The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their Nominees for the Class of 2021.

As usual, it is a gigantic list, so we will not be doing brief resumes of each candidate, and will do so when they become a Finalist.

Finalists from the North American and Women’s Committee will be announced All-Star Weekend, with the full Class of 2021 announced during the Final Four. 

At present, the 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony will take place in September. The 2020 Ceremony, which was postponed due to COVID-19 is scheduled for May 13-15.

The Nominees are: (*indicates a First-Time Nominee)

North American Committee Nominees:

Rick Adelman (Coach)

Ken Anderson (Coach)*

Fletcher Aritt (Player)

Johnny Bach (Coach)

Gene Bess (Coach)

Chauncey Billups (Player)

Chris Bosh (Player)

Rick Byrd (Coach)

Muggsy Bogues (Player)

Irv Brown (Referee)

Jim Burch (Referee)

Marcus Camby (Player)

Michael Cooper (Player)*

Jack Curran (Coach)

Mark Eaton (Player)

Cliff Ellis (Coach)

Dale Ellis (Player)

Hugh Evans (Referee)

Michael Finley (Player)

Steve Fisher (Coach)

Cotton Fitzsimmons (Coach)

Leonard Hamilton (Coach)*

Tim Hardaway (Player)

Lou Henson (Coach)*

Ed Hightower (Referee)

Bob Huggins (Coach)

Mark Jackson (Player)

Herman Johnson (Player)

George Karl (Coach)

Gene Keady (Coach)

Ken Kern (Coach)

Shawn Marion (Player)

Rollie Massimino (Coach)

Bob McKillop (Coach)

Danny Miles (Coach)

Steve Moore (Coach)

Speedy Morris (Coach)

Dick Motta (Coach)

Jake O’Donnell (Referee)

Jim Phelan (Coach)

Digger Phelps (Coach)

Paul Pierce (Player)*

Jere Quinn (Coach)

Lamont Robinson (Player)

Bo Ryan (Coach)

Bob Saulsbury (Coach)

Norm Sloan (Coach)

Ben Wallace (Player)

Chris Webber (Player)

Willie West (Coach)

Buck Williams (Player)

Jay Wright (Coach)

Paul Westhead (Coach)*

Women’s Committee Nominations:

Leta Andrews (Coach)

Jennifer Azzi (Player)

Swin Cash (Player)

Yolanda Griffith (Player)*

Becky Hammon (Player)

Lauren Jackson (Player)*

Suzie McConnell (Player)

Debbie Miller-Palmore (Player)

Kim Mulkey (Player)

Marianne Stanley (Coach)

Valerie Still (Player)

Marian Washington (Coach)

Contributor Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Val Ackerman*

Marv Albert

Dick Baumgartner

Bill Bertka

Henry Bibby

Marty Blake

Vic Bubas

Doug Collins*

Wayne Duke

Lou Dunbar

Bill Foster

Howard Garfinkel*

Harry Glickman

Marty Glickman

Simon Gourdine

Curt Gowdy

Tim Grgurich

Del Harris

Greg Heineman

Robert Indiana

Johnny “Red” Kerr

Bill King

John Kline

Red Klotz

Tom Konchalski*

Bobby Lewis

Herbert Livsey

Jack McCloskey

Jerry McHale

Johnny Most

Dennis Murphy

Joe O’Toole

Billy Packer

Jack Powers

Dee Rowe

Sam Schulman*

Zelda Spoelstra

Jim Valvano

Donnie Walsh

Jerome Williams

Early African-American Pioneers Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Clarence “Puggy” Bell

Sonny Boswell

Bill Garrett

Inman Jackson

Clarence “Fats” Jenkins

Harry “Bucky” Lew

Davage “Dave” Minor

Hudson Oliver

Al “Runt” Pullins

James “Pappy” Ricks

Paul Robeson

Eyre Saitch

William “Wee Willie” Smith

International Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Tal Brody

Jacky Chazalon

Alphonso Ford

Giuseppe Giergia

Dusan Ivkovic*

Semen Khalipski

Vladimir Kondrashin

Toni Kukoc

Eduardo Lamas

Marcos Leite

Shimon Mizrahi

Aldo Ossola

Amaury Pasos

Dan Peterson

Manuel Sainz

Togo Soares

Ranko Zeravica

Veterans Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

1936 U.S. Olympic Team (Team)

1964 State Department Basketball Ambassadors (Team)

1965 World University Games Team (Team)

Tom Blackburn (Coach)

Ron Boone (Player)

Sid Borgia (Referee)

Frank Brian (Player)

Joe Caldwell (Player)

Mack Calvin (Player)

Darel Carrier (Player)

Jack Coleman (Player)

Bob Dandridge (Player)

Charles Eckman (Referee)

Leroy Edwards (Player)

Leo Ferris (Contributor)

Clarence “Bevo” Francis (Player)

Buck Freeman (Coach)

Donnie Freeman (Player)

Hy Gotkin (Player)*

Travis Grant (Player)

Bob Grody (Player)

Robert Harrison (Player)

Flo Harvey (Player)

Dick Hemric (Player)

Cam Henderson (Coach)

Robert Hopkins (Player)

Lou Hudson (Player)

Warren Jabali (Player)

Jimmy Jones (Player)

Charles Keinath (Player)

Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968 & 1969 (Team)

Freddie Lewis (Player)

Jim Loscutoff (Player)

Loyola of Chicago (Team)

Ed McCluskey (Coach)

Ray Mears (Coach)

Francis Meehan (Player)

Lucias Mitchell (Coach)*

Donald “Dudley” Moore (Coach)

Willie Naulls (Player)

North Catholic High School JV (Philadelphia, PA) (Team)*

Philadelphia SPHAS (Team)

Mel Riebe (Player)

Glenn Roberts (Player)

Holcombe Rucker (Contributor)

Kenny Sailors (Player)

Fred Schaus (Contributor)

Sam Schulman (Contributor)*

Kenny Sears (Player)

Frank Selvy (Player)

George Senesky (Player)

Paul Seymour (Player)

Charles Siler (Contributor)

Talvin Skinner (Player)

Elmore Smith (Player)*

Ken Suesens (Player)

Dick Van Arsdale (Player)

Tom Van Arsdale (Player)

Perry Wallace (Player)

Frank Walsh (Contributor)

Willie Wise (Player)

Max Zaslofsky (Player)

Women’s Veterans Committee Nominations (Direct-Elect Category):

Alline Banks Sprouse (Player)

Edmonton Commercial Grads (Team)

John Head (Coach)

Pearl Moore (Player)

Nashville Business College (Team)

Lometa Odom (Player)
Harley Redin (Coach)

Theresa Shank (Player)

Hazel Walker (Player)

Bob Trumpy was a Twelfth Round Pick from Utah, and for anyone drafted that low to have a pro career that lasted twelve seasons is nothing short of incredible.

David Fulcher made the All-Rookie Team after the Cincinnati Bengals took him with their Third Round Pick in 1986.

Cris Collinsworth used his tall frame (6' 5") to cause physical mismatches often when he played at Florida, and the All-American was able to the same after being drafted by the Bengals with their Second Round Pick in 1981.