This year’s crop of finalists for the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame features legends from the 2000s and 2010s, led by Dirk Nowitzki, Gregg Popovich and Dwyane Wade. In addition, two other Europeans are in the final vote.
“I love this vintage,” said Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the Hall of Fame at a press conference on Friday as part of the All-Star Weekend: “I think it’s a really strong vintage. It’s unique that we have so many first-timers We have finalists because they usually don’t make it. Four or five might make it this year, so I’m very excited.”
In addition to Germany with Nowitzki, Spain with Pau Gasol and France with Tony Parker are also represented. “As Kobe once said, ‘It’s more about the journey than the destination,'” explained Gasol, who was in attendance. “That recognition comes after you’ve been doing things very, very well for a long time. And when you love what you do . It’s a great honor.”
To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a finalist must receive 18 votes from the 24-member committee. This year’s new members will be announced at the NCAA Final Four in Houston in April and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts in August. Here is an overview of all twelve finalists for the Hall of Fame in alphabetical order.
JENNIFER AZZI
- Alter: 54
- Position: Guard
- Career stats in the WNBA: 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists at 44.5 percent FG and 45.8 percent threes (141 games)
Her stats in just five years of WNBA are underwhelming, but Azzi’s impact on basketball goes far beyond that. In 1990 she was named Naismith College Player of the Year and won the NCAA title with Stanford that year. She also won the gold medal with Team USA at the 1996 Olympics. After a pro career overseas, she co-founded the American Basketball League, where she was a three-time All-Star. Only then did it go to the WNBA.
GENE BESS
- Alter: 87
- function: Head Coach
- successes: Record with Three Rivers Community College from 1300-416 (75.7 percent win rate)
What an incredible record. At no college level has anyone had more victories as a coach than Bess, who served on the sidelines at his community college in Missouri from 1971-2020. During his time he coached Latrell Sprewell, among others. By the way, as a high school coach before that, he had a record of 237-95…
GARY BLAIR
- Alter: 77
- function: Head Coach
- successes: Career record of 852-348 in 37 years as a college coach
In 37 years as a college coach for various women’s basketball programs, he came from a negative record in just two seasons. He made it 23 times into the NCAA tournament and twice into the Final Four with Arkansas (1998) and Texas A&M, with the Aggies he also won the title in 2011. He has been a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame since 2013.
PAU GASOL
- Alter: 42
- Position: Power Forward/Center
- Career Stats: 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocks at 50.7 percent FG and 36.8 percent threes (1226 games)
One of the best Europeans to ever step onto the NBA floor. The Spaniard helped Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to two more titles after his trade to LA, he was even the secret Finals MVP in 2010. He made the All-Star Team six times.
In addition to his 18 years in the NBA, the Big has a more than impressive career on the national team. His successes in the Spanish dress include two Olympic silver medals, gold at the 2006 World Championships and gold at the European Championships three times.
BECKY HAMMON
- Alter: 45
- Position: Guard
- Career stats in the WNBA: 13.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals at 43.8 percent FG and 37.8 percent threes (450 games)
Six-time All-Star, two-time All-WNBA First Team in a total of 16 years in the WNBA for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Silver Stars, and was selected to three league anniversary teams for the 15th, 20th and 25th anniversaries. She is currently 15th in the WNBA all-time scoring list.
After retiring, she became the San Antonio Spurs’ first woman full-time assistant coach in any of the four major US men’s sports leagues. When head coach Gregg Popovich was kicked out by the referees in a December 2020 game, she became the first female acting head coach in NBA history. She is now the main person responsible for the sidelines with the Las Vegas Aces, which led her to the WNBA title in 2022.
DAVID HIXON
- Alter: 70
- function: Head Coach
- successes: Career record of 826-293, two-time Division III champion and Coach of the Year
He stood on the sidelines at Amherst College for 42 years and has been in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame for almost 20 years. In 2018, he became only the third college coach to accumulate 800 wins in his career. Incidentally, he also worked as a coach for football and track and field in Amherst.
GENE KEADY
- Alter: 86
- function: Head Coach
- successes: 7x Big Ten Coach of the Year (Rekord), 6x National Coach of the Year mit Purdue
He shaped the basketball program at Purdue University for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005. During his tenure, he led the Boilermakers to 17 NCAA tournaments, where he twice made it into the Elite Eight. His overall record as a college coach is 737-340 with Purdue and Western Kentucky.
DIRK NOWITZKI
- Alter: 44
- Position: Power Forward
- Career Stats: 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists at 47.1 percent FG and 38.0 percent threes (1522 games)
DÖÖÖÖRK. Do we have to say a lot more about the tall blonde from Würzburg? Except perhaps that he revolutionized an entire position with his shoot and brought a signature move to the league with the flamingo fadeaway that will probably be associated with his name forever.
Okay, for the sake of completeness: 2011 NBA champion and Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, one MVP, 21 years in the league, 6th place in all-time scoring, one statue at Dallas. And Mavs legend, that’s for sure.
TONY PARKER
- Alter: 40
- Position: Point Guard
- Career Stats: 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists at 46.0 percent FG and 32.4 percent threes (1254 games)
The third European star in the league of Hall of Fame finalists. A head of the Spurs triumvirate that would rise to dynasty. Alongside Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, the Frenchman acted as the Texans’ point guard for 17 years, during which time he won four titles, was named an All-Star six times and was even named Finals MVP in 2007.
In his prime nobody could keep him away from the basket. Today, he ranks 10th for all-time playoff scorers and 6th for all-time playoff assists.
GREGG POPOVICH
- Alter: 74
- function: Head Coach
- Record with the Spurs: 1358-746 (regular season), 170-114 (playoffs)
The almost-spy who shaped the most successful era of the San Antonio Spurs. In his first year of coaching for small West Coast varsity team Pomona-Pitzer, he lost 22 of the season’s 24 games – it shouldn’t detract from his incredible streak.
Coach Pop is a legend, not only because of his on-court accomplishments, but also because of his character. He won a total of five championships with the Spurs, and no coach has more victories in the NBA than Popovich. His recipe for success? “Draft Tim Duncan and just stay alive after that.” It worked.
DWYANE WADE
- Alter: 41
- Position: Shooting Guard
- Career Stats: 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals at 48.0 percent FG and 29.3 percent threes (1054 games)
“A young Dwyane Wade never thought this moment would come,” the Heat legend said in a statement. “When you’re young and you have a big dream, a lot of people won’t believe in it. But I’ve always been a dreamer .”
His summary includes three championships, the first as a 24-year-old Finals MVP in 2006. Two more titles were to follow later together with the Big Three around LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The 13-time All-Star was also a scoring champion, three-time All-Defensive Team Champion, and a gold medalist with Team USA in 2008.
MARIAN WASHINGTON
- Alter: 76
- function: Head Coach
- successes: Career record of 560-363 in 31 years as a Kansas coach
From 1973 to 2004, she led the University of Kansas women’s team to a school-record 560 wins. She was eleven times with Kansas in the NCAA tournament, twice she made it into the Sweet 16. She was also a pioneer as a player, in 1971 she was one of two African American women who played for Team USA for the first time at a World Cup. She later became the first black woman to coach Team USA in an international competition.
