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Basketball HOF Weekend



          Lost in the hoopla that is NFL Opening Week, is the Basketball Hall of Fame weekend, where the Class of 2013 is being inducted in Massachusetts. We are always critical of the process of the Hall, and considering the timing of the induction weekend we think it is correct. The American sporting world is fixated on the National Football League, and thus there will be little attention paid to the inductions of Gary Payton and his brethren.


          Football does their Hall of Fame announcement during the Super Bowl weekend, and does their ceremony to kick off the pre-season. The Basketball Hall of Fame does make the announcement during the Final Four, but could they not make a bigger deal about it, or perhaps announce it during the NBA All Star weekend and make a ceremony about it?

          OK, we are getting off our soap box, and we would like to take one final look at the Class of 2013.





Roger Brown

          Selected by the ABA Committee, Brown was part of the Indiana Pacers team that dominated the renegade organization. Brown was a four time ABA All Star and was named to the All ABA Team in 1997. He joins long time teammate, Mel Daniels to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

          Russ Granik

          Granik was selected as a Contributor, and served in various capacities for the NBA for over three decades. He helped lobby FIBA to get professionals to play in the Olympics, which essentially paved the way for the 1992 Dream Team.

          Richie Guerin                             

          Guerin joins the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Veterans’ Committee Selection, where the six time NBA All Star was also a former NBA Coach of the Year.

          Sylvia Hatchell

          Hatchell enters the Hall based on being second on the all-time wins list in NCAA Women’s Basketball. She has been coaching the North Carolina Tar Heels since 1986 and won the Championship in 1994. She is also a three time Coach of the Year. This is an induction that reflects the Hall of Fame’s respect of the women’s game.

          Dr. E.B. Henderson

          Henderson was selected in the Contributors category for his early pioneering work in introducing the sport to students in the Washington D.C. area.

          Bernard King

          Our #2 Selection last year, King enters after what seemed like an eternal wait. The Small Forward starred for the Knicks and was a three time All-Star with a 22.4 points per game career average.

          Guy Lewis

          Already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007, Guy Lewis enters the Naismith Hall of Fame with the same credentials; a plethora of wins at Houston and four Final Four appearances.

          Gary Payton

          Payton was #1 on our list last year, was a man we thought should have been a first ballot inductee. This turned out to be the case, and the nine time All Star and defensive gem (he was nicknamed “The Glove” after all) is easily the headliner of this group.

          Rick Pitino

          The two time NCAA Champion as a Coach, Rick Pitino has seemingly seen it all and done it all already. As he is only 60, he likely has a lot more left in him.

          Oscar Schmidt

          The choice from the International Committee, Schmidt is believed to me the leading all time scorer of all time (Club Play + International). Schmidt never played in the NBA, but as the Hall honors International accomplishments, this is a much warranted induction.

          Dawn Staley

          Staley was major figure in women’s basketball, leading the United States to three Olympic Gold Medals. She is also a five time WNBA All Star.          

          Jerry Tarkanian

          Many thought that this induction would never happen, but the controversial coach that led UNLV to the Championship in 1990 made it to the big dance.

         

          We again congratulate the Class of 2013, though wish the Basketball Hall of Fame would do a better job of promoting their institution. We won’t hold our breath for that one.
Last modified on Thursday, 19 March 2015 18:47
Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] . Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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