It is Final Four weekend, and we know what that means for Hall of Fame watchers as the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the newest members of the Springfield-based institution.
The Class of 2023 consists of:
Vince Carter is the unquestioned headliner of the group, entering the Hall in his first year of eligibility. Known for his athletic dunks and scoring touch, Carter was the 1999 Rookie of the Year, an eight-time All-Star, and was twice named to an All-NBA Team. Later in his career, Carter won the NBA Sportsmanship Award (2016) and NBA Teammate of the Year (2020), which was a testament to his development as an elder statesman and teacher, which was not who he was in his younger years. Speaking of his early seasons, regardless of how he left the Toronto Raptors, Carter brought legitimacy to the franchise and was the catalyst for the explosion of popularity of the sport in Canada. Would Canada have so many great players now without Carter? It is a legitimate question to ask.
Chauncey Billups was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP in Detroit’s stunning upset of the Los Angeles Lakers. An All-American at Colorado, Billups went to five All-Star Games and was a three-time All-NBA Selection and two-time All-Defensive player. Like Carter, Billups won the NBA Sportsmanship Award (2010) and the NBA Teammate of the Year Award (2013). Billups also played for Boston, Denver, Minnesota, New York and the Los Angeles Clippers, and he is currently the Head Coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Seimone Augustus was the strongest female candidate, and it is no surprise that she was chosen. A two-time Naismith Player of the Year at LSU, Augustus had an outstanding professional career, which was spent entirely with the Minnesota Lynx. She led her Lynx to four WNBA Championships (2011, 2013, 2015 & 2017), was an All-WNBA Selection six times, an All-Star eight times and was named to the 20th and 25th WNBA Anniversary Teams. Internationally, she won Gold in three Olympics (2008, 2012 & 2016) and the 2014 Worlds.
Bo Ryan is a legend in the state of Wisconsin, where he coached Wisconsin-Platteville to four Division III Championships (1991, 1995, 1998 & 1999) and later took Wisconsin to two Final Fours and won three Big Ten Tournaments. A four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Ryan is already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, with an overall record of 747-233.
Michael Cooper was the defensive specialist of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty that won five NBA Championships in the 1980s. Named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and was a five-time First Team All-Defensive Selection and three-time Second Team All-Defensive Selection.
Walter Davis was a six-time All-Star and the 1978 Rookie of the Year. He is still the all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns history. He was also a two-time Second Team All-NBA Selection.
Michelle Timms enters through the Women’s Veteran Committee. Timms, an Olympic Silver (2000) and Bronze Medal (1996) winner, played mostly in the WNBL in Australia before joining the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury. She was also a WNBA All-Star once.
Jerry West is now a three-time Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted as a player in 1980 and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States Gold Medal Winning Team. This long overdue induction is as an executive, with West having won five NBA Rings as the Lakers’ General Manager and laying the foundation for success in the 2000s. West left L.A. for Memphis, built them up, and later won two more titles in Golden State as an executive.
Doug Collins was chosen as a contributor, and few have as complete a career a resume as he does. Collins was an All-American at Illinois State, a four-time NBA All-Star, and was a Head Coach with Chicago, Detroit, Washington and Philadelphia. Already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, Collins main contributions here is as a broadcaster, where he has done work with CBS, TBS, TNT, ESPN and NBC.
Dick Barnett enters through the Men’s Veteran Category. Leading Tennessee State to three NAIA Titles, Barnett played for Syracuse, Los Angeles (Lakers) and the New York Knicks where he was a one-time All-Star and two-time NBA Champion.
Harley Redin was inducted via the Women’s Veteran Category. He led the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens to six AAU National Championships.
Herb Simon is another Contributor inductee, and is currently the longest tenured governor in the NBA. Simon is highly regarded in the Indianapolis community, and though he has never won a championship, he brought and continues to bring stability to the organization.
Charles Smith has more wins than any other coach in Louisiana High School Basketball and took his team to six state championships.
Look for our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List to be updated to reflect the newest additions and those who are now eligible. That should happen around May.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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