List of members of the Basketball Hall of Fame
Encyclopedia
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts
, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball
, all-time great coaches, referees, and other major contributors to the sport. It is named after Dr. James Naismith
, who conceived the sport in 1891; he was inducted into the Hall as a contributor in 1959.
To be considered for induction, nominees must meet certain prerequisites. Players must have been retired for at least five years before becoming eligible. Referees and coaches must have either been retired for at least five years, or, if they are still active, have coached or officiated for at least 25 years at high-school-level programs or higher. Those being considered for induction as contributors may be inducted at any time; the Hall of Fame and its committees evaluate whether contributions are significant enough for the nominee to be inducted as a contributor. Teams are also inducted at the committees' discretion.
As of induction of the Class of 2011 on August 12, 2011, the Hall has formally inducted 305 individuals (148 players, 83 coaches, 3 as both players and coaches, 58 as contributors, and 13 referees) and 8 teams. The 2011 class consisted of six players, three coaches, and one contributor.
, Henry Clifford Carlson
and Walter E. Meanwell
); in total, 86 coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Eight of the inducted coaches were born outside the United States: Cesare Rubini
(Italy
, 1994), Aleksandr J. Gomelsky
(Soviet Union
, now Russia
, 1995), Antonio Díaz-Miguel
(Spain
, 1997), Aleksandar "Aza" Nikolić
(Yugoslavia
, now Bosnia and Herzegovina
, 1998), Geno Auriemma
(Italy, 2006), Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba
(Italy, 2006), Mirko Novosel
(Yugoslavia, now Croatia
, 2007), and Pedro Ferrándiz
(Spain, 2007). Six of them have won championships in the Euroleague or its historic predecessor, the FIBA Europe Champions Cup. Eight of the inducted coaches are women: L. Margaret Wade
(1985), Jody Conradt
(1998), Pat Head Summitt
(2000), Sandra Kay Yow
(2002), Sue Gunter
(2005), Cathy Rush
(2008), C. Vivian Stringer
(2009), and Tara VanDerveer
(2011). Three coaches have also been inducted as players: John Wooden
, Bill Sharman
, and Lenny Wilkens
. The most recent coaches to be inducted are VanDerveer, longtime U.S. college coach Herb Magee
and Tex Winter
, whose career in both the college ranks and NBA spanned nearly 60 years.
Most of the inductees have been college head coaches, twenty-six of whom have led a team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's championship and five of whom have led a team to the NCAA women's championship. Fifteen inductees have coached in the National Basketball Association
(NBA); all of them except Alvin F. Julian
, Jerry Sloan
, and Winter have won an NBA championship as head coaches (Winter was an assistant on nine NBA championship teams). Larry Brown
is the only inductee to coach both a college basketball team and a professional basketball team to a title, having coached the Kansas Jayhawks (NCAA) and the Detroit Pistons
(NBA) to championships.
Seven coaching inductees have received the Hall's John Bunn Award
, given annually for significant contributions to the sport—Red Auerbach
, Henry Iba
, Ray Meyer
, Summitt, Winter, Wooden, and Morgan Wootten
.
Twelve inductees have won an Olympic medal coaching a men's national team to a top-three finish in the Olympic tournament. Eight coached the U.S. national team, while the other four coached foreign national teams. Three inductees—Yow, Van Chancellor
, and VanDerveer—have led a women's national team to a top-three finish in the Olympics, all winning gold medals with the USA
, and a fourth, Auriemma, served as an assistant coach for a gold medal-winning USA team.
Five individuals inducted as coaches were associated with teams that have been inducted to the Hall as units. Donald L. "Don" Haskins
, inducted in 1997, was the head coach of the 1966 Texas Western basketball team
, which was inducted into the Hall in 2007. Chuck Daly
, inducted in 1994, was the head coach of the "Dream Team"
, the USA team at the 1992 Olympics
that featured 11 Hall of Fame players and was inducted as a unit in 2010. Wilkens, inducted as a coach in 1998, and Mike Krzyzewski, inducted in 2001, were Daly's assistants in 1992. Dutch Lonborg
, inducted in 1973, was team manager for the 1960 U.S. men's Olympic team
that was also inducted as a unit in 2010.
, the inventor of basketball. All former NBA commissioners (Maurice Podoloff
, Walter Kennedy
and Larry O'Brien
) have been inducted. Ten individuals inducted as contributors have won the John Bunn Award
, awarded by the Hall annually to a significant contributor: John Bunn
(its inaugural recipient), Walter Kennedy, Clifford Fagan
, Eddie Gottlieb, Daniel Biasone
, Larry O'Brien, Dave Gavitt
, Meadowlark Lemon
, and Tom "Satch" Sanders. Two inductees in this category are women: Senda Berenson Abbott
and Bertha Teague
(both inducted in 1985).
Six inductees in this category were associated with teams that have been inducted to the Hall as units. Naismith organized The First Team
, the group of players involved in the first-ever basketball game in 1891 and also inducted as part of the inaugural Class of 1959. Robert L. Douglas
, inducted in 1972, was the founder and owner of the New York Renaissance
, inducted in 1963. Pete Newell
, inducted in 1979, was the head coach of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team
inducted in 2010. Three were associated with the Harlem Globetrotters
, inducted in 2002. Abe Saperstein
, inducted in 1971, was the team's founder and owner. Kennedy, although best known for his time as NBA commissioner, was also the Globetrotters' public relations director in the 1950s. Lemon, inducted in 2003, was one of the team's most enduring on-court stars.
Ten individuals inducted in this category were born outside the United States—Naismith and Newell in Canada
, Podoloff and Gottlieb in modern-day Ukraine
(part of the Russian Empire
when they were born in 1890 and 1898 respectively), Douglas in Saint Kitts and Nevis
(part of the British West Indies
at his birth in 1882), Saperstein in the United Kingdom
, Biasone and Renato William Jones
in Italy
, Ferenc Hepp
in modern-day Hungary
(Austria–Hungary at his birth in 1909), and Borislav Stanković
in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina
(the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
at his birth in 1925).
Sanders, inducted in 2011, is the most recent individual to have entered the Hall as a contributor. In total, 58 individuals have been inducted as contributors.
, who was the first NBA player to be enshrined. In total, 151 players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame; 90 of them have played in the NBA. The 1993 class had the most player inductees, with eight. No players were inducted in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 2007. Three players have also been inducted as coaches: John Wooden
in 1973, Lenny Wilkens
in 1998, and Bill Sharman
in 2004. Teresa Edwards
, Artis Gilmore
, Chris Mullin
, Dennis Rodman
, Arvydas Sabonis
, and Reece "Goose" Tatum, all inducted in 2011, are the most recent players to have been enshrined.
Fourteen player inductees are women: Lusia Harris-Stewart
(1992), Nera D. White
(1992), Ann E. Meyers
(1993), Uljana Semjonova (1993), Carol A. Blazejowski
(1994), Anne T. Donovan
(1994), Cheryl Miller (1995), Nancy I. Lieberman
(1996), Joan Crawford
(1997), Denise M. Curry
(1997), Lynette Woodard (2004), Hortência de Fatima Marcari
(2005), Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
(2010), and Edwards (2011). Among these, only Lieberman, Woodard, Cooper-Dyke, and Edwards have played in the Women's National Basketball Association
. Harris-Stewart is the only female drafted by an NBA team, while Meyers is the only one to have been signed by an NBA team.
Two player inductees have won the John Bunn Award—Bob Cousy
and Wooden.
Eleven player inductees were born outside the United States. Canadian-born Robert J. "Bob" Houbregs
(inducted 1987) was drafted by NBA's Milwaukee Hawks
in 1953 and played five seasons in the league. Three of these individuals were born in the former Soviet Union
—Sergei A. Belov
, Sabonis, and Uljana Semjonova. Belov, inducted in 1992, was born in modern-day Russia
, and Sabonis, inducted in 2011, in today's Lithuania
. Both won gold medals for the USSR
at the Olympic Games
, and Sabonis added two bronze medals for Lithuania
after the restoration of its independence
in 1990. Semjonova, inducted in 1993, was born in what is now Latvia
. She won two Olympic golds with the USSR women's team
. Krešimir Ćosić
, Dražen Petrović
, and Dražen Dalipagić
(inducted in 1996, 2002 and 2004 respectively) represented Yugoslavia
internationally during their careers, and Petrović represented Croatia
after the initial breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. Italian-born Dino Meneghin
(inducted 2003) spent much of his career playing in the Italian A League. Two Brazilians, Hortência de Fatima Marcari
(inducted in 2005) and Maciel "Ubiratan" Pereira
(inducted in 2010), represented their homeland internationally, respectively for the country's women's
and men's
teams. American Dominique Wilkins
, inducted in 2006, was born in France while his father was stationed there while in the U.S. Air Force.
, born in Canada, is the only inductee in this category born outside of the United States.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, all-time great coaches, referees, and other major contributors to the sport. It is named after Dr. James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, who conceived the sport in 1891; he was inducted into the Hall as a contributor in 1959.
To be considered for induction, nominees must meet certain prerequisites. Players must have been retired for at least five years before becoming eligible. Referees and coaches must have either been retired for at least five years, or, if they are still active, have coached or officiated for at least 25 years at high-school-level programs or higher. Those being considered for induction as contributors may be inducted at any time; the Hall of Fame and its committees evaluate whether contributions are significant enough for the nominee to be inducted as a contributor. Teams are also inducted at the committees' discretion.
As of induction of the Class of 2011 on August 12, 2011, the Hall has formally inducted 305 individuals (148 players, 83 coaches, 3 as both players and coaches, 58 as contributors, and 13 referees) and 8 teams. The 2011 class consisted of six players, three coaches, and one contributor.
Coaches
As part of the inaugural class of 1959, three coaches were inducted (Forrest C. "Phog" AllenPhog Allen
Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen was an American basketball and baseball player, coach of American football, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and osteopathic physician...
, Henry Clifford Carlson
Clifford Carlson
Henry Clifford "Doc" Carlson is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as the men's college basketball coach of his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, from 1922 to 1953...
and Walter E. Meanwell
Walter Meanwell
Walter E. Meanwell was an English college men's basketball coach in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. The Leeds, England native coached in the U.S...
); in total, 86 coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Eight of the inducted coaches were born outside the United States: Cesare Rubini
Cesare Rubini
Cesare Rubini was an Italian basketball player and coach, and water polo player. One of the greatest European coaches of all time, Rubini was inducted intto the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994, the first and to this day one of the few Italian basketball figures to receive such an honour, together...
(Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 1994), Aleksandr J. Gomelsky
Alexander Gomelsky
Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky was a great Soviet and Russian basketball coach.Gomelsky was Jewish. He began his coaching career in 1948 in Leningrad with LGS Spartak...
(Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, now Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, 1995), Antonio Díaz-Miguel
Antonio Diaz-Miguel
Antonio Díaz-Miguel was a Spanish pro basketball coach. He studied in Madrid and graduated from the University of Bilbao....
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 1997), Aleksandar "Aza" Nikolić
Aleksandar Nikolic
Aleksandar "Aca" Nikolić was a renowned Bosnian Serb basketball player and coach from Yugoslavia. He is considered to be so instrumental and important to the game's development in the country that he is often referred to as the Father of Yugoslav basketball...
(Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
, now Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, 1998), Geno Auriemma
Geno Auriemma
Luigi "Geno" Auriemma is the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team, which he has led to seven National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national championships...
(Italy, 2006), Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba
Sandro Gamba
Alessandro Gamba , better known as Sandro Gamba, is an Italian basketball coach and former professional basketball player....
(Italy, 2006), Mirko Novosel
Mirko Novosel
Mirko Novosel is a former Yugoslav basketball player and coach.He played from 1952 to 1966...
(Yugoslavia, now Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, 2007), and Pedro Ferrándiz
Pedro Ferrándiz
Pedro Ferrándiz González is a Spanish basketball coach. He is most famous for coaching Real Madrid basketball club in the 1960s and 1970s. He won record 12 titles in Spanish League, 4 titles in European Champions Cup and 10 titles in Spanish Cup. His combined record coaching Real is 437-90. He...
(Spain, 2007). Six of them have won championships in the Euroleague or its historic predecessor, the FIBA Europe Champions Cup. Eight of the inducted coaches are women: L. Margaret Wade
Margaret Wade (basketball coach)
Lily Margaret Wade was an American basketball player and coach. She played high school basketball for Cleveland High School and college basketball for Delta State University in 1930-1932. The women's basketball program was discontinued at that college after she graduated...
(1985), Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
(1998), Pat Head Summitt
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
(2000), Sandra Kay Yow
Kay Yow
Sandra Kay Yow was an American basketball coach. She was the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team from 1975 to 2009. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, she had more than 700 career wins. She also coached the U.S...
(2002), Sue Gunter
Sue Gunter
Sue Gunter was a women's college basketball coach. She is best known as the head coach of the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team....
(2005), Cathy Rush
Cathy Rush
Cathy Rush was the head women's basketball coach at Immaculata from 1972-1977. She led Immaculata to three consecutive AIAW national titles from 1972-1974. She led the Mighty Macs to six consecutive final four appearances in her six seasons with the school, attaining a 149-15 record. Rush was...
(2008), C. Vivian Stringer
C. Vivian Stringer
Charlaine Vivian Stringer is a prominent African American basketball coach, with one of the best records in the history of women's basketball...
(2009), and Tara VanDerveer
Tara Vanderveer
Tara VanDerveer has been the Stanford University women's basketball coach since 1985. She led the Stanford Cardinal to two NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships: in 1990 and 1992. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team head coach at the...
(2011). Three coaches have also been inducted as players: John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
, Bill Sharman
Bill Sharman
William Walton "Bill" Sharman is a former professional basketball player and coach. Sharman completed high school in the rural city of Porterville, California and is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest...
, and Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
. The most recent coaches to be inducted are VanDerveer, longtime U.S. college coach Herb Magee
Herb Magee
Herb Magee , commonly referred to as the Shot Doctor, is a Division II men's college basketball coach at his alma mater, Philadelphia University, known as Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science until 1999. He will be entering his 45th year as head coach and 52nd year as both a player and a...
and Tex Winter
Tex Winter
Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:...
, whose career in both the college ranks and NBA spanned nearly 60 years.
Most of the inductees have been college head coaches, twenty-six of whom have led a team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's championship and five of whom have led a team to the NCAA women's championship. Fifteen inductees have coached in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA); all of them except Alvin F. Julian
Doggie Julian
Alvin F. "Doggie" Julian was a well-known college men's basketball coach. After graduating in 1923 from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, he gained legendary status by leading the College of the Holy Cross to the NCAA title in 1947. His team almost repeated this feat in 1948,...
, Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
, and Winter have won an NBA championship as head coaches (Winter was an assistant on nine NBA championship teams). Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
is the only inductee to coach both a college basketball team and a professional basketball team to a title, having coached the Kansas Jayhawks (NCAA) and the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
(NBA) to championships.
Seven coaching inductees have received the Hall's John Bunn Award
John Bunn Award
The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball...
, given annually for significant contributions to the sport—Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
, Henry Iba
Henry Iba
Henry Payne "Hank" Iba was an American basketball and baseball coach.-Early life:Iba was born and raised in Easton, Missouri...
, Ray Meyer
Ray Meyer
Raymond Joseph Meyer was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well-known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record...
, Summitt, Winter, Wooden, and Morgan Wootten
Morgan Wootten
Morgan Bayard Wootten is an American former high school basketball coach.From 1956 to 2002, he coached at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He has the most wins as a head coach in the history of basketball on any level. A number of his players went on to play in the NBA,...
.
Twelve inductees have won an Olympic medal coaching a men's national team to a top-three finish in the Olympic tournament. Eight coached the U.S. national team, while the other four coached foreign national teams. Three inductees—Yow, Van Chancellor
Van Chancellor
Van Chancellor is the former Louisiana State University women's basketball coach. He was named head coach on April 11, 2007, replacing Pokey Chatman. In 2001, Van Chancellor was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, Tennessee...
, and VanDerveer—have led a women's national team to a top-three finish in the Olympics, all winning gold medals with the USA
United States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
, and a fourth, Auriemma, served as an assistant coach for a gold medal-winning USA team.
Five individuals inducted as coaches were associated with teams that have been inducted to the Hall as units. Donald L. "Don" Haskins
Don Haskins
Donald Lee Haskins, nicknamed "The Bear" , was an American collegiate basketball coach and player. He played for three years under legendary coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M...
, inducted in 1997, was the head coach of the 1966 Texas Western basketball team
1965–66 Texas Western Miners men's basketball team
The 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team represented Texas Western University, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso and was coached by Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The team made history by winning the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 1966, becoming the...
, which was inducted into the Hall in 2007. Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...
, inducted in 1994, was the head coach of the "Dream Team"
1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. Often considered one of the strongest teams assembled in any sport, it defeated its opponents by an average of almost 44 points en route to the gold ...
, the USA team at the 1992 Olympics
Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
that featured 11 Hall of Fame players and was inducted as a unit in 2010. Wilkens, inducted as a coach in 1998, and Mike Krzyzewski, inducted in 2001, were Daly's assistants in 1992. Dutch Lonborg
Dutch Lonborg
Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg was an American collegiate basketball and football coach.-Basketball:The Gardner, Illinois native coached for 23 years at McPherson College, Washburn College, and Northwestern University...
, inducted in 1973, was team manager for the 1960 U.S. men's Olympic team
1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XVII Olympiad, representing the United States of America. The team, coached by California Golden Bears coach Pete Newell, dominated the competition, winning its games by an average of 42.4 points per game...
that was also inducted as a unit in 2010.
Contributors
For a person to be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor, they must have made "significant contributions to the game of basketball". Of the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1959, seven individuals were inducted as contributors, including James NaismithJames Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, the inventor of basketball. All former NBA commissioners (Maurice Podoloff
Maurice Podoloff
Maurice Podoloff was a U.S. lawyer and basketball and ice hockey administrator. He was the first president of the National Basketball Association...
, Walter Kennedy
Walter Kennedy (NBA)
James Walter Kennedy was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association from 1963 until 1975. He is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Walter J. Kennedy.-Early life:...
and Larry O'Brien
Larry O'Brien
Lawrence Francis "Larry" O'Brien, Jr. was one of the United States Democratic Party's leading electoral strategists when, for more than two decades, he helped reshape American politics...
) have been inducted. Ten individuals inducted as contributors have won the John Bunn Award
John Bunn Award
The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball...
, awarded by the Hall annually to a significant contributor: John Bunn
John Bunn
John W. Bunn was an American basketball coach and key contributor to the game of basketball. The Wellston, Ohio native played three seasons under coach Phog Allen at University of Kansas while earning his bachelors degree . He later became an assistant to Allen for nine seasons...
(its inaugural recipient), Walter Kennedy, Clifford Fagan
Clifford Fagan
Clifford B. "Cliff" Fagan was a high school basketball referee who became executive director of the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations and eventually president of the Basketball Hall of Fame and board member for FIBA, the international governing body for the sport of...
, Eddie Gottlieb, Daniel Biasone
Daniel Biasone
Daniel Biasone was the founding owner of the Syracuse Nationals, an NBA team now known as the Philadelphia 76ers. Biasone, who was a childhood immigrant to the United States from Italy, was mostly known for advocating the use of the shot clock in basketball...
, Larry O'Brien, Dave Gavitt
Dave Gavitt
David "Dave" Gavitt was a American college basketball coach and athletic director at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island...
, Meadowlark Lemon
Meadowlark Lemon
Meadow "Meadowlark" Lemon is an American basketball player, actor, and minister. For 22 years, Lemon was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He played in more than 16,000 games for the Globetrotters and is a 2003 inductee of the Naismith Memorial...
, and Tom "Satch" Sanders. Two inductees in this category are women: Senda Berenson Abbott
Senda Berenson Abbott
Senda Berenson Abbott was a pioneer of women's basketball, authoring the first Basketball Guide for Women...
and Bertha Teague
Bertha Teague
Bertha F. Teague was an American basketball coach. She coached Byng High School team in Ada, Oklahoma for 42 years with a career record of 1,157-115 . Her teams won 8 Oklahoma state titles and 98 consecutive games from 1936 to 1939...
(both inducted in 1985).
Six inductees in this category were associated with teams that have been inducted to the Hall as units. Naismith organized The First Team
The First Team
The First Team were the first players known to have played the sport of basketball, having been taught the game in 1891 by James Naismith, who is recognized as the inventor of the sport...
, the group of players involved in the first-ever basketball game in 1891 and also inducted as part of the inaugural Class of 1959. Robert L. Douglas
Bob Douglas
Robert L. "Bob" Douglas was the founder of the New York Renaissance basketball team. Nicknamed the "Father of Black Professional Basketball", Douglas owned and coached the Rens from 1923 to 1949, guiding them to a 2,318-381 record...
, inducted in 1972, was the founder and owner of the New York Renaissance
New York Renaissance
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom...
, inducted in 1963. Pete Newell
Pete Newell
Peter Francis Newell was an American college men's basketball coach and basketball instructional coach. He coached for 15 years at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley, compiling an overall record of 234 wins and 123 losses...
, inducted in 1979, was the head coach of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team
1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XVII Olympiad, representing the United States of America. The team, coached by California Golden Bears coach Pete Newell, dominated the competition, winning its games by an average of 42.4 points per game...
inducted in 2010. Three were associated with the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, inducted in 2002. Abe Saperstein
Abe Saperstein
Abraham M. Saperstein was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters...
, inducted in 1971, was the team's founder and owner. Kennedy, although best known for his time as NBA commissioner, was also the Globetrotters' public relations director in the 1950s. Lemon, inducted in 2003, was one of the team's most enduring on-court stars.
Ten individuals inducted in this category were born outside the United States—Naismith and Newell in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Podoloff and Gottlieb in modern-day Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
(part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
when they were born in 1890 and 1898 respectively), Douglas in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
(part of the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
at his birth in 1882), Saperstein in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Biasone and Renato William Jones
Renato William Jones
Renato William Jones , also known as R. William, or simply William Jones, was a popularizer of basketball in Europe and in Asia...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Ferenc Hepp
Ferenc Hepp
Dr. Ferenc Hepp was a basketball administrator. He is considered "the father of Hungarian basketball". He became the president of the Hungarian Basketball Federation in 1954 and was a member of the FIBA Central Board in the 1950s and 1960s. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball...
in modern-day Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(Austria–Hungary at his birth in 1909), and Borislav Stanković
Borislav Stankovic
Borislav "Bora" Stanković is a Serbian former basketball player and coach, as well as a longtime administrator in the sport's various governing bodies. For his contributions to the game of basketball he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.Stanković was born in Bihać, Bosnia and...
in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
(the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
at his birth in 1925).
Sanders, inducted in 2011, is the most recent individual to have entered the Hall as a contributor. In total, 58 individuals have been inducted as contributors.
| Year | Inductee | Achievements | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Head of Physical Education at School for Christian Workers (1887–1900); Chairman of Amateur Athletic Union Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to... (AAU) Basketball Committee (1895–1905) |
||
| 1959 | Represented New England in Olympic Trials (Springfield College Springfield College Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented... , 1936); five New England championships (Springfield College); Board of Directors of Basketball Hall of Fame (1959–66); National Association of Basketball Coaches National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches... (NABC) historian (1944–66) |
||
| 1959 | Founded Collegiate Basketball Rules Committee (1905); Secretary and Treasurer of Rules Committee (1905–31); Founded Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (now the Ivy League Ivy League The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group... ) (1910); Secretary and Treasurer of Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (1910–31) |
||
| 1959 | Physical education instructor (Springfield College Springfield College Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented... , 1890–95); invented the game of "basket ball," (now called basketball); developed basketball's original 13 rules; physical education professor (Kansas, 1917–37) |
||
| 1959 | Big Ten Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east... Championships (Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... ; 1925, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1946); helped found NCAA tournament (1939); Chairman of NCAA Rules Committee; first Coach of Basketball Association of America Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ... 's (BAA) Chicago Stags Chicago Stags The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago, Illinois, U.S..- Franchise history :The Chicago Stags were founded in 1946 and folded in 1950. Despite their short history, they were able to acquire the draft rights to a young Bob Cousy in a trade with the Tri-Cities... (1946–49) |
||
| 1959 | Played in the first public basketball game at Springfield and scored the team's only basket in a 5–1 loss; 7 Big Ten Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east... titles during late 19th century and early 20th century (Chicago Chicago Maroons The Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon, one of the school's colors. They compete in the NCAA's Division III. They are primarily members of the University Athletic Association and were co-founders of the Big Ten... ) |
||
| 1959 | Member of Basketball Rules Committee (1910–60); Editor of Official Basketball Guide (1915–60); official rules interpreter (1915–60); coach of Wilbraham (MA) Academy (1907–10) | ||
| 1960 | First representative for high schools on the National Basketball Rules Committee; pioneered use of motion pictures to study proper playing techniques; published the first high school rule book (1936); published the first state high school association publication, The Illinois Athlete | ||
| 1961 | President, Metropolitan Basketball League (1922–28, 1931–33); President and chairman of the board, American Basketball League (1928–31, 1933–53); dedicated to the advancement of professional basketball in the East; supporter of referees and one of the first league administrators to begin fining players | ||
| 1961 | Officiated in the Missouri Valley Conference Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... , Big Eight Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... , Kansas and Missouri Conferences, and the national AAU Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to... championships; one of the founders of the NABC National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches... ; author of the NABC's Constitution and By-Laws, and designer of its emblem; promoted the adoption of molded basketball by colleges |
||
| 1961 | Commissioner of Indiana High School Athletic Association Indiana High School Athletic Association The Indiana High School Athletic Association is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the State of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana based on the school's enrollment. The divisions, known as... (1922–44); coach and referee in Indiana; known as the "Czar" of Indiana high school athletics |
||
| 1962 | Operated and coached professional teams in 14 cities in the National, New England, Western Massachusetts, Hudson River, Central, New York State, Inter-State, Metropolitan, Eastern States, and American leagues (1901–32); National League championship (Camden, 1904); Metropolitan League Metropolitan League The Metropolitan League was a football league in the south-east of England.The league was founded in 1949 after several clubs learnt plans for a second division of the Southern League would come to nothing shortly before the start of the season. Originally named the Metropolitan & District League,... championships (Patterson, 1923; Kingston, 1928) |
||
| 1962 | Lobbied for formal national and international rules for amateur basketball for three decades; served on NCAA Rules Committee with James Naismith James Naismith The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,... (1912–37); Chairman, Rules Committee (1919–37); Member, Olympic Basketball Committee (1936) |
||
| 1963 | Director of athletics, University of Detroit University of Detroit Mercy University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university... (1919); Director of athletics, Colgate University Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52... (1936–55); President, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) (1944–45); Director ECAC Executive Council (1945–49) |
||
| 1964 | Coached Stanford Stanford Cardinal men's basketball The Stanford Cardinal Men's Basketball team represents Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team has won 13 conference championships , the last in 2004, and one NCAA championship, in 1942... to Pacific Coast Conference Pacific Coast Conference The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis... championships (1936–38); Helms Athletic Foundation Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball... Championship (Stanford, 1937); Chairman, Basketball Hall of Fame (1949–63); Editor, College Guide and Official Rules Interpreter (1959–60) |
||
| 1964 | Basketball director, Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden (1925) Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near... (1934); integral in formation of BAA Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ... (1946); founded the New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... (1946); President, New York Knicks (1946–74) |
||
| 1964 | Co-founded the International Amateur Basketball Federation International Basketball Federation The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball... (FIBA) (1932); organized men's Eurobasket The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and... and women's Eurobasket Women Eurobasket Women is a bi-annual basketball competition held between the nations of Europe for women's national basketball team. Eurobasket Women is also used as a qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship for Women and also for Olympic Games.-Summaries:-Performance by nation:-See... European Championships (1935–63); organized men's FIBA World Championship The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body... and women's FIBA World Championship for Women The FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially... World Championships (1950–63); organized Olympic Basketball Tournament (1936–60) |
||
| 1965 | President of the Boston Garden Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years... (1937–64); founded the Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... (1946); Celtics owner (1946–64); spearheaded the formation of the NBA (1949); President of the International Ice Hockey Federation International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members... |
||
| 1965 | Helms Athletic Foundation Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball... Championship (Butler Butler Bulldogs men's basketball The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 1979... , 1924, 1929); President, NABC National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches... (1954–55); Chairman, Rules Committee of the National Basketball Committee of U.S. and Canada; coached the Great Lakes Navy teams during World War II |
||
| 1965 | Started concept of college basketball doubleheaders at the Boston Garden Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years... (1944–45); first Chairman of the Hall of Fame Honors Committee (1959–64); owned the world's largest basketball library; considered the number-one authority on the game's history |
||
| 1968 | Influential in the development of 3-second rule; developed the 1-3-1 zone defense; National Invitation Tournament National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985... (NIT) championship (Long Island University Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... , 1939, 1941); Author, Chip Hilton's Sports Stories for Young People; Coach of the Baltimore Bullets (1952-54) |
||
| 1969 | Shoe salesman; Organized first basketball clinic at North Carolina State University North Carolina State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution... (1922); developed the popular Converse Basketball Yearbook (1922); selected All-America teams (1932); The Chuck Taylor "All-Star" was the official shoe of the Olympics (1936–68) |
||
| 1971 | Owner of the Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... . Saperstein's Globetrotters played before 55 million fans in 87 countries; the Globetrotters were part of the first basketball sellout ever at Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden (1925) Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near... ; led the Globetrotters to the World Professional Title (1940); won the International Cup with the Globetrotters (1943–44) |
||
| 1972 | Owned and coached New York Renaissance New York Renaissance The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom... (1922–49); World Professional Championship with Renaissance (1939); known as "The Father of Black Professional Basketball" |
||
| 1972 | BAA Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ... Championship (Philadelphia Warriors Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... , 1947); NBA Championship (Philadelphia Warriors, 1956); Coach and Owner of Warriors (1946-55 and 1946-62); Chairman of NBA Rules Committee for 25 years; served as NBA schedule maker for 30 years |
||
| 1972 | 50 district, regional, and invitational tournaments, including two championships (Indiana state; 1919, 1934); first President, Indiana High School Coaching Association; member of National Rules Committee (1952–56); first full-time executive secretary and director of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1963–66) | ||
| 1973 | 2 NCAA Tournament (Georgetown; 1941, 1943); Eastern Championship (Georgetown, 1943); Israeli Israel national basketball team The Israeli national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in international competition.The Israeli team has participated 25 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in Eurobasket 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977... Olympic team coach (Melbourne, 1956 Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.The teams were divided... ); Canadian Olympic team coach (Rome, 1960 Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. 16 nations were admitted into the Olympic tournament, with many others being eliminated in a pre-Olympic tournament held earlier in the year from 13 to 20 August 1960 at the Sports Palace at Bologna... ) |
||
| 1974 | 2 Helms Athletic Foundation Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball... Championship (Columbia Columbia Lions The Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M... ; 1904–05); Helms Athletic Foundation All-America (Columbia; 1904–05); Eastern Intercollegiate League championship (Columbia; 1911–12, 1914); editor of Collegiate Guide (1905–15) |
||
| 1974 | Served as NBA's first commissioner (1949–63); negotiated NBA's first TV contract (1954); arranged for construction and use of the first 24-second clock (1954); NBA's MVP Award NBA Most Valuable Player Award The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement... is named in his honor |
||
| 1975 | 2 Kansas Conference Championship (Baker University Baker University Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools... ; 1930, 1937); President of Kansas Conference Coaches Association (1936–38); created National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB)/National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament (1937); served as NAIA executive secretary (1940–49) |
||
| 1979 | 3 NAIA championship (Tennessee State Tennessee State University Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:... ; 1957–59); NAIA Coach of the Year (1958); 8 CIAA championships (1941, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1952); first African-American coach with Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League, later coach of the Denver Rockets (ABA) |
||
| 1979 | NCAA Championship (California 1958–59 California Golden Bears men's basketball team The 1958–59 California Golden Bears men's basketball team represented the University of California. The head coach was Pete Newell. He led the Golden Bears to their only NCAA Basketball Championship.-NCAA basketball tournament:*West**California 71, Utah 53... ; 1959); NIT Championship (San Francisco San Francisco Dons men's basketball The San Francisco Dons basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, in which they have won sixteen regular season and one conference tournament... , 1949); Olympic Gold Medal (Rome, 1960 Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. 16 nations were admitted into the Olympic tournament, with many others being eliminated in a pre-Olympic tournament held earlier in the year from 13 to 20 August 1960 at the Sports Palace at Bologna... ) with the 1960 United States Olympic Team 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XVII Olympiad, representing the United States of America. The team, coached by California Golden Bears coach Pete Newell, dominated the competition, winning its games by an average of 42.4 points per game... inducted as a unit in 2010; National Coach of the Year (1960) |
||
| 1980 | Organized Rochester Seagrams, Ebers, and Pros (1920s–40s); Owner of Rochester Royals (1945-1958); NBA championship (Rochester Royals Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... , 1951); instrumental in formation of NBA (1949); organized Kodak Classic Collegiate Tournament (now Rochester Basketball Classic) |
||
| 1981 | Member of FIBA Technical Commission (1948–56); President of Hungarian Basketball Federation (1954); member of FIBA Central Board (1956); member of FIBA Commission of Finances and Amateurism (1960–80) | ||
| 1981 | Public Relations Director (BAA/NBA; 1946–51); Public Relations Director (Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... , 1950s); NBA Commissioner (1963-75); John Bunn Award John Bunn Award The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball... (1975); NBA named their citizenship award J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1974–75 NBA season to a player, coach, or trainer who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the community"... in his honor |
||
| 1982 | NAIB Finals appearance (Pepperdine Pepperdine University Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of... ; 1945); Director and founder of NAIB/NAIA National Basketball Championship Tournament (1949–75); member of U.S. Basketball Association Ethics Committee (1960–64); Board of Directors, U.S. Olympic Committee |
||
| 1983 | Chairman, AAU Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to... Basketball Committee, seven terms; Chairman and team manager, Olympic Basketball Committee (1948); Executive board member, U.S. Olympic Committee (1956, 1960); Vice-chairman, Pan American Federation and FIBA Rules Committee (1962) |
||
| 1984 | Executive Secretary of Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (1947–57); Secretary of National Basketball Rules Committee (1958–77); Executive Director of National Federation of High Schools National Federation of State High School Associations The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. Most high schools, whether public or private, belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association... , (1959–77); member of U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors (1961–76) |
||
| 1984 | Instrumental in the reinstatement of the dunk (1976); eliminated jump ball with the exception of the start of the game and overtime (1981); advocate of the 45-second shot clock and three-point shot (1985); NIT Selection Committee (1962–68) | ||
| 1985 | Director of Physical Education (Smith College Smith College Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters... ; 1892–11); organized first women's game at Smith College (March 22, 1893); author, Basketball Guide for Women (1901–07); Chairperson, Basketball Committee for Women (1905–17) |
||
| 1985 | 8 Oklahoma state championships and 7 runner-ups; compiled 36 20-plus win seasons, including 28 consecutive (1930–57); founded the first girls' basketball clinic and camp in the Southwest; coach of the Decade (1930s, 1940s, 1960s) by Jim Thorpe Athletic Awards Committee (1974) | ||
| 1991 | NBA Players Association National Basketball Players Association The National Basketball Players Association is a trade association that represents basketball players in the National Basketball Association . It was previously a labor union before dissolving during the 2011 NBA lockout. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major... general counsel (1963–87); developed free-agent system (1976); established antidrug agreement; involved in ABA-NBA merger |
||
| 1991 | NBA Commissioner (1975-84); The Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (1976); created NBA college scholarship program (1980); developed antidrug program (1984); President, Basketball Hall of Fame (1985–87) | ||
| 1991 | Italian national championship (Oransoda team, 1968); oversaw the introduction of the three-point line in international competition; overseen reorganization of FIBA into zonal administration system; member of International Olympic Committee | ||
| 1999 | Five-time NBA All-Star (1961–65); NBA championship (Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... , 1968); first African American NBA general manager (Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center.... , 1971–79); later GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers; The Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year NBA Executive of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,... (1992, 1998) |
||
| 1999 | Owner of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons/Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... (1941-1974); NBL championship (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... , 1944–45); key figure in the merger of the BAA and NBL to form the NBA; NBA Finals appearance (Fort Wayne Pistons, 1955–56); named "Mr. Pro Basketball" at the 1975 Silver Anniversary All-Star Game |
||
| 2000 | President and founder (Syracuse Nationals Syracuse Nationals The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in... , 1946–63); inventor of 24-second shot clock Shot clock A shot clock is used in some sports to quicken the pace of the game. It is normally associated with basketball, but has also found use in sports such as snooker, professional lacrosse, water polo, and korfball.... (1954); NBA championship (Syracuse Nationals, 1955); John Bunn Award John Bunn Award The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball... (1982) |
||
| 2000 | NCAA Championship (Kentucky 1950–51 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team The 1950–51 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky. The Head Coach was Adolph Rupp. The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Memorial Coliseum... , 1951); Southeastern Conference Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... (SEC) Coach of the Year (1972 and 1976 with Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has a history of being among the best of the Southeastern Conference . It trails only Kentucky in basketball wins, SEC tournament titles, and SEC regular season titles in the 12-member conference. The team is coached by head coach Anthony Grant,... , 1988 and 1989 with Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball The Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won three SEC regular season titles . They have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 six times... ); President, USA Basketball USA Basketball USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee... (1992–96); John Bunn Award John Bunn Award The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball... (1997) |
||
| 2003 | Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... broadcaster; Three-time National Sportscaster of the Year (1959, 1965, 1987); Curt Gowdy Media Award Curt Gowdy Media Award The Curt Gowdy Media Award is an annual award given by the Basketball Hall of Fame to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters. It is named for American sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who was the Hall of Fame's president for seven years... (1992); Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... for Excellence in Basketball Coverage (1965); Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California... (1986) |
||
| 2003 | Longtime player for the Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... ; John Bunn Award John Bunn Award The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball... (1998); played in more than 16,000 games; known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball" |
||
| 2003 | CIAA Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II... "Player of the Decade" for the 1940s; NAIA Silver and Golden Anniversary Teams; first African American to play in an NBA game (1950); NBA Championship Team (1955); first African American bench coach (1968) |
||
| 2004 | Owner and GM of the Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... ; The Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year NBA Executive of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,... (1976, 1981, 1989, 1993); youngest general manager in professional sports (1968); enshrined in Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame (1995); former Chairman and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... ; GM of the U.S. Men's National Basketball team (2005-present) |
||
| 2005 | Coach of the Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... ; New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... and Memphis Grizzlies Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's... ; Two-time NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... (1978, 2004); ABA Championship (Kentucky Colonels, 1975); Curt Gowdy Media Award Curt Gowdy Media Award The Curt Gowdy Media Award is an annual award given by the Basketball Hall of Fame to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters. It is named for American sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who was the Hall of Fame's president for seven years... (2000); nominated for a Sports Emmy (1994, 1999) |
||
| 2006 | Coach, 1980 United States Olympic Team; five-time New England Coach of the Year; John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award (1987); Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball Award winner (1993) | ||
| 2008 | Principal owner, Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... (1974–2009); NBA championships (Detroit Pistons, 1989–90, 2004); Women's National Basketball Association Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association... (WNBA) championships (Detroit Shock Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion... , 2003, 2006, 2008); first owner in North American sports history to win championships in three different major professional leagues (NBA, WNBA, and National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... (NHL)) |
||
| 2008 | ESPN Broadcaster; Sports Personality of the Year by the American Sportscasters Association (1989); Curt Gowdy Media Award Curt Gowdy Media Award The Curt Gowdy Media Award is an annual award given by the Basketball Hall of Fame to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters. It is named for American sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who was the Hall of Fame's president for seven years... (1998); NABC Cliff Wells Appreciation Award (2000); Books include Time Out Baby!, Campus Chaos, Living a Dream and Holding Court |
||
| 2010 | Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... (1979–present) and Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... (1997–present); 10 NBA championships (Lakers, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987–88, 2000–02, 2009–10); two WNBA championships (Sparks, 2000–01) |
||
| 2011 | Player with the Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... (1960–73); 8 NBA championships (1961–66, 1968, 1969); later coach of the Celtics and Harvard University Harvard Crimson men's basketball Harvard Crimson men's basketball program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at Harvard University. The team currently competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play home games at the Lavietes Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. The team's... ; key developer of the NBA's Rookie Transition Program and founder of many of the league's player programs; John Bunn Award (2007) |
Players
As part of the inaugural class of 1959, four players were inducted, including George MikanGeorge Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
, who was the first NBA player to be enshrined. In total, 151 players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame; 90 of them have played in the NBA. The 1993 class had the most player inductees, with eight. No players were inducted in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 2007. Three players have also been inducted as coaches: John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
in 1973, Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
in 1998, and Bill Sharman
Bill Sharman
William Walton "Bill" Sharman is a former professional basketball player and coach. Sharman completed high school in the rural city of Porterville, California and is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest...
in 2004. Teresa Edwards
Teresa Edwards
-External links:******...
, Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association...
, Chris Mullin
Chris Mullin (basketball)
Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....
, Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
, Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr...
, and Reece "Goose" Tatum, all inducted in 2011, are the most recent players to have been enshrined.
Fourteen player inductees are women: Lusia Harris-Stewart
Lusia Harris
Lusia "Lucy" Harris-Stewart is a former American basketball player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball...
(1992), Nera D. White
Nera White
Nera D. White is a retired American basketball player. She is considered one of the most outstanding female players in history.- Early life and education :...
(1992), Ann E. Meyers
Ann Meyers
Ann Meyers Drysdale is a retired American basketball player and sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and the professional levels.Meyers was the first player to be part of the U.S. national team while still in high school...
(1993), Uljana Semjonova (1993), Carol A. Blazejowski
Carol Blazejowski
Carol Ann Blazejowski , nicknamed "The Blaze", is a retired women's professional basketball player and the former President and General Manager of the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Family:Blazejowski is the daughter of Leon and Grace Blazejowski...
(1994), Anne T. Donovan
Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...
(1994), Cheryl Miller (1995), Nancy I. Lieberman
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman , nicknamed "Lady Magic", is a former professional basketball player who played and coached in the WNBA.Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball....
(1996), Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (basketball)
Joan Crawford is a former basketball player and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame , Women's Basketball Hall of Fame , and Amateur Athletic Union Hall of Fame.-Early life:Crawford was born to Monroe Crawford and Iris Crawford...
(1997), Denise M. Curry
Denise Curry
Denise Curry is an American former basketball player and college and professional basketball coach. As of the 2007-2008 season, she is in her fifth year as an assistant basketball coach for the Cal State Long Beach women's basketball team.-College basketball:Curry moved to Davis, California by the...
(1997), Lynette Woodard (2004), Hortência de Fatima Marcari
Hortencia Marcari
Hortência Maria de Fátima Marcari is a former basketball player who is often considered to be one of the greatest women's basketball player in Brazil, alongside with Paula, and regarded as one of the greatest women's basketball player of all ever in the world by specialists in the world...
(2005), Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
Cynthia Cooper
Cynthia Lynne Cooper is a former American basketball player who has won championships in college, the Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association . She is considered by many as one of the greatest women's basketball players ever. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the...
(2010), and Edwards (2011). Among these, only Lieberman, Woodard, Cooper-Dyke, and Edwards have played in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
. Harris-Stewart is the only female drafted by an NBA team, while Meyers is the only one to have been signed by an NBA team.
Two player inductees have won the John Bunn Award—Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
and Wooden.
Eleven player inductees were born outside the United States. Canadian-born Robert J. "Bob" Houbregs
Bob Houbregs
Robert J. "Bob" Houbregs is a former professional basketball player.A 6'8", 225 pound forward-center, Houbregs attended the University of Washington from 1949 to 1953. In 1952, Houbregs was a Second Team Consensus All-America selection...
(inducted 1987) was drafted by NBA's Milwaukee Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
in 1953 and played five seasons in the league. Three of these individuals were born in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
—Sergei A. Belov
Sergei Belov
Sergei Alexandrovich Belov is a former basketball player, most notably playing for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society.- Career :...
, Sabonis, and Uljana Semjonova. Belov, inducted in 1992, was born in modern-day Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and Sabonis, inducted in 2011, in today's Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. Both won gold medals for the USSR
Soviet Union national basketball team
The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the successor countries all set up their own national teams...
at the Olympic Games
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
, and Sabonis added two bronze medals for Lithuania
Lithuania national basketball team
The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of five Olympic tournaments it participated in....
after the restoration of its independence
Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania
The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or Act of March 11 was an independence declaration by the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted on March 11, 1990...
in 1990. Semjonova, inducted in 1993, was born in what is now Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. She won two Olympic golds with the USSR women's team
Soviet Union women's national basketball team
The Soviet Union women's national basketball team was the women's basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions...
. Krešimir Ćosić
Krešimir Cosic
Krešimir Ćosić was a Croatian professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally, a member of FIBA Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame...
, Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrovic
Dražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
, and Dražen Dalipagić
Dražen Dalipagic
Dražen Dalipagić , born in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Yugoslavian basketball player. He was enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.-Yugoslavian national team:...
(inducted in 1996, 2002 and 2004 respectively) represented Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
internationally during their careers, and Petrović represented Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
after the initial breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. Italian-born Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered as the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all time greats. A 2.06 m tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto...
(inducted 2003) spent much of his career playing in the Italian A League. Two Brazilians, Hortência de Fatima Marcari
Hortencia Marcari
Hortência Maria de Fátima Marcari is a former basketball player who is often considered to be one of the greatest women's basketball player in Brazil, alongside with Paula, and regarded as one of the greatest women's basketball player of all ever in the world by specialists in the world...
(inducted in 2005) and Maciel "Ubiratan" Pereira
Ubiratan Pereira Maciel
Ubiratan Pereira Maciel was a basketball player from Brazil...
(inducted in 2010), represented their homeland internationally, respectively for the country's women's
Brazil women's national basketball team
Brazil women's national basketball team is the official women's basketball team for Brazil. They won the 1994 FIBA World Championship for Women in Australia.-Olympic Games:* 1992: 7th place* 1996: 2nd place * 2000: 3rd place...
and men's
Brazil national basketball team
The Brazilian National Basketball Team represents Brazil in FIBA's basketball competitions.-Men's team:First drafted in 1922, the men's team has won two World Championships , three bronze Olympic medals , four Americas Championships and five Pan American Games .-Olympic Games:-FIBA...
teams. American Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
, inducted in 2006, was born in France while his father was stationed there while in the U.S. Air Force.
Referees
The Referee category has existed since the beginning of the Hall of Fame and the first referee was inducted in 1959. Since then, 13 referees have been inducted. Ernest C. QuigleyErnie Quigley
Ernest Cosmos "Ernie" Quigley was a Canadian-born American sports official who became notable both as a basketball referee and as an umpire in Major League Baseball...
, born in Canada, is the only inductee in this category born outside of the United States.
| Year | Inductee | Achievements | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Officiated high school, college, and professional games (1924–56); officiated in NCAA and NIT tournaments; BAA/NBA supervisor of referees (1946–50); officiated for the Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... (1950–56) |
||
| 1960 | Conducted first national rules seminar; editor of AAU Basketball Guide (1901–14); secretary of the Olympic Basketball Committee (1903) | ||
| 1961 | Founded Eastern Massachusetts Board of Approved Basketball Officials; founded New England Interscholastic Basketball Tournament; chief of officials for the Eastern Massachusetts High School Tournament; refereed high school and college games | ||
| 1961 | Supervisor of NCAA tournament officials (1940–42); member of NCAA Football Rules Committee (1946–54); officiated more than 1,500 games in 40-year career; was Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... umpire for 25 years |
||
| 1961 | Officiated in the Eastern Intercollegiate Conference, the Eastern Conference, the Ivy League Ivy League The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group... , and in the National Invitation Tournament; Executive Committee of the New York City High School Coaches Association; honorary member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) |
||
| 1962 | New Jersey State championship at Hoboken High School (1924); Associate Director of Collegiate Basketball Officials Bureau (1941–56); co-author of first Manual of Basketball Officiating; officiated in the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball Conference and the Eastern Conference | ||
| 1978 | Officiated in 18 NCAA tournaments, in 18 National Invitation Tournaments; original referee in the BAA and NBA (1946–54); officiated in the Olympics (Helsinki, 1952 Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. 23 nations entered the competition.The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion , the top two at the 1951 European championships , and the host country... , Melbourne, 1956 Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.The teams were divided... ) |
||
| 1979 | Officiated in Olympic playoffs (London, 1948 Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics was the second appearance of the sport as an official medal event. A total number of 23 nations entered the competition.... , Helsinki, 1952 Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. 23 nations entered the competition.The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion , the top two at the 1951 European championships , and the host country... ), in NCAA Final Four (1954), in NCAA regional tournaments (1952, 1953); officiated two Major League Baseball All-Star Game Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers... s (1950, 1962) |
||
| 1980 | Officiated in the Olympics (Rome, 1960 Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. 16 nations were admitted into the Olympic tournament, with many others being eliminated in a pre-Olympic tournament held earlier in the year from 13 to 20 August 1960 at the Sports Palace at Bologna... ); chief official of Pan American Games (1959); Chairman of U.S. Olympic Basketball Officials Committee (1976); conducted clinics in the U.S. and 13 foreign countries |
||
| 1983 | Officiated NCAA championship game between Kentucky and Kansas State (1951); officiated in the NCAA tournament for 16 years; became the tenth referee enshrined into the Hall; supervisor of officials of the Pacific Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1955–62) | ||
| 1986 | Officiated 6 NCAA championship finals; refereed 3 NAIA Finals and 3 NIT Finals; officiated in the Olympics (Tokyo, 1964 Basketball at the 1964 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 1964 Summer Olympics took place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan from October 11 to October 23. The United States defeated the Soviet Union to win their sixth straight gold medal at this event, while Brazil earned the bronze against Puerto... , Mexico City, 1968 Basketball at the 1968 Summer Olympics -Group B:October 13October 14October 15October 16October 18October 19October 20-Medal bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place... ); best referee by Dell Publications |
||
| 1995 | Officiated in 7 NBA All-Star Games, in 29 NBA and ABA Finals; officiated in 2,400 regular season and 295 playoff games; NBA crew chief (1967–68) | ||
| 2007 | Officiated 2,112 NBA games, a record at the time of his retirement; first referee to officiate more than 2,000 NBA games; referee of 8 NBA All-Star Games and at least 1 game of the NBA Finals NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.... for 22 consecutive seasons; NBA Head of Officials |
||
Teams
The Team category has existed since the beginning of the Hall of Fame and the first teams were inducted in 1959. Since then, eight teams have been inducted.| Year | Inductee | Achievements | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | First Team The First Team The First Team were the first players known to have played the sport of basketball, having been taught the game in 1891 by James Naismith, who is recognized as the inventor of the sport... |
Founded during a class at the Springfield YMCA YMCA The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs... ; first game of basketball played on December 21, 1891 and consisted of 18 players, 9 to a side; score of first game was 1–0; toured U.S. and helped popularize basketball in the months following its invention |
|
| 1959 | Original Celtics Original Celtics The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional basketball team in the 1920s. There is no relation to the modern Boston Celtics. The Original Celtics are often credited with extending the reach of basketball across America and for establishing the importance of aggressive defensive play... |
First professional team to sign exclusive player contracts; 2 American Basketball League (ABL) championships (1926–27); introduced post play, zone defense Zone defense Zone defense is a type of defense, used in team sports, which is the alternative to man-to-man defense; instead of each player guarding a corresponding player on the other team, each defensive player is given an area known as a "zone" to cover.... s, and switching man-to-man defense |
|
| 1961 | Buffalo Germans Buffalo Germans The Buffalo Germans was an early basketball team formed in 1895 at a YMCA on Buffalo's East Side. Team members included Dr. Fred Burkhardt , Philip Dischinger, Henry J. Faust, Alfred A. Heerdt , Edward Linneborn, John I. Maier, Albert W. Manweiler, Edward C. Miller, Harry J. Miller, Charles P.... |
Pan American Championship (1901); Olympic exhibition title (St. Louis, 1904 Basketball at the 1904 Summer Olympics Basketball appeared at the 1904 Summer Olympics for the first time, as a demonstration sport. There were four different events in Saint Louis for basketball competition.-Amateur championships:*Buffalo German YMCA def. Missouri AC, 97-8... ); went undefeated in 5 of first 18 seasons; won 111 straight games (1908–10) |
|
| 1963 | New York Renaissance New York Renaissance The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom... |
Founded and owned by Hall of Famer Robert L. Douglas Bob Douglas Robert L. "Bob" Douglas was the founder of the New York Renaissance basketball team. Nicknamed the "Father of Black Professional Basketball", Douglas owned and coached the Rens from 1923 to 1949, guiding them to a 2,318-381 record... ; World Professional Tournament (1939) |
|
| 2002 | Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... |
Played more than 20,000 games in more than 100 countries; the 25th anniversary tour was highlighted by a game before 75,000 fans in Berlin's Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Berlin) The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March... (1951); won John Bunn Award John Bunn Award The John Bunn Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball... (1999) |
|
| 2007 | Texas Western 1965–66 Texas Western Miners men's basketball team The 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team represented Texas Western University, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso and was coached by Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The team made history by winning the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 1966, becoming the... |
Won the 1966 NCAA National Championship, started 5 African-American players (Bobby Joe Hill Bobby Joe Hill Tyrone Bobby Joe Hill , was an American basketball player and was the leading scorer of the 1965-66 Texas Western College team, helping the Miners win the 1966 NCAA basketball championship... , David Lattin Dave Lattin David "Big Daddy D" Lattin was the starting center for the Texas Western Miners in their NCAA championship year in 1966. During his playing career, he was listed at 6 feet 6 inches tall, and 225 pounds.... , Orsten Artis Orsten Artis Orsten Artis is a retired American basketball player. He started at guard for the 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team, the first team in history to win an NCAA championship with five African-American players in the starting lineup.... , Willie Worsley Willie Worsley Willie Worsley was one of the guards for the Texas Western Miners basketball team during their now-legendary 1966 NCAA championship game against Kentucky... , & Harry Flournoy Harry Flournoy Harry Flournoy is an African-American former college basketball player, originally from Gary, Indiana. He played college ball for Texas Western College, later called the University of Texas at El Paso, or UTEP; he made history when his team won an NCAA Division I National Championship with the... ); finished the season with a 28–1 record; coached by Hall of Famer Don Haskins Don Haskins Donald Lee Haskins, nicknamed "The Bear" , was an American collegiate basketball coach and player. He played for three years under legendary coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M... |
|
| 2010 | 1960 United States Olympic Team 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XVII Olympiad, representing the United States of America. The team, coached by California Golden Bears coach Pete Newell, dominated the competition, winning its games by an average of 42.4 points per game... |
Widely considered the greatest amateur team ever assembled; won the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics with an 8–0 record and an average victory margin of over 40 points; roster (Jay Arnette Jay Arnette Jay Hoyland Arnette is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'2" guard from the University of Texas, Arnette competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal with the United States national basketball team... , Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer Bob Boozer Robert Louis "Bob" Boozer is a retired American professional basketball player. Boozer was born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska and graduated from Tech High in Omaha.... , Terry Dischinger Terry Dischinger Terence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He currently practices orthodontics.-High school career:... , Burdette Haldorson Burdette Haldorson Burdette Eliele "Burdie" Haldorson was an American basketball player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1960 Summer Olympics... , Darrall Imhoff Darrall Imhoff Darrall Tucker Imhoff is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons in the NBA , playing for half a dozen teams... , Allen Kelley Allen Kelley Earl Allen Kelley is a former American basketball player who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal in 1960.... , Lester Lane Lester Lane Lester E. Lane was an American basketball player who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.Lane was born in Purcell, Oklahoma.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal in 1960.... , Jerry Lucas Jerry Lucas Jerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history... , Oscar Robertson Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks... , Adrian Smith Adrian Smith (basketball) Adrian Howard Smith is a retired American Northeast Mississippi Community College, University of Kentucky, NBA, and ABA player.... , Jerry West Jerry West Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr... ) included four Hall of Fame players (Bellamy, Lucas, Robertson, West) and 10 future NBA players, with four named consecutively as Rookies of the Year NBA Rookie of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head... (Robertson, Bellamy, Dischinger, Lucas from 1961–64) and three named among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 (Lucas, Robertson, West); coaching staff (Pete Newell Pete Newell Peter Francis Newell was an American college men's basketball coach and basketball instructional coach. He coached for 15 years at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley, compiling an overall record of 234 wins and 123 losses... , Warren Womble Warren Womble Warren Womble was the coach for the Peoria Caterpillars, a National Industrial Basketball League team in Peoria, Illinois.... , Dutch Lonborg Dutch Lonborg Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg was an American collegiate basketball and football coach.-Basketball:The Gardner, Illinois native coached for 23 years at McPherson College, Washburn College, and Northwestern University... ) included two Hall of Famers (Newell and Lonborg) |
|
| 2010 | 1992 United States Olympic Team 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. Often considered one of the strongest teams assembled in any sport, it defeated its opponents by an average of almost 44 points en route to the gold ... ("Dream Team") |
Called by the Hall of Fame "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet"; won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics with an 8–0 record and an average victory margin of nearly 44 points; roster (Charles Barkley Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards... , Larry Bird Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish... , Clyde Drexler Clyde Drexler Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and... , Patrick Ewing Patrick Ewing Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle... , Magic Johnson Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers... , Michael Jordan Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats... , Christian Laettner Christian Laettner Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League... , Karl Malone Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate... , Chris Mullin Chris Mullin (basketball) Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.... , Scottie Pippen Scottie Pippen Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins... , David Robinson David Robinson (basketball) David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were... , John Stockton John Stockton John Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by... ) included 11 Hall of Fame players (all except Laettner) and 10 named among the NBA's 50 Greatest (all except Laettner and Mullin); coaching staff (Chuck Daly Chuck Daly Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching... , Lenny Wilkens Lenny Wilkens Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA... , Mike Krzyzewski, P. J. Carlesimo) included three Hall of Famers (Daly, Wilkens, Krzyzewski) |