D-Wade, Dirk, Pau, Popovich Among First-Time Hall Of Fame Class Of ’23 Entrees
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 06:50PM By Barry Janoff
UPDATED April 1, 2023: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of ’23:
Players: Pau Gasol, Becky Hammon, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team.
Coaches and contributors: Gene Bess, Gary Blair, David Hixon, Gene Keady, Gregg Popovich, Jim Valvano.
“The Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is remarkable and truly embodies the breadth and impact of the global game today,” John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said via the organization.
“This Class represents the game at every level and showcases the incredible efforts of individuals who are not only household names in the game, but also those who teach, coach and counsel to men and women at the most organic levels of basketball.
The ultimate achievement of a storied career is Enshrinement in the Naismith Hall, and this Class punctuates and defines what it means to be a Hall of Famer.”
Enshrinement weekend will begin in the Mohegan Sun on Aug. 11, with the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala, followed by the Enshrinement ceremony Aug. 12 in Springfield’s Symphony Hall.
UPDATED February 17, 2023: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of ’23 Finalists: Jennifer Azzi, Gene Bess, Gary Blair, Pau Gasol, Becky Hammon, David Hixon, Gene Keady, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and Marian Washington.
The Class of 2023 will be named during the NCAA Men’s Div. I Final Four in Houston on April 1 and enshrined on Aug. 12 in Springfield, Mass.
December 21, 2022: Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team head a roster of first-time nominees unveiled today by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Finalists from the North American and Women’s committee for the Class of 2023 will be named Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The entire Class of 2023, including those selected by the direct-elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Houston, April 1, in a nationally televised broadcast (ESPN) followed by a Hall of Fame presentation (NBA TV).
Enshrinement weekend will begin in the Mohegan Sun on Aug. 11, with the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala, followed by the Enshrinement ceremony Aug. 12 in Springfield’s Symphony Hall.
First-time nominees also include John Williamson, Yolanda Laney, Valerie Walke and the 1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team.
Earlier this month, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame said that the Class of 2023 Enshrinement Ceremony would be moved to Aug. 12, which “reflects an effort for Enshrinement Weekend to be more accessible to fans and guests — a change of date from recent celebrations that were held the week after Labor Day.”
“We are extremely excited about moving the date to honor the Class of 2023 to this August,” John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said via the organization.
“We anticipate that the new summer date will enable a larger number of basketball fans to visit Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, participate in the festivities surrounding Enshrinement weekend and partake in the all-new Hall of Fame exhibits and experiences.”
Among the first-time nominees:
• Pau Gasol: 11,305 rebounds two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers (2009, 2020), Rookie of the Year (2002), six-time NBA All-Star.
• Dirk Nowitzki: 1998-2019 all with the Dallas Mavericks, NBA champion and Finals MVP (2011), 14-time All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 1,522 regular season games; Nowitzki is the only player to record at least 30,000 points (31,560), 10,000 rebounds (11,489), 3,000 assists, 1,200 steals, 1,200 blocks and 1,500 three-point field goals.
• Tony Parker: 2001-2019 all but one year with the San Antonio Spurs, four-time NBA champion with San Antonio (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), NBA Finals MVP (2007), six-time NBA All-Star, 19,473 regular season points, 7,036 assists.
• Gregg Popovich: San Antonio Spurs head coach 1996-present, five-time NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), three-time NBA coach of the year, most all-time regular season wins by an NBA head coach (1,354 and counting), head coach USA gold medal team 2020 Summer Olympics, named among NBA All-Time Top 15 Head Coaches.
• Dwyane Wade: NBA 2003-19, all but two with the Miami Heat, winning three NBA titles with the Heat (2006, 2021, 2013), NBA Finals MVP (2006), 13-time All-Star, 23,165 regular season points, 5,701 assists, NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
• 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team:
The 1976 Montreal Summer Games were the first Olympics with a women’s basketball medal competition. The USA's silver medal roster included head coach Billie Jean Moore (California State University), Cindy Brogdon, Nancy Dunkle, Lusia Harris, Pat Head (who later married and became coach Pat Summitt), Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers and Juliene Simpson.
The full list of Class of 2023 nominees is here.
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