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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2026 Class Includes Amar'e Stoudemire, Doc Rivers, Mike D'Antoni, and Joey Crawford

The 2026 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class includes four inductees with NBA ties: referee Joey Crawford, player Amar'e Stoudemire, and coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D'Antoni. The other inductees this year are men's college basketball coach Mark Few, and women's players Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Candace Parker. The 1996 United States Women's National Team that won the Olympic gold medal is also being inducted; that team includes six players who have already been inducted individually: Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Katrina McClain, Dawn Staley, and Sheryl Swoopes.  

Joey Crawford was presented by former NBA President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. Fellow referee Danny Crawford had been listed as a presenter but was not able to attend the ceremony. Joey Crawford said that his father, Shag Crawford, was his inspiration to become a referee. Shag Crawford was a National League umpire for 20 years, including more than 3000 games and three World Series. Joey Crawford holds the records for most NBA playoff games officiated (374) and most NBA Finals games officiated (50).  

Joey Crawford said, "I love baseball, but basketball was my bag" ever since early childhood. His father introduced him to NBA referee Jake O'Donnell (who was considered a great referee until his career ended in disgrace after an unwarranted ejection of Clyde Drexler), and Crawford said that O'Donnell not only inspired him at that time but that his first encounter with O'Donnell influenced him to help out young referees after he was an established referee. "It's my way of giving back," Crawford explained.

Crawford began his officiating journey in Philadelphia, and received his first break when he got the opportunity to officiate in the legendary Baker League. His next stop was the Eastern League, the forerunner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). After four years in the Eastern League, Crawford was hired as an NBA referee in 1977. He worked as a referee until 2016, and still works for the NBA to this day. 

Mike D'Antoni was presented by Jerry Colangelo, Bob McAdoo, Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Rod Thorn. Casual fans may not realize how good of a player D'Antoni was before he became an NBA coach. He was named the greatest guard in Italian LBA League history after leading his team to five Italian League titles, two FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague) titles, two Italian Cups, one FIBA Korać Cup, and one FIBA Intercontinental Cup. D'Antoni smoothly transitioned from playing to coaching, winning a FIBA European Cup, a FIBA Korać Cup, and an Italian Cup in seven years before heading back to the United States to work in the NBA. After D'Antoni's initial forays in the NBA as an assistant coach, head coach in Denver (briefly), and scout, he returned to Italy to coach, adding another Italian League title to his resume. D'Antoni returned to the NBA in 2002 as an assistant coach in Phoenix, and he soon became the head coach. The rest is history: "Seven Seconds or Less" became a catchphrase (and a book) as the Suns' run and gun style electrified the league, resulting in two Western Conference Finals appearances, two regular season MVP awards for Steve Nash, and the Hall of Fame inductions of Nash, D'Antoni, and Stoudemire. After leaving the Suns, D'Antoni only reached the Western Conference Finals one more time, in 2018 with Houston. His teams lost in the first round or missed the playoffs in six of the last 10 seasons of his career.

D'Antoni began his speech by calling this "a profound and unexpected honor." He said that growing up in West Virginia he had two idols: Rod Thorn and Jerry West. Thorn later became D'Antoni's coach in the ABA. D'Antoni said that going to Marshall University he learned not only the fast paced style of play he later came to symbolize, but also resilience after the school and the community mourned in the aftermath of a 1970 airplane crash that killed 75 people, including 37 of Marshall's football players.

D'Antoni said, "Sometimes life disappointments can take you exactly where you belong." He did not have a lengthy playing career in the ABA or NBA, but that led him to Italy, where he enjoyed such great success as a player and as a coach. In Italy, D'Antoni refined the run and gun style of play that he later brought to the NBA; his teams pushed the ball and spread the floor to create open three pointers, which (for better or worse) is the way that almost every NBA team plays now.

D'Antoni thanked his wife Laurel for 42 years of support and of being a great mother. He emotionally said that the day his son Michael was born was the best day of his life, adding that he never expected the emotions that come with fatherhood, a sentiment with which this father can relate. 

D'Antoni briefly mentioned his experiences coaching the New York Knicks, L.A. Lakers, and Houston Rockets, and he singled out James Harden as one of the most talented players he coached. D'Antoni concluded, "Basketball is always evolving. Players improve, front offices adapt, coaches innovate. I was fortunate to coach players and work with organizations that were willing to embrace change. Together we helped revolutionize pace, space, and the three point shot. But the game keeps evolving, coaches like Steve Kerr keep pushing it forward. If the Hall of Fame is about leaving impact, I hope mine is simple: we made the game a little faster, a little brighter, and a heck of a lot more fun. I am the luckiest man in the world to spend my life doing what I love alongside people I love. Thank you."

Doc Rivers was presented by the "Big Three" players from his 2008 Boston championship team: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Rivers earned one All-Star selection during his 13 season playing career, and he worked as a broadcaster before he became a coach and at times when he was in between coaching jobs. Rivers ranks sixth in career regular season coaching wins (1192) and fourth in career playoff coaching wins (114) with one NBA title (Boston 2008) and two Eastern Conference titles (2008, 2010) to his credit. In 2022, Rivers was selected as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. 

Rivers clarified for those who don't know that his real first name is not Doc but Glenn (he received the nickname Doc as a youngster because he wore a Dr. J shirt to a basketball camp). He said that his role models growing up included his uncle Jim Brewer, who played in the NBA, and his cousin Ken Singleton, who played Major League Baseball. Rivers believed that he could be a pro athlete because he had seen two family members do it before him.

Rivers said that his "first real basketball dream" was to beat his older brother Gar, who used to beat him 32-0 in one on one games. Rivers said that his brother has always been happy for his success, and that this means so much to him. He mentioned that this support means even more after you reach the stage in life when both of your parents have passed away, noting that many of the inductees who spoke before him talked about the impact that their parents had on their lives. Rivers implored that if you still have your parents, "Hug them, I'm just telling you, because when they're gone, they're gone, and they're gone forever."

Rivers' father was a police officer and little league coach. His father "pounded" one particular life lesson into the Rivers household: "There will be no victims in the Rivers family," meaning that there would be no whining or complaining when something bad happens. Rivers' mother always told him, "You are right where you are supposed to be." Rivers said that message sounds good when things are going well, but is not so pleasant when things are going poorly--but the point is that when things are tough you pick yourself up and keep moving forward.

Rivers mentioned several mentors in the coaching ranks, including George Raveling, Lenny Wilkens, K.C. Jones, and John Thompson. When Rivers was a high school senior, he heard Raveling say, "Use the basketball and don't let the basketball use you," and that message profoundly influenced him. Wayne Embry "served as a sounding board for me throughout my life whenever I needed wisdom, poise, or just needed to be reminded to be a leader."

Rivers said that the worst argument he ever had with a coach as a player was with Pat Riley, who told him at that time, "One day when you are a head coach--and you will be one--you're going to understand exactly where I'm coming from." Rivers recalled telling Riley that he would never become a coach because every coach he knows seems nuts. Rivers said that now he wants to thank Riley for "being right on all counts." He added that a valuable lesson he learned from Riley is to never coach a person as he is today but rather to push him to become who he should be someday.

Rivers thanked the "Big Three" and all of the players and coaches from Boston's 2008 championship team. He said that when you win a championship together it is like having a "blood transfusion" that connects you "for the rest of your lives."

He concluded by thanking his family, including ex-wife Kristin, who he praised for her loyalty to him and their kids throughout his coaching career. Rivers said that she had a list of anyone who did him or them wrong and that he wanted to be like Michael Jordan and name names but his daughter told him that he can't do that so he'll keep things moving. Rivers mentioned each of his children by name and thanked them for the sacrifices that they made while he was away from home coaching. Rivers said that having seven grandchildren is "just awesome." He expressed his pride in being the first father to coach his son (Austin) in the NBA.  

Amar'e Stoudemire was presented by Jerry Colangelo, Mike D’Antoni, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, and Rick Welts. Stoudemire provided the paint presence and inside scoring for D'Antoni's run and gun Phoenix teams. From 2005-09, Stoudemire averaged 23.2 ppg and 9.0 rpg while shooting .567 from the field, making the All-Star team four times and earning three All-NBA selections during that five year span (and he was limited to just three games due to injury in one of those seasons).

Stoudemire began by thanking God and thanking his mother, noting that he said his prayers as a kid and that he always obeyed his mother, traits that he feels served him well while growing up in poverty. He next thanked both the Hall of Fame and the Naismith family. Stoudemire thanked the fans, all of his teammates, and all of his coaches. He singled out Jerry Colangelo, Rick Welts, and the Phoenix Suns for molding him after he jumped straight to the NBA from high school.

Stoudemire said that his journey is defined by "perseverance." Stoudemire thanked his father "of blessed memory" for taking him to his first basketball game; at that game, Stoudemire saw his cousin dunk the ball and hang on the rim, and Stoudemire began to believe that he could eventually do that as well. Stoudemire's first basketball was a gift from his mother, and he described basketball as both a "best friend" and "a therapist." 

Stoudemire cited McGrady as an influence who showed that it is possible for a Florida kid to go straight to the NBA from high school. It is remarkable that Stoudemire did not play organized basketball until he was 14 and he only played two years of high school basketball before the Suns selected him with the ninth pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Stoudemire credited veteran players Penny Hardaway, Tom Gugliotta, and Stephon Marbury with answering his questions and mentoring him during his rookie season. He also connected with team broadcaster (and retired NBA player) Eddie Johnson, as well as other team staffers and personnel. Stoudemire's thirst for knowledge and wisdom is evident.

After talking about his time playing for Phoenix, New York, and Miami (he did not mention his brief stint in Dallas), Stoudemire said that as his NBA career ended he had "secretly" been studying Torah for 20 years and that he wanted to move where he could play basketball while continuing those studies. Stoudemire played pro basketball in Israel for several years, finishing his career by winning an Israeli Premier League championship and the Finals MVP.  

Stoudemire thanked his wife, and he thanked and his six children, who he took everywhere with him throughout his career. He closed by saying that the most important thing for him in his journey besides perseverance was "staying out of trouble." He grew up in difficult circumstances, but he stayed focused on his dream and on his goal. 

Selected Articles About Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies:

Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and 2008 "Redeem Team" Headline Nine Member 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class (Class of 2025)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inducts 13 Member 2024 Class, Including Vince Carter and Jerry West (Class of 2024) 

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2023 Class Includes Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and Gregg Popovich (Class of 2023)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2022 Class Includes NBA Players Lou Hudson, Tim Hardaway, and Manu Ginobili (Class of 2022)  

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes 15 New Members and Honors Bill Russell a Second Time (Class of 2021)

Kobe Bryant Headlines the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Class of 2020) 

The Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes A Diverse Class of 12 Inductees (Class of 2019)

Thoughts and Observations About the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2018)

Reflections on the 2017 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony 

Reflections on the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 

Bobby "Slick" Leonard Remembers the ABA During his Basketball Hall of Fame Speech (Class of 2014)

The Basketball Hall of Fame Belatedly Welcomes Roger Brown (Class of 2013)

Reflections on the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Class 

The A-Train Makes an Overdue Arrival at the Basketball Hall of Fame  (Class of 2011)

Dreams and Memories--Some Personal Reflections on the 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2006)

Labels: Amar'e Stoudemire, Basketball Hall of Fame, Doc Rivers, Joey Crawford, Mike D'Antoni

posted by David Friedman @ 12:03 AM

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The 2026 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class Includes Mike D'Antoni, Doc Rivers, and Amare Stoudemire

The 2026 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class includes eight individual inductees, four of whom have NBA ties: Joey Crawford, Mike D'Antoni, Doc Rivers, and Amar'e Stoudemire. The other four individual inductees are men's college basketball coach Mark Few, and women's players Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Candace Parker. The 1996 United States Women's National Team that won the Olympic gold medal is also being inducted; six members of that team--Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Katrina McClain, Dawn Staley, and Sheryl Swoopes--have already been inducted individually. 

This website focuses primarily on the NBA, so this article will focus on the Hall of Fame inductees who have NBA connections. 

Joey Crawford served as an NBA referee from 1977-2016, officiating in 2561 regular-season games, a record 374 playoff games, and 50 NBA Finals games. In 2005, he became the sixth referee to officiate in at least 2000 games, joining Mendy Rudolph, Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta, Earl Strom, and Tommy Nunez. O'Donnell's career ended in disgrace after he openly had a vendetta against Clyde Drexler--culminating in ejecting Drexler from a 1995 playoff game for no good reason--and Crawford nearly met a similar fate, being suspended by Commissioner David Stern in 2007 after ejecting Tim Duncan without just cause. After the suspension, Crawford showed contrition, sought help, and was reinstated by Stern without missing any regular season games--but 2007 was the only year between 1986 and 2015 that Crawford did not officiate a game in the NBA Finals. The NBA was better off when it had a Commissioner who made decisions based on the best interest of the game, and not based on trying to be popular with media commentators (many of whom criticized Stern for suspending Crawford, and for other actions that they deemed to be too harsh). Crawford had a quick "hook" in terms of technical fouls/ejections, but in general he was respected as an excellent referee who was not swayed by the crowd; referees who are impacted by crowds are one reason that home court advantage exists, so players and coaches prefer referees like Crawford who do not pay attention to crowd reactions.

Mike D'Antoni won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2005 with Phoenix and in 2017 with Houston. He ranks 22nd all-time in NBA regular season coaching wins (672), 32nd in regular season winning percentage (.560, minimum 400 regular season games), and 24th in NBA playoff coaching wins (54). He did not reach the NBA Finals in 16 seasons as a head coach, and he only reached the Conference Finals three times (2005 and 2006 with Phoenix, 2018 with Houston). D'Antoni's teams posted a .491 playoff winning percentage. 

I enjoyed interviewing D'Antoni in 2007 and having a conversation about that year's MVP race featuring Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kobe Bryant. D'Antoni unsurprisingly advocated for his player, Nash, but he acknowledged that the Suns would win at a high level if they had Bryant instead of Nash; that seems obvious in retrospect, but many media "experts" at that time questioned if then three-time NBA champion Bryant could lead a team as well as Nash, who won two regular season MVPs without reaching the NBA Finals during his career. Bryant finally won the regular season MVP in 2008, and he led the Lakers to two more NBA titles (2009, 2010).

D'Antoni received praise for his "Seven Seconds or Less" offense in Phoenix, as his Suns pushed the ball up the floor and shot as quickly as possible. He was lauded for his innovative offenses, but those offenses tended to sputter when it mattered most in the playoffs, and seemed better suited to pumping up individual players' statistics as opposed to generating championship level team success, as I noted in 2020 after D'Antoni's Rockets fizzled against the Lakers in the second round:

One might argue that D'Antoni is a master at developing players, but if that were the main story here then the players he "developed" would presumably retain what they had learned even after they no longer played for D'Antoni. No, the pattern above suggests that D'Antoni installs an offensive system that generates impressive individual statistics for his guards. It must be noted that D'Antoni has yet to reach the NBA Finals. In contrast, Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense did not elevate Michael Jordan's statistics but rather improved the team's offensive efficiency, resulting in six championships. Jackson's Triangle Offense had the same effect for the L.A. Lakers--the team improved (after failing to reach the Finals under previous coaches), as opposed to the individual players running amok outside of the context of playing championship level basketball... 

Under D'Antoni, average point guards put up All-Star numbers, and All-Star point guards get vaulted into the MVP conversation. Steve Nash is a more durable Mark Price--and that is no slight: Price was a great player, but no one gave him serious MVP consideration during his career, and no one gave Nash serious MVP consideration before or after the time he played for D'Antoni.

Dave Berri and other "stat gurus" expected D'Antoni to turn around the flailing New York Knicks, but I correctly noted that the Knicks were unlikely to improve under D'Antoni unless D'Antoni emphasized defense for the first time in his career. The Knicks posted a 121-167 regular season record under D'Antoni, making the playoffs once in four years--and they got swept 4-0 in that lone postseason appearance. D'Antoni coached the L.A. Lakers for two seasons, and then spent four seasons coaching the Houston Rockets, resulting in James Harden posting gaudy regular season statistics before flaming out each year in the playoffs, which has been Harden's pattern throughout his career.

Doc Rivers is a favorite target for casual fans on social media and for media members who don't understand basketball, but his coaching resume is impressive: 1192 regular season wins (sixth most all-time), 114 playoff coaching wins (fourth most all-time), and two Eastern Conference titles with the Boston Celtics (2008, 2010). He led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA title. Rivers' teams have reached the playoffs 22 times in his 27 coaching seasons. In 2022, Rivers was selected as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. Rivers' critics point out that he is the only coach in NBA history whose teams have blown multiple 3-1 playoff series leads, but they leave out the fact that Rivers' teams were the underdogs in two of those three series. Those who assert that Rivers can only be successful with stacked team forget or ignore that Rivers won the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year award after leading the "heart and hustle" Orlando Magic to a 41-41 record with Darrell Armstrong, a young Ben Wallace, Bo Outlaw, John Amaechi, and Tariq Abdul-Wahad as the five primary starters.

Amar'e Stoudemire was the high-flying, rim-running center for D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns. Stoudemire won the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year award, and averaged 21.4 ppg and 8.9 rpg while shooting .544 from the field in 516 regular season games with the Suns. As a Sun, Stoudemire earned four All-NBA Team selections (including First Team honors in 2007) and made the All-Star team five times. Stoudemire earned his fifth All-NBA Team selection and made his sixth All-Star team in 2011 while playing for D'Antoni in New York. Injuries limited his availability and productivity--he did not play in more than 65 games in a season or average more than 18 ppg after the age of 29--but during his prime years he was a force in the paint on offense.

Labels: Amar'e Stoudemire, Basketball Hall of Fame, Doc Rivers, Joey Crawford, Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 3:37 PM

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Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and 2008 "Redeem Team" Headline Nine Member 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes nine inductees (eight individuals plus one team), with six inductees having NBA ties: Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Danny Crawford, Mickey Arison, the 2008 Team USA squad (the "Redeem Team" that beat Spain in the Olympic gold medal game), and Billy Donovan (an NBA head coach for 10 seasons who is being inducted based on his accomplishments as a college coach, capped off by leading Florida to NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007). The other three inductees are women's players Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore.

Howard may be one of the most underrated players of the past 25 years; it is baffling that he was not included on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Howard earned five straight All-NBA First Team selections (2008-2012), won five rebounding titles (2008-10, 2012-13), and captured three Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009-11). The only centers with more than five All-NBA First Team selections are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10), Shaquille O'Neal (eight), Wilt Chamberlain (seven), Hakeem Olajuwon (six), and George Mikan (six). The only players with more rebounding titles than Howard are Wilt Chamberlain (11), Dennis Rodman (seven), and Moses Malone (six). Only Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, and Rudy Gobert won more Defensive Player of the Year awards (four each) than Howard. Howard made the All-NBA Team for eight straight seasons and then he averaged at least 13.5 ppg and at least 10.5 rpg in each of the next four seasons after that run. As a 34 year old reserve, he averaged 7.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg while anchoring the paint for the 2020 L.A. Lakers as they won the "bubble title."

Howard said that when he was 10 he told his father that he would be the number one pick in the NBA Draft, and his father "believed in me as much as I did, but you wanted me to commit to it. I wrote down my goals and I placed them above my bed, along with my cross. And you helped me work to achieve those goals, day after day. Look how life works. Pops, Mom, your son is in the Hall of Fame." Howard thanked Robert Parish, one of his four Hall of Fame presenters. Parish was his grandmother's favorite player, and Howard recalled that during his rookie season Parish helped him and was "one of my biggest inspirations."  

Next, Howard recognized several Hall of Famers who inspired him but were not able to attend the ceremony. Bill Russell, who passed away in 2022, wrote the book Russell Rules, which Howard said "allowed me to understand the game at a whole different level. That book taught me about leadership and the importance of staying committed to my goals." Howard noted that Dikembe Mutombo, who passed away in 2024, "motivated me to challenge and battle for every shot." Howard praised Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as "My GOAT," and described him as the only player in NBA history who had "two Hall of Fame careers"--first as Lew Alcindor, and then as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Howard said that Dennis Rodman is one of his favorite players and "the greatest rebounder ever." 

Howard then turned his attention to his other three Hall of Fame presenters, thanking Dominique Wilkins "for inspiring me," and describing Patrick Ewing as not only a coach but also a mentor. Shaquille O'Neal and Howard have engaged in some verbal sparring over the years, and Howard described those disputes as "sibling rivalries." Howard said that he and O'Neal are now "brothers in this fraternity of basketball."

Howard said that The Little Engine That Could "was my favorite book and my greatest inspiration. Like that little engine that could, I used to repeat to myself 'I think I can.' Eventually, it became, 'I know I can.'"

Howard and then-Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy did not always see eye to eye when they worked together, but Howard stated that he would not have become a Hall of Famer without Van Gundy pushing him: "There is no Dwight Howard without Stan Van Gundy. You taught me what it means to stay ready."

After acknowledging his teammates from the 2008 Olympics and the 2020 Lakers, and his wife and children, Howard concluded, "You only die once but you live every day." 

Mickey Arison, inducted as a Contributor, bought controlling interest in the Miami Heat in 1995, and under his leadership the team became one of the NBA's model franchises with three NBA titles (2006, 2012, 2013) and seven Eastern Conference titles (2006, 2011-14, 2020, 2023). One of Arison's key moves was hiring Pat Riley to run the basketball operations (Riley also coached the 2006 championship team). Arison's presenters were Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, and Alonzo Mourning. Arison called Hall of Fame selection "the highest honor" in the sport, but noted that it was not an honor that he had ever sought. He said that during the time that he has owned the Heat, his plan has been simple: "Do right by south Florida, and build a winner."

The best NBA referees do their jobs without calling attention to themselves. For 32 years, Danny Crawford was at the pinnacle of NBA officiating. He was selected to work in the NBA Finals--the top honor for an NBA official--in each of his final 23 seasons, and in 30 seasons overall. Some referees are hot-tempered in general, and other referees seem to hold grudges against certain teams or players, but when Crawford officiated a game you had confidence that he would keep matters under control without becoming the center of attention and without letting any personal feelings get in the way of objective officiating. 

Crawford delivered a brief, prerecorded speech. He called induction "an incredible honor," and he thanked David Stern and Adam Silver for their leadership of the NBA and for providing him the opportunity to be an NBA referee. He gave a special thank you to "fellow Hall of Famer Darell Garretson, who taught me how to referee at the highest level." Crawford appeared on stage, presented by Isiah Thomas and Tim Hardaway.

It is easy to forget how far USA Basketball had fallen after the Dream Team's triumphant 1992 romp to Olympic gold in Barcelona. Team USA finished sixth in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, an embarrassing performance by the country where basketball was invented. Team USA struggled to get a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. Team USA's bronze medal performance in the 2006 FIBA World Championship meant that Team USA had to earn qualification into the 2008 Olympics. In The Real Story Behind Team USA's Losses in Previous FIBA Events, I explained that Team USA needed to improve defensively and to create better team chemistry. The addition of Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd to the roster in 2007 solved both problems, and Team USA dominated the 2007 FIBA Americas Cup--Team USA's first gold medal in any FIBA event since 2003--before Team USA won Olympic gold in 2008. The 2008 gold medal-winning squad is known as "The Redeem Team," and is the 14th team to be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Both Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony played for that team.

Jerry Colangelo, the USA Basketball managing director who assembled the "Redeem Team," called that time the highlight of his basketball career. Colangelo recalled that he had just two conditions when David Stern asked him to run USA Basketball: he requested total control of the selection of coaches/players, and an unlimited budget. Colangelo said that Stern did not like the idea of an unlimited budget, but Stern went along with it after Colangelo vowed that he would raise any needed funds by finding sponsors. Colangelo also provided a great tribute to George Raveling, who recently passed away. Colangelo said that Raveling always wanted to be called "coach," that he spoke with Raveling multiple times per week, and that Raveling was a mentor to many people in the basketball world.

LeBron James said that Kobe Bryant was the 2008 team's "missing link that we needed in order to regain the dominance with Team USA" because Bryant "brought a sense of seriousness to the team. He made us lock in. We knew, once he joined, that he was going to be committed, we couldn't be doing nothing half-assed. Kobe wasn't going for that, so it made myself, CP, Dwade, Melo, we locked in even more because we wanted to show him that we could get to that level as well." James' statement is a tacit--or not even that tacit--admission that prior to Bryant joining Team USA the squad was not fully locked in and committed to doing what needed to be done to win at the highest level. Remember that at that time, Dwayne Wade was the only player from that younger generation who had won an NBA title (Bryant already had won three). Bryant's pivotal role on the "Redeem Team" should never be minimized or forgotten. 

Team captain Jason Kidd, who spoke with characteristic modesty about his role, provided essential leadership and mentoring not just for young point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams but for the entire squad.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski called winning the 2008 Olympics "the best moment of my coaching career."

The next inductee, Billy Donovan, is perhaps best known to younger fans as an NBA head coach but he was honored primarily for his outstanding 21 year college coaching career during which his teams made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and four Final Fours while claiming back to back NCAA titles (2006-07). He is one of only four men to win an NCAA title as a coach and appear in the Final Four as a player. Donovan was presented by Rick Pitino and Maurice Cheeks. Donovan said, "Faith and belief have been incredibly powerful in my life, and it's not been the faith and belief in myself but it's been the faith and belief that others have had in me when there was really no sign or evidence to have faith." Donovan credited Pitino's "belief, faith and confidence in me" for helping him become the player and coach that he became. He said that he and Cheeks have worked together for nine years and that Cheeks' knowledge as an NBA All-Star, NBA champion, and Hall of Fame player have been invaluable. Donovan spoke of his steep learning curve as a young NBA coach fresh from the college ranks, and mentioned how much Cheeks helped ease that transition.

A lot has been said and written about Carmelo Anthony, and this is not the time or place to revisit all of that. He has vocal detractors and ardent supporters. I don't believe in false praise, nor do I believe in unfair criticism. Anthony has accomplished more than most people who ever play basketball. As a freshman, he led Syracuse to an NCAA title; as a professional, he established himself as a lethal one on one scorer. Ultimately, basketball is a team sport, and individual greatness in a team sport is defined by elevating your team to championship contention: he did that in college, but he did not do that in the NBA. Anthony never played in the NBA Finals and he reached the Conference Finals just once in his 19 season NBA career while posting a 3-13 career playoff series record; any player who wins an NBA title posts more playoff series victories in one year (four) than Anthony had in nearly two decades. Read that sentence again, and consider that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won more playoff series in 2025 than Carmelo Anthony won in 19 NBA seasons!

In Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part VI, I summarized Carmelo Anthony's place in pro basketball history: "Even in his prime he was not a great all-around player. He was a championship player in college who regressed in terms of having a championship mentality in the NBA, which is unusual. Most NCAA champions who have the necessary physical talent to excel in the NBA--which Anthony obviously does--hone the championship habits that they formed in college, but Anthony did not. He was never the best player at his position, he played for talented teams that did not seriously contend for the championship, and he resisted when his coaches tried to guide him toward having more of an impact on winning." Therefore, I do not rank Anthony among pro basketball's 75 greatest players--even though he was selected to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021--but it is clear that he deserved first ballot Hall of Fame selection, particularly because the Hall of Fame recognizes accomplishments at all levels of the game. Anthony's Hall of Fame resume includes his college championship, prolific NBA scoring, and extensive FIBA experience. 

Anthony was presented by Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. Anthony gave a very powerful speech, describing poetically how he overcame the doubters and deprivations of his youth by staying focused on his vision of what he could become. He declared, "Tonight I don't just step into the Hall of Fame. I carry with me the echoes of every voice that ever told me I couldn't. I walk with the shadows of every alley, every cracked court, every empty plate. I stand for the dreamless, the doubted, the dismissed, for every soul still trapped in the places I broke free from, from Red Hook to Myrtle Avenue." He said that his father "left this world too soon but you never left me." Anthony added, "Your name is my name. Your spirit walks with me in every step I take." He praised his sister Michelle for being his protector and for believing in him "when I didn't even know how to believe in myself." He thanked his mother for teaching him, "Love is action. Sacrifice is quiet. Faith is louder than fear," and he told her, "You are my hero."

He concluded with a message to his children:

Your father isn't perfect, but he is proof--proof that struggle doesn't mean surrender. Proof that the road can be rough and still lead to glory. And so again I say to every child listening, they will tell you to be realistic. I say be relentless. They will say you are dreaming too big. I say dream louder. They will try to label you, box you in, count you out, but remember statistics don't measure heart. They don't account for fight. They don't see the storm that built you. You were made for more. You are more than possible. You are inevitable. 

Selected Articles About Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inducts 13 Member 2024 Class, Including Vince Carter and Jerry West (Class of 2024) 

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2023 Class Includes Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and Gregg Popovich (Class of 2023)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2022 Class Includes NBA Players Lou Hudson, Tim Hardaway, and Manu Ginobili (Class of 2022)  

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes 15 New Members and Honors Bill Russell a Second Time (Class of 2021)

Kobe Bryant Headlines the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Class of 2020) 

The Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes A Diverse Class of 12 Inductees (Class of 2019)

Thoughts and Observations About the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2018)

Reflections on the 2017 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony 

Reflections on the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 

Bobby "Slick" Leonard Remembers the ABA During his Basketball Hall of Fame Speech (Class of 2014)

The Basketball Hall of Fame Belatedly Welcomes Roger Brown (Class of 2013)

Reflections on the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Class 

The A-Train Makes an Overdue Arrival at the Basketball Hall of Fame  (Class of 2011)

Dreams and Memories--Some Personal Reflections on the 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2006)

Labels: 2008 Team USA, Basketball Hall of Fame, Billy Donovan, Carmelo Anthony, Danny Crawford, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Jerry Colangelo, Kobe Bryant, Mickey Arison

posted by David Friedman @ 5:21 AM

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The 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class Includes Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard

The 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class includes eight individual inductees, five of whom have NBA ties: Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Danny Crawford, Mickey Arison, and Billy Donovan (an NBA head coach for 10 seasons who is being inducted based on his accomplishments as a college coach, capped off by leading Florida to NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007). The other three individual inductees are women's players Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore. The 2008 Team USA squad that won the Olympic gold medal is also being inducted. Four members of that team--Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, and Dwyane Wade--have already been inducted individually. 

This website focuses primarily on the NBA, so this article will focus on the Hall of Fame inductees who have NBA connections. 

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James were both rookies in the 2003-04 NBA season, so it is a tribute to James' remarkable longevity that he is still playing at an All-NBA Team level in the year when Anthony is being inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007, but Anthony never played in the NBA Finals and he reached the Conference Finals just once in his 19 season NBA career while posting a 3-13 career playoff series record; any player who wins an NBA title posts more playoff series victories in one year (four) than Anthony had in nearly two decades.

Anthony led Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA title as a freshman, and he then had a very productive professional career during which he earned six All-NBA Team selections and 10 All-Star selections while winning the 2013 scoring title. His 28,289 career regular season points rank 12th in ABA/NBA history. Anthony played in the Olympics for Team USA a record four times, winning a bronze medal in 2004 followed by gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016. In Team USA's FIBA World Cup Struggles and the Myth of "Olympic Melo," I noted that Anthony's impact on those gold medal-winning teams has been exaggerated:

"Olympic Melo" is a mythical creature. I am not sure when, why or how the myth began, but the myth is not supported by statistics, the eye test or any other meaningful player evaluation system. Consider Anthony's performance in the 2008 Olympics: he had the second lowest field goal percentage on the team (.422, including .382 in medal round play) and he was benched for the final eight minutes of the gold medal game. During medal round play, Team USA outscored the opposition by 25 points when Anthony was in the game; Team USA outscored the opposition by 52 points when Kobe Bryant was in the game, and they outscored the opposition by 50 points when LeBron James was in the game.

Anthony performed somewhat better in the 2012 Olympics, though his overall numbers were skewed by his stat-padding 37 point explosion versus Nigeria during pool play. Anthony scored eight points on 3-9 field goal shooting during the gold medal game, and throughout the tournament he was often on the bench when the score was close.

In the 2016 Olympics, Anthony scored seven points on 3-7 field goal shooting in the gold medal game. He also had seven rebounds, one of which came after he was reinserted late in a blowout win so that he could set the Team USA Olympic record for career rebounds; he has not been a dominant Olympic rebounder but he holds the U.S. record for most Olympic appearances (four) and most Olympic games played (31, seven more than anyone else), so it is not surprising that he set some career records.

This recitation of facts is not meant to bash Anthony or to diminish his accomplishments and his dedication to Team USA. Here is what I wrote about Anthony after the 2016 gold medal game: "I am not a huge fan of Anthony's game and I am not surprised that he again came up small in the biggest games but I must say that I was moved by how overcome with emotion he was in the moments right after the game. It is obvious that representing his country is very important to Anthony and I commend him for that, particularly since so many players over the years have turned down that opportunity; Anthony has answered that call four times and the flaws in his game do not diminish the dedication that he has demonstrated in support of America and of USA Basketball. Each player on the team committed himself to sacrifice for the greater good; this may not have been a Dream Team but it was an American team that represented America well and it was a pleasure to watch them play the right way in the gold medal game."

In Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part VI, I summarized Anthony's place in pro basketball history: "Even in his prime he was not a great all-around player. He was a championship player in college who regressed in terms of having a championship mentality in the NBA, which is unusual. Most NCAA champions who have the necessary physical talent to excel in the NBA--which Anthony obviously does--hone the championship habits that they formed in college, but Anthony did not. He was never the best player at his position, he played for talented teams that did not seriously contend for the championship, and he resisted when his coaches tried to guide him toward having more of an impact on winning." For those reasons, I do not consider Anthony to be one of pro basketball's 50 or 75 greatest players--even though he was selected to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021--but it is clear that he without question earned first ballot Hall of Fame selection after a career filled with high level accomplishments at the collegiate, professional, and international levels. 

Dwight Howard led the NBA in rebounding five times (2008-10, 2012-13), and ranked first in blocked shots twice (2009-10) while winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009-11). He made the All-NBA First Team five straight times (2008-12) and he earned eight All-NBA Team selections overall. Howard ranks 11th in ABA/NBA history with 14,627 career regular season rebounds. During his prime he was the most dominant big man in the NBA, leading the Orlando Magic past LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2009 NBA Finals before losing to Kobe Bryant's L.A. Lakers. Howard posted a 13-11 career playoff series record, including helping the Lakers to win the 2020 "bubble title." Howard should have been selected to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, but it is fair to say that he is not the most popular person, and it is unfortunate that his lack of popularity likely played a role in denying him a well-deserved honor.

During Danny Crawford's 32 year NBA officiating career (1985-2017), he logged more than 2000 regular season games, 300 playoff games, and 30 NBA Finals games. He was selected to work in the NBA Finals--the highest honor for an NBA official--in each of his last 23 seasons. As an NBA fan during that entire period, I can say that whenever you saw that Crawford was officiating a game you felt confident that the game would be called well and that he would maintain control without losing his temper or calling unwarranted technical fouls. Crawford's NBA career began at the height of the Magic Johnson/Larry Bird years, which was also the twilight of Julius Erving's career and the start of Michael Jordan's career, and he was still officiating during the early years of Golden State's rise to the top of the league, so Crawford had an up close view of a lot of NBA history.

Mickey Arison, who is being inducted as a Contributor, bought the Miami Heat in 1995, and since that time the Heat have been one of the league's model franchises, capturing NBA titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013 while winning the Eastern Conference Finals seven times (2006, 2011-14, 2020, 2023). Arison is highly respected for his philanthropic contributions to the Miami community and beyond.

Billy Donovan has been a very good NBA coach--posting a .546 regular season career winning percentage--but his Hall of Fame credentials are based on his outstanding college record: 502-206 (.709 winning percentage) in 21 seasons (two at Marshall, followed by 19 at Florida), including nine straight NCAA Tournament appearances (and 14 overall), four Final Fours (2000, 2005-06, 2014), and back to back NCAA titles (2006-07). Though not relevant to his Hall of Fame selection, it should be noted that Donovan was also an excellent player at Providence who played one season in the NBA.

Team USA finished sixth in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, and settled for a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. Team USA's bronze medal performance in the 2006 FIBA World Championship required Team USA to earn qualification into the 2008 Olympics, an embarrassing situation for a country that should rightfully expect to dominate international basketball competitions. In The Real Story Behind Team USA's Losses in Previous FIBA Events I explained that Team USA needed to improve defensively and to create better team chemistry. The addition of Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd to the roster in 2007 solved both problems, and Team USA rolled to victory in the 2007 FIBA Americas Cup--Team USA's first gold medal in any FIBA event since 2003--before Team USA won Olympic gold in 2008. That 2008 gold medal-winning squad was dubbed "The Redeem Team," and is now the 14th team to be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Labels: 2008 Team USA, Basketball Hall of Fame, Billy Donovan, Carmelo Anthony, Danny Crawford, Dwight Howard, Mickey Arison

posted by David Friedman @ 9:17 PM

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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inducts 13 Member 2024 Class, Including Vince Carter and Jerry West

The 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony was originally scheduled for the weekend of August 16-17, but was shifted to the weekend of October 12-13 on a one-time basis after a basketball-packed summer that included Team USA winning the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. 

The Class of 2024 includes 13 inductees, eight of whom have strong NBA ties: players Dick Barnett, Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, and Walter Davis, plus contributors Doug Collins, Herb Simon, and Jerry West. This year's other five inductees are Seimone Augustus, Harley Redin, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith (a Louisiana high school coach, not the former NBA player) and Michele Timms. 

As usual, this report will focus on the inductees who have NBA connections.

Billups led off the proceedings, and he was presented by Tina Thompson and his Detroit teammate Ben Wallace. His Detroit Coach Larry Brown was also supposed to present him, but Brown was unable to attend the ceremony. Billups noted that his grandmother had dreamed of someone in the family doing something that would establish the family name in a positive light. He said that his father Ray was his first coach/role model. 

It is obvious that playing for five different teams in his first six NBA seasons both stung and inspired Billups, who was the third overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Billups played 51 games for the Boston Celtics as a rookie before they traded him to Toronto, and he lasted just 29 games in Toronto before landing in Denver. He played 58 games for Denver in parts of two seasons before being shipped to Minnesota. Billups credited Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders with being the first NBA coach who believed in him. Billups said that during his time in Minnesota he received point guard mentoring from Terrell Brandon and general mentoring from Sam Mitchell, who later became the 2007 NBA Coach of the Year and is currently a commentator on NBA TV and SiriusXM NBA Radio.

Billups enjoyed two solid seasons in Minnesota before signing with the Detroit Pistons as a free agent. That decision put Billups' career on a Hall of Fame arc, as he led the Pistons to six straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances (2003-08), two NBA Finals appearances (2004-05) and one NBA title (2004). Billups earned the 2004 NBA Finals MVP as his Pistons beat the favored but injury-riddled L.A. Lakers 4-1. Billups recalled that in those days the Pistons called themselves "The Best Five Alive" and they did not believe that any team could beat them. 

Billups said that his parents inspired him while laying a solid foundation in life for him and his siblings. Speaking directly to his three daughters--who all attended the event--Billups said, "Legacy is not something you leave for someone. It is something you leave in someone."

Ty Lue--who coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title--encouraged Billups to become an NBA coach, telling Billups that the job is stressful but that he will love it even though he will gain weight and have bags under his eyes from watching so much game film/video. Billups acknowledged that everything Lue told him about coaching turned out to be true. Billups has a career 81-165 record in three seasons as Portland's coach, but he declared that he will be a winner as a coach just like he was a winner as a player. Billups thanked the coaches who helped him become a great player, and he mentioned that no coach pushed him harder than Larry Brown, who helmed Detroit's 2004 championship team. Billups concluded by thanking his grandmother for her prayers, and he said that her prayers came true in terms of him putting respect on the Billups name.

Herb Simon, who purchased the Indiana Pacers with his brother Melvin in 1983, is the longest serving NBA team owner. He was presented by Larry Bird, Tamika Catchings, and Reggie Miller. Simon, who looks, moves, and acts significantly younger than his age, declared that he is "excited as ever" for the start of the NBA season on October 23, which will be his 90th birthday. Simon's favorite part of owning the Pacers is how the team brings his family together, and he proudly noted that all eight of his children attended this ceremony.

Simon said that his three presenters represent almost the entire time span that he has owned the Pacers (and the WNBA's Indiana Fever). He said of Miller, "You epitomize everything it is to be a Pacer." Miller spent his entire 18 season NBA career with the Pacers. Simon noted that Catchings brought him his only championship when she led the Fever to the 2012 WNBA title. Simon declared to Bird, "You are a winner at everything you do."  During his tenure with the Pacers, Bird won the Coach of the Year award (1998) and the Executive of the Year award (2012). Bird also selected Kevin Pritchard as his successor to run the team, and Simon indicated that Pritchard's moves are a major reason that he is so excited about the upcoming NBA season. 

Returning to the family theme as he finished his speech, Simon pointed to his niece Cynthia A. Simon Skjodt in the crowd and said, "If ever an award deserved two names this one deserves it, so in closing I want to dedicate this recognition to the memory of my brother Mel." 

I had never heard of Charles Smith, a Louisiana high school coach, before he received this honor. What struck me most about his story and his speech is that he has lived a life dedicated to service. He had opportunities to pursue fame and glory by coaching college basketball, but he stayed grounded in his roots and taught his students not only the game of basketball but the game of life. To this day, he is still a math teacher and a school bus driver at Peabody High School.

Jerry West is the first three-time inductee, going in this time as a contributor after previously being honored as a player (1980) and as a member of Team USA's 1960 Olympics team (2010). West, who passed away on June 12, 2024 at the age of 86, was presented by Rick Welts, Bob McAdoo, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Pat Riley, Jamaal Wilkes, Vlade Divac, Del Harris, and Michael Cooper. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pau Gasol, and Shaquille O'Neal were listed as presenters for West in the Hall of Fame's official press release, but they did not attend the ceremony.

Jerry West's son Jonnie spoke on his behalf. Jonnie noted that his father was obsessed with winning, and "The truth is, my dad would have struggled to accept all this recognition. He had a habit of tuning out all of the praise and hearing only criticism. But I'm here today to talk about how good he was at his job, whether he likes it or not, because Jerry Alan West was an overlooked kid from little Chelyan, West Virginia who is now a Hall of Famer for a historic third time."

Jonnie described a man who was so competitive that if he made a hole in one he would be upset about how the ball rolled into the hole. Everyone who is successful in life is competitive to some extent, but there is a difference between being competitive and being obsessed with competition, and there are a select few who are obsessed with competition. It is clear from Jonnie's descriptions and from all that is publicly known about his father that Jerry West--like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant--had an obsession with competition that few other people have.

Jerry had a tremendous eye for talent, and he had the courage of his convictions. He drafted Vlade Divac at a time when it had not yet become popular to draft European players--and Divac rewarded this faith by having a Hall of Fame career. Yet, when the opportunity arose to draft a promising 17 year old Kobe Bryant, West traded Divac to Charlotte for the necessary draft pick. Jonnie asserted, with pride but also justification, that Jerry West's nearly simultaneous acquisitions of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant may have been the most impactful back to back moves of any executive in sports history. 

Jonnie did not mention the contentious nature of his father's departure from a Lakers organization to which he contributed so much, but it must be said that the rift between Jerry West and the Lakers is not only sad but it reflects poorly on the Lakers--and it is likely not a coincidence that the Lakers were a lot more successful with Jerry West in the fold than with Jerry West in exile. Jonnie pointed out that after his father left the Lakers he helped build the Memphis Grizzlies into a 50 win squad after the team had previously never won more than 23 games in a season. Jerry West also made meaningful contributions to Golden State and to the L.A. Clippers, for whom he was working as a consultant at the time of his death. The Clippers issued a statement describing West as the "personification of basketball excellence."

Jonnie noted that despite his father's obsession with competition, he also maintained compassion and connection in his interactions with his co-workers. 

Just five years ago, Dick Barnett spoke powerfully at the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony about his Tennessee A&I squad that was the first team to win three straight collegiate championships, so it was poignant to see the wheelchair-bound Barnett unable to speak at his own induction. Barnett's teammate Bill Bradley described him as a two-way player who was an essential member of the Knicks' championship teams in 1970 and 1973. Barnett's signature move was his "Fall back, baby" jump shot, with that trademark phrase signifying that his team can fall back on defense because he was sure that he would make the shot.

Doug Collins earned four NBA All-Star selections, but he joins the Hall of Fame not as a player but as a contributor. Like West, Collins distinguished himself in multiple roles during a long basketball career, excelling as a player, coach, and broadcaster. His Philadelphia 76ers teammate Julius Erving said of Collins, "I never played with a guy whose feet and hands were so quick. That quickness was also a part of his mind, and his heart and his energy. He was one of the greatest players I ever had as a teammate." Grant Hill said, "Doug was the best coach I had in the NBA." Grant Hill, Billy Cunningham, and Jerry Reinsdorf served as presenters for Collins.

Collins brought a basketball on stage with him, and declared that everyone assembled should think about that basketball: "Eight pounds of air, and what it has done for all of our lives." During his speech, Collins described himself as a storyteller, and he told many stories in a speech that lasted for nearly 30 minutes. In theory, there is a time limit for each speech, but in practice it is rare for anyone to be given the hook, because these speeches are a chance for these inductees to frame how history will remember them. Collins was a member of the 1972 Team USA squad that was robbed of Olympic gold by what Collins rightly term "political" reasons, and he never won an NBA championship as a player or as a coach, so his time on stage clearly had great meaning for him as an opportunity to talk about what he learned and what he felt during his basketball journey. 

Collins, like West, is the ultimate basketball junkie/basketball purist, as anyone who followed his career knows very well. Collins declared, "I've never been afraid to fail," and he emphasized that young people should understand that failure is a way to grow. His passion for the game is obvious and contagious, from his description of playing for Coach Will Robinson at Illinois State through his recounting of the 1972 Olympics to his statement that the premature end of his NBA career due to injury "broke my heart." 

Collins transitioned from playing to broadcasting, and then Jerry Reinsdorf hired Collins to coach the Chicago Bulls after being struck by how well Collins analyzed the game on TV. Collins noted, "You're always being evaluated." Collins posted a 442-407 regular season record with the Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, the Washington Wizards, and the Philadelphia 76ers.

I enjoyed Collins' recollections of the players he played with and against, and the challenges he faced during his injury-riddled NBA career. Collins described seeing Erving for the first time, at the Maurice Stokes Benefit that used to be held annually at Kutsher's Country Club. Collins said that while he was warming up he heard a buzz in the crowd, and then he saw Erving walk on the court holding a basketball in each of his huge hands. Erving jumped up, dunked one basketball and then dunked the other basketball. Collins recalled thinking that he was playing the wrong sport!

There were some murmurs from the crowd as Collins' speech approached the 30 minute mark, and Collins hearkened back to Jimmy Valvano's legendary ESPYs speech when Valvano dismissed the blinking light that indicated that his time to speak was up. Collins closed by thanking his family members individually--including his grandchildren, children, and wife--and he stated that he had followed Coach Robinson's advice to never leave home without a basketball. That advice served him well, and carried Collins all the way to the Hall of Fame!

Bo Ryan spent his entire college coaching career in the state of Wisconsin. He was presented by Roy Williams. Jim Calhoun, who was supposed to be his other presenter, took ill and was not able to attend. Ryan spoke the line of the night: "The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away." He praised Williams and Calhoun for embodying that ideal.

Seimone Augustus is one of the greatest female basketball players ever. Her speech was noteworthy because she recited most of it in poetic form, and because she stated that she plans to be successful enough in her post-playing career to be inducted a second time. Harley Redin was inducted posthumously for his significant contributions to the women's game. Michele Timms is still one of my favorite female basketball players of all-time because of her high basketball IQ, her deft passing, and her grit; she is a pioneer of the modern women's professional game who did not post gaudy WNBA statistics but who had a major impact on team success both as a professional and as a member of the Australian national team.

Younger fans may not know about Walter Davis, but if you followed college and pro basketball in the 1970s and 1980s then you will never forget the smooth, graceful style of "The Greyhound." Julius Erving, who could be termed the poet laureate of the NBA because of his ability to succinctly and vividly describe the essence of a player's greatness, said of Davis, "A player who was not only skilled, but made other players better. He was poetry in motion." Davis was presented by David Thompson, Bob McAdoo, Jerry Colangelo, Roy Williams, Charlie Scott, and Bobby Jones. Davis' daughters attended the ceremony and provided brief recorded remarks but did not give a live speech.

Michael Cooper's career does not fit the traditional statistical profile for a Hall of Famer because he was not a high scorer nor was he a perennial All-Star; in fact, he never made the All-Star team, though he did earn the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year award plus eight straight selections to the All-Defensive Team (1981-88). However, Cooper was a very important player on five championship teams (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88) as a member of the L.A. Lakers before coaching the L.A. Sparks to two WNBA titles (2001-02). He was a versatile player who could play three positions--point guard, shooting guard, small forward--at both ends of the court.

Cooper's presenters were Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, and Lisa Leslie. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not able to attend. During his speech, Cooper mentioned that he was raised by his grandmother and extended family members. His high school coach cut him twice, but taught him a lifelong lesson that passion for sports goes hand in hand with devotion to God. Cooper gave tribute to Jerry West, who drafted him for the Lakers: "He was a friend and a mentor. I owe him more than he could ever understand, and I miss him more than I can ever express." Cooper said that winning the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award in 1986 meant a lot to him, and he pledged to use his platform to give back to the game and the world that has given so much to him.

Vince Carter is probably the 2024 inductee who is most familiar to younger fans, as Carter retired from the NBA in 2020 after playing for a record 22 seasons. He initially achieved fame for his spectacular dunks--and the signature moments of his career include winning the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest and posterizing Frederic Weis during the 2000 Olympics--but Carter also won the 1999 Rookie of the Year award before earning eight straight All-Star selections (2000-07). After being traded to Orlando, Carter began the transition from star player to role player, a subject that I discussed with him after an Orlando-Indiana game in 2010.

Julius Erving and Carter's cousin Tracy McGrady presented Carter. Befitting a player who had the longest career in NBA history, Carter spoke for nearly 30 minutes, longer than any other inductee other than Collins. Carter began by paying tribute to his connection with McGrady, a bond formed when they found out that they were related not long before they became teammates in Toronto. Then, Carter talked about Erving: "We all have heroes, and I am thankful to have my hero up here." Carter lived out the dream held by most basketball fans in the 1970s and 1980s to not only meet Erving but to have a meaningful connection with him; interviewing Erving on the phone, meeting/interviewing him at the 2005 ABA Reunion, and speaking with him at other All-Star Weekends are highlights that will never be topped during my basketball journey.

Carter thanked various family members, friends, and teammates who helped and supported him. Carter talked about the enduring influence that his University of North Carolina experience had not just on his career but on his life, because he always considered himself a student-athlete as opposed to an athlete-student. He reviewed his NBA career in reverse chronological order, beginning at the end with the Atlanta Hawks and then concluding at the beginning with the Toronto Raptors. Although the Basketball Hall of Fame differs from some Halls of Fame that primarily identify each inductee with a specific team, Carter stated emphatically his preference to enter the Hall of Fame as a Raptor.

Erving appeared as a presenter for the first time since 2021. The official records for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame presenters only go back to 2001 (which is an odd limitation for an organization that is supposed to be dedicated to preserving and honoring basketball history), but there is good reason to believe that no one has been a Hall of Fame presenter more often than Julius Erving. A person must be a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee to be a presenter. Erving was inducted in 1993.

Here is the list of each of the 18 times that I can confirm that Erving has been a Hall of Fame presenter:

Julius Erving as Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Presenter

1994: None
1995: Presented Cheryl Miller
1996: None
1997: Presented Alex English
1998-2000: None
2001: Presented Moses Malone
2002-2003: None
2004: Presented Clyde Drexler
2005: None
2006: Presented Dominique Wilkins
2007-2010: None
2011: Presented Artis Gilmore
2012: Presented Katrina McClain, Ralph Sampson and the All-American Red Heads
2013-2014: None
2015: Presented John Calipari
2016: Presented Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal
2017: None
2018: Presented Maurice Cheeks and Charlie Scott
2019: Presented Chuck Cooper and Bobby Jones
2020: None
2021: Bill Russell
2022: None
2023: None
2024: Vince Carter

Articles About Recent Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2023 Class Includes Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and Gregg Popovich (Class of 2023)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2022 Class Includes NBA Players Lou Hudson, Tim Hardaway, and Manu Ginobili (Class of 2022)  

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes 15 New Members and Honors Bill Russell a Second Time (Class of 2021)

Kobe Bryant Headlines the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Class of 2020) 

The Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes A Diverse Class of 12 Inductees (Class of 2019)

Thoughts and Observations About the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2018)

Labels: Basketball Hall of Fame, Bo Ryan, Chauncey Billups, Dick Barnett, Doug Collins, Harley Redin, Herb Simon, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Michael Cooper, Seimone Augustus, Vince Carter, Walter Davis

posted by David Friedman @ 2:03 PM

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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2024 Class Includes Dick Barnett, Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Doug Collins, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Herb Simon, and Jerry West

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2024 class includes 13 inductees, eight of whom have strong NBA ties: players Dick Barnett, Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, and Walter Davis, plus contributors Doug Collins, Herb Simon, and Jerry West. West joins Lenny Wilkens as the only three-time inductees, as West was previously inducted as a player and as a member of the 1960 Team USA Olympic team. This year's other five inductees are Seimone Augustus, Harley Redin, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith (a Louisiana high school coach, not the former NBA player) and Michele Timms. At 20 Second Timeout I focus on the NBA game, but I will note that Timms is one of my favorite female basketball players of all-time (along with Cynthia Cooper, who I interviewed during the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend). Timms was a heady, scrappy player whose impact on winning was greater than her individual numbers might suggest.

The eight inductees who are connected with the NBA have impacted basketball from the 1950s through today.

During the 2019 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Barnett narrated a powerful tribute to his school--Tennessee A&I--and his college coach, John McClendon. Barnett led Teneessee A&I to three straight NAIA championships (1957-59) before enjoying a successful 14 season NBA career that included winning two NBA titles with the New York Knicks (1970, 1973) and earning one NBA All-Star selection (1968). Barnett averaged a career-high 23.1 ppg in the 1965-66 season, and he finished his career with 15,358 points (15.8 ppg).

Billups won the 2004 NBA Finals MVP as his Detroit Pistons defeated the L.A. Lakers, who had won three straight championships (2000-02) with the powerful Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant duo leading the way. He earned the nickname "Mr. Big Shot" because of how often he rose to the occasion in clutch situations. Billups ranks sixth in ABA/NBA history in free throw percentage (.897). Billups was not a dominant player or a perennial MVP candidate, but he earned five All-Star selections, three All-NBA selections, and two All-Defensive Team selections. Also, every NBA Finals MVP who is eligible for Hall of Fame induction has been inducted except for Cedric Maxwell.

Carter holds the record for most ABA/NBA seasons played (22), breaking the mark of 21 previously held by Moses Malone (19 NBA seasons, two ABA seasons), Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, and Dirk Nowitzki. After Carter retired, I analyzed his Hall of Fame candidacy:

Should Carter be selected as a Hall of Famer? The answer to that question depends on how you think about the Hall of Fame. If you think that the Hall of Fame should only welcome the absolute best of the best, then you would likely think that Carter is not worthy. Carter is not one of the 50 greatest players of all-time, and may in fact not be one of the top 100 greatest players of all-time. However, if you think that the Hall of Fame should welcome players who played at a high level for an extended period even if they never reached MVP level then Carter easily meets that standard. Carter was no worse than a top 20-25 player for an eight to 10 year period, which is excellent peak value. He then spent an even longer period as a solid rotation player; those final seasons lowered his career per game averages, but should Carter's Hall of Fame resume be downgraded because he had great longevity compared to his peers whose bodies failed them at a younger age, or who were not able to adjust to a lesser role in order to stay in the league? Carter proved that he was a coachable player who was willing to help younger players, and he proved that there was more to his game than just eye-popping leaping ability. Carter's role in elevating (pun intended) pro basketball in Toronto, and his iconic dunks (both in games and in the Slam Dunk Contest) are intangibles that bolster his Hall of Fame candidacy.

Cooper won the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year award, and he made the All-Defensive Team for eight straight seasons (1981-88), including five First Team selections (1982, 1984-85, 1987-88). He was a key member of all five Showtime Lakers championships teams (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88). Cooper was a prototype for what is now called a "3 and D" player; in addition to his defensive prowess he ranked in the top 10 in three point field goal percentage three times (1984, 1986-87), and he twice ranked second in the league in three point field goals made, albeit with numbers that do not look impressive in today's NBA (38 in 1984, 89 in 1987).

However, while Billups fits the Hall of Fame profile as a Finals MVP and multiple-time All-Star and Carter was a top 20-25 player for an extended time, Cooper's resume lacks such credentials. Thus, Cooper's induction raises more questions about what it means to be a Hall of Famer: it is one thing to determine that players such as Billups and Carter deserve Hall of Fame induction, but if Cooper--who never made the All-Star team, and never averaged more than 12 ppg, 6 apg or 4.5 rpg in a season--is a Hall of Famer then where is the line drawn? Should Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen be inducted as well? This is not meant to diminish the value that Cooper, Horry, and Bowen provided to multiple championship teams; the point is that at no time during their playing careers did any credible analyst seriously consider them to be Hall of Famers. With very few exceptions, Hall of Fame status meant, at a minimum, playing at an All-Star level for a sustained period. Cooper, Horry, and Bowen were tremendous role players who played alongside multiple players whose Hall of Fame credentials are beyond reproach, and those first ballot Hall of Famers likely could have won championships with other supporting casts, but one cannot picture Cooper, Horry, or Bowen being the first, second, or third best player on a championship contender.

I am not saying that Cooper should not be a Hall of Famer, and I am not trying to rain on his parade, but I am saying that the criteria for Hall of Fame induction should be clarified; the criteria seem to have evolved or shifted.

Davis was known as "The Greyhound" because of his graceful and smooth playing style. He won the 1978 Rookie of the Year award over Hall of Famer Bernard King, and Davis finished fifth in MVP voting that season as well. He earned two All-NBA Second Team selections (1978-79), and he was a six-time All-Star (1978-81, 1984, 1987). Prior to his NBA career, he was an excellent college player at North Carolina and an Olympic gold medalist in 1976.

Collins earned four All-Star selections in his injury-plagued eight season NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers before compiling a 442-407 record as an NBA head coach with Chicago, Detroit, Washington, and Philadelphia. He also established himself as one of the premier color commentators on NBA and FIBA telecasts. 

Herb Simon has owned the Indiana Pacers longer than any other owner has owned a team in NBA history. He co-owned the team with his brother Melvin from 1983 until Melvin died of cancer in 2009. Under Simon's ownership, the Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference Finals eight times (1994-95, 1998-2000, 2004, 2013-14) and the NBA Finals once (2000).

West is a Pantheon-level player who also coached the L.A. Lakers for three seasons (1977-79) before enjoying one of the most accomplished front office careers in NBA history, building Lakers teams that won eight NBA titles (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88, 2000-02); although West left the Lakers after the 2000 season, it is fair to say that the Lakers would not have won their 2001 and 2002 championships had West not brought Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to L.A. West won the Executive of the Year award twice (1995 with the Lakers, 2004 with the Memphis Grizzlies). The dust jacket to Roland Lazenby's Jerry West biography asserts that West is "a man who has done more to shape basketball than anyone on the planet."

Labels: Basketball Hall of Fame, Chauncey Billups, Dick Barnett, Doug Collins, Herb Simon, Jerry West, Michael Cooper, Vince Carter, Walter Davis

posted by David Friedman @ 8:44 PM

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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2023 Class Includes Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and Gregg Popovich

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2023 class includes 12 inductees: NBA players Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, and Dwyane Wade; NBA coach Gregg Popovich; college coaches Gene Bess, Gary Blair, David Hixon, and Gene Keady; WNBA player Becky Hammon; contributor Jim Valvano; the 1976 U.S. Women's Olympic Team (selected by the Women's Veterans Committee). 

The four NBA players and one NBA coach honored in tonight's ceremony all achieved the bulk of their accomplishments from the early 2000s through the mid-2010s. This article will focus on their careers, and the speeches that they gave tonight.

Tony Parker was the event's first speaker. His presenters were Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Parker said of Duncan, "To me, he is the best power forward ever." He also said that Duncan "has a special power with his eyes," noting that Duncan never asked for the ball but just looked at him, and Parker knew that it was time to deliver the ball. "Manu is the most unique player I have ever played with," Parker declared, adding that Ginobili made two kinds of passes: the legendary ones, and the ones that went to the fans in the stands. Parker joked about how much Coach Popovich loved the second kind of pass.

Parker said that if you tell people your dreams and they don't laugh then your dreams aren't big enough. That is important enough to put in bold print: If you tell people your dreams and they don't laugh then your dreams aren't big enough. Who cares about the thoughts and opinions of small people who have small dreams? Such people never accomplish anything worth noting, nor do they have the power to stop anyone from accomplishing things that are worth noting.

Parker became emotional when he talked about how much his father and mother helped him, and he also mentioned his brothers, his two young sons, and his wife. Parker called Gregg Popovich his "second dad." Parker said that he always felt that his career would not be complete without leading France to the EuroBasket title, a goal that he accomplished in 2013 after previously winning two bronze medals and one silver medal in that event.

Parker joins his teammates David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in the Hall of Fame. Robinson, Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker played together on the San Antonio Spurs' 2003 championship team, and the Duncan-Ginobili-Parker trio went on to win three more NBA titles (2005, 2007, 2014). Parker received the 2007 Finals MVP after the Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in LeBron James' first NBA Finals appearance. Parker spent his first 17 NBA seasons with the Spurs before closing out his career with one year in Charlotte. He finished fifth in the 2012 regular season MVP voting while making the All-NBA Team four times and making the All-Star team six times.

Parker was not a great outside shooter, rebounder, or defensive player, but his speed in the open court and his ability to finish in the paint helped him to become a very good scorer and a solid playmaker with career regular season averages of 15.5 ppg and 5.6 apg. It could be argued that Parker did not post Hall of Fame caliber individual numbers, but the counterargument is that he sacrificed individual glory to play a key role in team success; it is useful to think of both Parker and Ginobili as the opposite of flashy scorers like Gilbert Arenas, Carmelo Anthony, and James Harden who lacked both the ability to lead a team to a title and the humility to accept being the second or third option on a championship contender.

Pau Gasol's presenter was Toni Kukoc. Gasol said that Kukoc inspired him, and that when he was a child he would have never imagined that not only would he be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame but that Kukoc would be his presenter. Gasol thanked his "friend and mentor" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was also scheduled to be his presenter but was unable to attend the ceremony. Gasol thanked both of his parents for inspiring and motivating him, and he called his younger brother Marc "a special kid." Gasol said that his jump ball versus Marc at the 2015 NBA All-Star game was a special moment. Gasol noted that the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona "changed my life," because watching the Dream Team inspired him so much. 

Gasol mentioned that people who doubted and questioned him provided powerful motivation, including a coach during his youth days who told Gasol there was nothing he could do against the player he was guarding because "He will make the pros and you won't." 

Gasol is proud of his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, noting that he and his teammates built the foundation for what the Grizzlies have become.

Gasol praised "the person who elevated my game like no other, who taught me what it took to win at the highest level, who showed me how hard you had to work and the mentality you needed to have in order to be the best--the commitment you had to make, what it meant and what it took to be a leader: Kobe." Gasol said that the first night he joined the Lakers, Kobe Bryant made a point of introducing himself at 1 a.m. in Gasol's hotel room, delivering a simple message: "He made sure that right away, firsthand, I got the message. He said, 'Welcome to the team. I'm happy you're here. Now let's go win a championship together.' I said, 'Alright I'm in, man. I'm in. Have a good night.' That was it. No crap. Straight to the chase." Gasol added, "I wouldn't be here without you, brother. I wish more than anything that you and Gigi were here today with us. I miss you and love you." Gasol thanked Bryant's widow Vanessa for attending the ceremony, and he thanked her for letting him be an uncle to Bryant's surviving children. Bryant's untimely death alongside his daughter Gianna and seven other passengers in a helicopter crash is a tragedy not only for his family, but also a loss that creates a void that ripples out and touches people across the world. 

Gasol offered a "special thank you to Phil Jackson, a truly incredible man." He said that Jackson taught him and his Laker teammates about mindfulness.

Gasol was not only an NBA star but also a highly decorated FIBA player who led Spain to much success. He declared, "Representing my country was a big deal, and such a privilege."

Gasol thanked the media for providing a platform for the game to reach millions of people. Gasol said that transitioning to his post-playing career was "a big shock," and he praised his wife for helping him through that time. Gasol closed his speech by urging everyone to do whatever they can to help others, emphasizing that by working together we can maximize our impact on society. 

Gasol's eloquence and heartfelt messages are not surprising to anyone who has heard him speak before.

As Gasol readily acknowledged in his speech, his ascent to Hall of Fame status is directly connected to the nearly seven seasons that he spent playing alongside Kobe Bryant with the L.A. Lakers. Prior to teaming up with Bryant, Gasol won the 2002 Rookie of the Year award, earned one All-Star selection and did not make the All-NBA Team in his first eight NBA seasons, and his Memphis teams went 0-3 in playoff series--swept each time--during that period. The arc of Gasol's career changed completely after Memphis traded him to the L.A. Lakers late in the 2007-08 season. 

In the final 27 games of the 2007-08 season, Gasol shot .589 from the field for the Lakers, far exceeding his previous career-high field goal percentage of .538, as well as his .501 field goal percentage during the first 39 games of the 2007-08 season when he played for Memphis. Gasol averaged more than 3.2 offensive rebounds per game in three different seasons with the Lakers, but he averaged less than 3 offensive rebounds per game in every other season of his career. It is reasonable to suggest that the improvements in Gasol's field goal percentage and offensive rebounding as a Laker resulted from the extra defensive attention drawn by Bryant. Also--as Gasol mentioned in his speech--Bryant and Coach Jackson helped him to develop a champion's mindset. The Lakers made three straight NBA Finals appearances from 2008-2010 with Bryant leading the way and Gasol serving as an excellent second option, and they won back to back NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.

Many Lakers other than Bryant seemed satisfied after winning two championships, and the team lost in the second round of the playoffs in 2011 and 2012. Bryant's long tenure as an elite player ended after he ruptured his Achilles late in the 2013 season. Without Bryant leading the way, Gasol averaged 14.0 ppg on .481 field goal shooting as the San Antonio Spurs swept the Lakers in the first round of the 2013 playoffs. Gasol played one more season with the Lakers, but the team went just 27-55 as injuries limited Bryant to six games. Gasol signed with the Chicago Bulls in 2014, and he made the All-Star team in both of his two seasons in Chicago in addition to making the All-NBA Second Team in 2015, but his statistics never again matched the numbers he posted alongside Bryant. Gasol spent a little over two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, and then played three games for Milwaukee before retiring after suffering a foot injury. 

Gasol's career regular season numbers are solid (17.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, .507 FG%) but not spectacular. His career playoff series record is 13-4 with the Lakers, and 3-6 with all other teams. Gasol is a Hall of Famer primarily because of his two championship seasons with the Lakers, plus his decorated FIBA career that included three Olympic medals with Spain (two silvers, one bronze), a gold medal in the 2006 World Cup, and seven EuroBasket medals (including gold medals in 2009, 2011, and 2015). 

Gasol was a good low post scorer who could also face the basket, pass to open cutters, rebound, and block shots. He went from being a bit underrated during his Memphis seasons to being a bit overrated as a Laker due to the reluctance of some media members to give Bryant full credit for his significant role in mentoring players so that the team would be successful, and the insistence of those same media members on providing nonsensical critiques of Bryant's shot selection. 

Gregg Popovich's presenters were David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. Popovich said that he tried to think of a word to describe this moment, and the one that fits best is "unimaginable." Popovich insisted that he was not displaying false humility and that he genuinely wondered, "What the hell am I doing here? How did this happen?" Popovich became choked up, and said that he is a "Division III guy." Popovich said that he thought about his journey to the Basketball Hall of Fame, and he concluded that there are two reasons: one is a long list of people who he thanked, and the second reason was very brief.

Popovich thanked Hank Egan, who he called a "very underrated coach." Egan coached Popovich at the Air Force Academy.

Popovich praised Dean Smith and Larry Brown as basketball "purists" who would stop practice if a player was just slightly off while doing a rocker step. Popovich said that Don Nelson was a mentor who was the opposite of Smith and Brown because he specialized in doing unorthodox things. Popovich also noted Nelson's knack for figuring out how to exploit matchups.

Popovich made some "special thank yous," starting with Jerry Colangelo for "fulfilling a lifetime dream" by hiring him to coach Team USA, and including Sean Ford, Tim Dooley, and Mike Krzyzewski for their help when Popovich coached Team USA.

Next, Popovich thanked all of his players and assistant coaches. He thanked three people who have been with him during his entire San Antonio journey: R.C. Buford, who Popovich said "should be standing right here," Will Sevening, who Popovich called "trainer of the century," and Tom James, the Spurs' p.r. director. He concluded by thanking his wife of 42 years (Erin, who passed away in 2018), his son Micky, his daughter Jill, and "the stars of the show": his grandchildren. 

The second reason involved one word: "Duh!" Popovich then shook the hands of each of his Hall of Fame presenters. The crowd reacted as if that were the end of his speech, but Popovich insisted that he was not quite done yet. Popovich described the special qualities of each of his four Hall of Fame presenters. David Robinson reluctantly accepted Popovich's cursing as long as Popovich promised to never use the lord's name in vain. Parker accepted Popovich's harsh coaching methods that, Popovich joked, would land him in jail if he used them today. Popovich appreciated that Duncan would nod his head and acknowledge what Popovich said, which made Popovich feel important. Popovich said that Ginobili's wild, uninhibited playing style taught him that sometimes the best thing that a coach can do is shut up and let his players be themselves.

Popovich minimized the importance of Xs and Os, repeatedly stating that personal relationships are what matter most: "What exists is seeing those guys and their kids." Popovich concluded, "Those relationships stay with you forever."

Popovich has coached the San Antonio Spurs to five championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) while winning the Coach of the Year award three times (2003, 2012, 2014) and compiling the most regular season coaching wins (1366) in NBA history. He ranks third in NBA playoff coaching wins (170), trailing only Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171). Only Jackson (11) and Red Auerbach (9) have won more NBA titles as a coach than Popovich, who is tied with Riley and John Kundla. Under Popovich's direction, the Spurs won at least 50 games in 18 straight seasons. Popovich is respected for both his tactical acumen and his ability to connect with players ranging from Hall of Famers to reserves who see little playing time. He can say that strategy does not matter and wins don't matter, but the reality is that he devoted his life to becoming a great basketball strategist who won a lot of basketball games.

Dirk Nowitzki's presenters were Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. Nowitzki said that his career was made possible by several qualities and values. He listed each important quality/value, and mentioned people who represented those qualities/values. The first quality he cited is "creativity," and Nowitzki thanked his first NBA coach Don Nelson for being "an incredible basketball mind." Another quality is "leadership." Nowitzki thanked Nash for being a "great role model," "the best teammate I ever had," and "a friend for life." Nowitzki thanked Kidd for instilling the value of "competitiveness" in him and his teammates, calling Kidd a "wonderful, wonderful all-around player" with whom he forged a "bond for life." Nowitzki said that another important quality is "respect," and he mentioned that he did not always like his Hall of Fame classmates but he always respected them. He stated that he has the "utmost respect" for Popovich, who sent a handwritten note to him after Dallas won the 2011 NBA title.

Nowitzki declared that "loyalty" is the quality "more important to me than any other," and he said that Mark Cuban embodies that quality. Nowitzki thanked Donnie Nelson for "taking risks" by recommending that the Mavericks draft him when he was a teenager. He thanked Coach Rick Carlisle for teaching him how to be detail-oriented. Nowitzki thanked Coach Avery Johnson for helping him to become more than a jump shooter. Johnson represents the value of "intensity." 

Nowitzki's teammate Michael Finley represents "professionalism." Nowitzki said, "No one can whistle a symphony" and he praised the "team spirit" in the Dallas organization. "Innovation" is represented by Holger Geschwinder, Nowitzki's personal coach and mentor who "always thought outside the box." The next quality Nowitzki mentioned is "protection," represented by his sister. Nowitzki learned "humbleness" from his parents, and he spoke a special message to them in German. "Passion" is a quality that he learned from his wife, Jess. 

Nowitzki learned "curiosity" from his three children Malaika, Max, and Morris, who he encouraged to find role models who will help them the way his role models helped him. He said that it is important to approach life as a learner and not as a person who thinks that he knows everything. Nowitzki concluded, "When you're green you grow, when you're ripe you rot."

Dwyane Wade was the final inductee. His presenter was Allen Iverson. Wade expressed his appreciation to all of the other inductees, and joked that it was "therapy" for him and Nowitzki, alluding to their battles in the 2006 and 2011 NBA Finals. Wade's first basketball memory is from when he was five years old, and he said that every time he held a basketball something came alive in him. He thanked his father for taking him to various parks to play against grown men. Wade said "the best thing about that time is what the game taught me" about how basketball connects people and also fuels your love of competition. Wade called basketball a "vessel" that changed his life and the life of his family.

Wade described in detail how he practiced Michael Jordan's famous move from the 1991 NBA Finals--immortalized by Marv Albert's famous call, "A spectacular move by Michael Jordan"--over and over while attempting to add some of Jordan's style to his game. 

Wade declared, "My beliefs have always been stronger than anyone's doubts," echoing sentiments expressed by Parker and Gasol. Wade described Iverson as a hero who is not perfect but "relatable and real." Wade said that Iverson demonstrated that "coming from nothing is not a limitation but a motivation." Wade added that he wore number three and an arm sleeve throughout his career as tributes to Iverson.

Wade thanked his coaching mentors for teaching him the value of "we versus me," stating that those lessons enabled him to win NBA championships while playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James. Wade called his family his "lifeline," and he ended his speech by asking his father to join him on stage so that they could enter "basketball heaven" together. There was not a dry eye in the house after that moment.

The careers of Nowitzki and Wade intersected in two NBA Finals, as Wade noted in his speech. In 2006, Wade won the Finals MVP versus Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks as the Miami Heat overcame a 2-0 deficit to win the series, 4-2. Wade averaged 34.7 ppg while shooting .468 from the field in the 2006 Finals and Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 22.8 ppg despite shooting just .390 from the field. This was the first of Wade's three NBA titles, and the last of O'Neal's four NBA titles as O'Neal won his first (and only) championship after being dealt to Miami by the L.A. Lakers. In 2011, Nowitzki won the Finals MVP while leading the Mavericks to a 4-1 triumph over the Heat in the first season after LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Wade to form a "super team."

Wade had a good rookie season in 2003-04 (16.2 ppg, 4.5 apg, 4.0 rpg), but he emerged as an All-Star in his second season and he made the All-Star team for the next 11 years. Wade made the All-NBA Team eight times, including a pair of First Team selections (2009, 2010), and he also made the All-Defensive Second Team three times. He finished in the top five in MVP voting twice, peaking at third in 2009 when he averaged a career-high 30.2 ppg to win his only scoring title. 

Wade had already established himself as a future Hall of Famer before James and Bosh joined the Heat. After the Heat's disastrous performance in the 2011 NBA Finals, Wade convinced LeBron James that in order to win a championship James had to accept the responsibility of being the best player on the team. Wade played a secondary but vital role for Miami's 2012 and 2013 championship teams. The Heat reached the Finals all four seasons that James, Wade, and Bosh played together. 

Wade never developed a reliable outside shot, and at a listed height of 6-4 he was a bit undersized for a shooting guard in a sport where height and size matter a lot, so he relied heavily on his tremendous speed, agility, and leaping ability; consequently, Wade's game declined as his athletic skills eroded, and after averaging at least 21.2 ppg in each season from 2005-2013 he averaged more than 20 ppg just once in his final six seasons. Wade's teams went 3-2 in the NBA Finals and 22-10 overall in playoff series, including 14-2 while playing alongside James. Wade averaged 22.0 ppg, 5.4 apg, and 4.7 rpg during his regular season career. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are clearly the two greatest shooting guards in NBA history, followed by Jerry West (unless one classifies West as a point guard), but an argument could be made that Wade is the top shooting guard in the next, non-Pantheon tier.

Nowitzki established himself beyond any doubt as a legend by leading the Mavericks to a championship versus a Heat team that went on to win the next two NBA titles. Nowitzki was not the first big man who could shoot from the outside--let's not forget about Bob McAdoo and Larry Bird, to name just two MVPs who stood at least 6-9 and had a great shooting touch--but as the league transitioned from inside-out play to outside-in play Nowitzki embodied the concept of the "stretch four," a player with power forward size and skills who could stretch opposing defenses by making three pointers.

Even though Nowitzki was a great shooter, it would be a mistake to ignore the other aspects of his game, most notably his rebounding prowess. He averaged at least 8.4 rpg for nine straight regular seasons, and he averaged 10.0 rpg in 145 playoff games. Spanning the 2001 and 2002 playoffs, Nowitzki had four straight postseason games with at least 30 points and at least 15 rebounds, something that had only been accomplished two other times since 1970 (both by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). In 2003, Nowitzki had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in back to back game sevens, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, Elvin Hayes, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Pettit as the only players to accomplish that feat.

Nowitzki won the 2007 regular season MVP, and he finished in the top five in MVP balloting in 2005 and 2006 while making the All-NBA Team 12 times, including four First Team selections (2005-07, 2009). The 14-time All-Star became just the seventh player to join the elite 30,000 point club, an exclusive group that still has just eight members.

Although Mark Cuban often brags about how smart and data driven he and his Mavericks are, the reality is that for most of Nowitzki's career the franchise did not do a great job of providing him with a superior supporting cast--and when he finally had one in 2011, the Mavericks promptly dismantled it, foreshadowing how the Mavericks dismantled the 2022 team that Luka Doncic led to the Western Conference Finals. As a result, Nowitzki's career playoff series record is just 13-14. Of course, the most notable of those 14 defeats happened after the 2007 regular season during which the Mavericks posted a league-best 67-15 record: the Golden State Warriors defeated the Mavericks 4-2 in the greatest playoff upset in NBA history, a series during which Nowitzki did not shine (to put it mildly) while his former coach Don Nelson coached circles around Avery Johnson, a good coach who made the foolish decision to slow the tempo down versus the Warriors instead of playing to the strengths that enabled his team to dominate during the regular season. Nowitzki erased any memories of the 2006 Finals collapse and the 2007 first round loss with his epic performance in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Wade and Nowitzki met twice at the summit in the NBA Finals, and they both retired after the 2019 season; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver honored both of them as special selections to that season's All-Star Game.  

After 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jim Valvano was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1992, he gave his famous ESPYs  speech during which he said that every day a person should laugh, think, and be moved to tears. If you do those three things, he declared, then you have had a full day. Every time I watch the Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, I have a full day.

Articles About Recent Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2022 Class Includes NBA Players Lou Hudson, Tim Hardaway, and Manu Ginobili (Class of 2022)  

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes 15 New Members and Honors Bill Russell a Second Time (Class of 2021)

Kobe Bryant Headlines the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Class of 2020) 

The Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes A Diverse Class of 12 Inductees (Class of 2019)

Thoughts and Observations About the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2018)

Labels: Basketball Hall of Fame, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Gregg Popovich, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker

posted by David Friedman @ 11:44 PM

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