Throughout all of sports, there are certain players and coaches who are considered no-brainers to make the Hall of Fame once they retire. For some, it is a foregone conclusion that the first year they are eligible, they will be voted in. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is one of those people and it was thought that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was in that group for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To the shock of many, however, Belichick was not inducted in his first year of eligibility. A candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame must receive 80% approval from the 50 committee members meaning that at least 11 members voted against Belichick being inducted.
The news brought out a ton of shock and outrage amongst many in the sports world, and that included LeBron. The Lakers star took to social media, calling it egregious and disrespectful that Belichick was not inducted:
Man there's no way I read that right! Right? Ain't no WAY Bill Belichick ain't 1st Ballot HOF!! That's IMPOSSIBLE, EGREGIOUS, and quite frankly DISRESPECTFUL!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 28, 2026
James’ thoughts echo those of many as it is clearly a case of politics keeping Belichick out of the Hall of Fame and nothing to do with his accomplishments. Belichick was part of a couple scandals during his time with the Patriots and wasn’t always the nicest with the media. But regardless, he won six Super Bowl Championships as coach of the Patriots, another two with the New York Giants as defensive coordinator and was a three-time Coach of the Year.
Many consider Belichick the greatest coach in NFL history. The thought of someone like Phil Jackson, Pat Riley or Gregg Popovich not being a first ballot Hall of Famer would be unheard of in basketball circles, hence the responses that this news has received in the football world.
It is a bad look for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to seemingly punish Belichick with this vote. LeBron simply can’t fathom how he could not be voted in and the Lakers star is far from alone in that thought process.
Cavaliers would ‘gladly’ welcome LeBron James back in free agency
If James chooses to continue his playing career beyond this season it could be with a team that isn’t the Lakers as he is an unrestricted free agent this summer. And his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers would reportedly ‘gladly’ welcome a return back for a third stint with the franchise.
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