach and mentor after being waived by Seattle. The Nuggets traded the 13-year veteran to Seattle on Feb. 23. During his career, Russell played in three NBA Finals, averaged 7.9 points and played in 105 playoff games.
“Nothing to complain about. Nothing to be ashamed about,” Russell said. “I could’ve gone to other places. But why do I want to chase a ring when I have a future in something else?”
Karl plans to talk to general manager Kiki Vandeweghe to define Russell’s role. Russell’s future with the Nuggets after this season is uncertain.
“We talked early in the year about it,” Karl said. “(Russell) called up when we were on (the recent) road trip and said he was ready to come back. I have to talk to Kiki to find a niche on what assignments: Do we want to use him exclusively with the team or scout him out for the playoffs?”
Footnotes
Karl said he will continue to limit forward Kenyon Martin, who has been plagued by knee problems, to 20-25 minutes per game. …
The Nuggets will practice at UCLA in Los Angeles today. … Mavericks forward Keith Van Horn is out indefinitely after suffering a broken right hand Friday.
