The Basketball Hall of Fame has changed its rules on the waiting period and that could allow Yao Ming to get in as early as 2016.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has traditionally made potential inductees wait five full NBA seasons before becoming eligible for the ultimate enshrinement. The idea is that the waiting period gives the committee time to thin out potential log jams that build up, while still maintaining a relatively steady influx of Hall-worthy players.
But this year, without any stand-out, slam-dunk candidates, the Hall is set to reduce the waiting time to five calendar years, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.