Addendum: Members of the Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, honors players who have demonstrated exceptional basketball skill, great coaches, referees, and other significant contributors to the game of basketball. It is named after Dr. James Naismith, who created basketball in 1891 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1959.
To be considered for the Hall of Fame, candidates must meet certain prerequisites. Players must have been retired for at least five years before being eligible. Umpires and coaches must have been retired for a minimum of five years or, if still active, have coached or officiated for at least twenty-five years in programs at the school level or higher. Candidates as contributors can be incorporated at any time; the Hall of Fame and its committees evaluate whether the candidate's contributions are important enough to be included as a contributor. Teams are also included at the discretion of the committees.
As of the Class of 2009 of September 11, 2009, the Hall of Fame has 287 members (136 players, 79 coaches, three player/coaches, 56 staff, and thirteen umpires) and six teams. On April 5, 2010, the Hall of Fame announced the induction class of 2010, consisting of six players, a coach, a contributor, and two teams. The ceremony took place in Springfield on August 13, 2010.
Members
Coaches
As part of the inaugural class of 1959, three trainers were included (Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, Henry Clifford Carlson, and Walter E. Meanwell); in all, 82 coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Eight of them were born outside the United States: Cesare Rubini (Italy, 1994), Aleksandr J. Gomelsky (Soviet Union, now Russia, 1995), Antonio Díaz-Miguel (Spain, 1997), Aleksandar "Aza" Nikolić (Yugoslavia, now Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1998), Geno Auriemma (Italy, 2006), Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba (Italy, 2006), Mirko Novosel (Yugoslavia, now Croatia, 2007) and Pedro Ferrándiz (Spain, 2007). Six of them have won the Euroleague. Seven of the Hall of Fame coaches are women: L. Margaret Wade (1985), Jody Conradt (1998), Pat Head Summitt (2000), Sandra Kay Yow (2002), Sue Gunter (2005), Cathy Rush (2008) and C. Vivian Stringer (2009). Four managers have also been listed as players: John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman, and Tom Heinsohn. Jerry Sloan and Stringer are the most recent trainers to be included.
Most of them have coached college teams, and twenty-six of them have won an NCAA championship. Fourteen coaches have coached in the NBA, and all of them except Alvin F. Julian have won an NBA championship. Larry Brown is the only coach to win both an NCAA and an NBA title, having led the Kansas Jayhawks (NCAA) and Detroit Pistons (NBA) to success. Donald L. "Don" Haskins, inducted in 1997, was the coach of the Texas Western Miners in the 1965-66 season, a Hall of Fame team since 2007. Twelve members have won an Olympic medal as coach of the men's national team, 8 have coached the national team United States basketball team, while four others have coached foreign teams. Two members, Kay Yow and Van Chancellor, have won Olympic gold medals with the women's national team, and a third, Geno Auriemma, worked as an assistant coach on the US champion team.
Contributors
For a person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor, they must have made "significant contributions to the game of basketball." In the Hall of Fame's inaugural class of 1959, seven people were inducted as contributors, including James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. All former NBA commissioners (Maurice Podoloff, Walter Kennedy and Larry O'Brien) have been included. Nine members have won the John Bunn Award, given by the Hall annually to a significant contributor: John Bunn (the first recipient of the award), Walter Kennedy, Clifford Fagan, Eddie Gottlieb, Daniel Biasone, Larry O'Brien, Dave Gavitt and Meadowlark Lemon. Two members are women: Senda Berenson Abbott and Bertha Teague (both included in 1985). Six are born outside the United States: Naismith and Pete Newell in Canada, Biasone and Renato William Jones in Italy, Ferenc Hepp in present-day Hungary (Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1909, his year of birth), and Borislav Stanković in present-day Bosnia &; Herzegovina (then Kingdom of Yugoslavia). William Davidson and Dick Vitale (both inducted in 2008) are the most recent contributors to the Hall of Fame. In total, 56 people have been listed as contributors.
| Year | Contribution | Achievements | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Luther H. Gulick | Chief of Physical Education at the School of Christian Workers (1887–1900); Chairman of the Amateur Athletic Union Basketball Committee (AAU) (1895–1905) | |
| 1959 | Edward J. "Ed" Hickox | Represented New England in the Olympics (Springfield College, 1936); five New England championships (Springfield College); Hall of Fame Board of Directors (1959–66); National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) (1944–66) | |
| 1959 | Ralph Morgan | Founder of the Committee on Rules of the College Basketball (1905); Secretary and Treasurer of the Committee of Rules (1905–31); Founder of the Eastern School Basketball League (now Ivy League) (1910); Secretary and Treasurer of the Eastern School Basketball League (1910–31) | |
| 1959 | James Naismith | Teacher of physical education (Springfield College, 1890–95); inventor of basketball; developed the 13 original rules of basketball; professor of physical education (Kansas, 1917–37) | |
| 1959 | Harold G. Olsen | Big Ten Champion (Ohio State; 1925, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1946); helped found the NCAA tournament (1939); NCAA Rule Committee Chair; Chicago Stags First Coach of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) (1946–49) | |
| 1959 | Amos Alonzo Stagg | He played the first public basketball game in Springfield and scored the only basket of his team in defeating 5-1; 7 Big Ten titles during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (Chicago) | |
| 1959 | Oswald Tower | Member, Basketball Rule Committee (1910–60); Editor Official Basketball Guide (1915–60); interpreter of official rules (1915–60); trainer of the Wilbraham Academy (MA) (1907–10) | |
| 1960 | Henry V. Porter | First representative of institutes in the National Committee of the Basketball Rules; pioneer in the use of moving images to study game techniques; published the first book of rules of institute (1936); published the book The Illinois Athlete | |
| 1961 | John J. O'Brien | President of the Metropolitan Basketball League (1922–28, 1931–33); President and Director of the American Basketball League (1928–31, 1933–53); dedicated himself to the progress of the professional basketball in the East; defender of the referees and one of the first managers of the league who began to fin the players | |
| 1961 | Arthur A. Schabinger | He played at the Missouri Valley, Big Eight, Kansas and Missouri conferences, and at the AAU national championships; one of the founders of the NABC; author of the Constitution and Statutes of the NABC, and designer of its emblem; promoted the basketball by schools | |
| 1961 | Arthur L. Three. | Commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (1922–44); coach and referee in Indiana; known as the "Zar" of the Indiana High School | |
| 1962 | Frank Morgenweck | He worked and trained professional teams in fourteen cities in the National, New England, Western Massachusetts, Hudson River, Central, New York State, Inter-State, Metropolitan, Eastern States and American leagues (1901–32); National League champion (Camden, 1904); Metropolitan League champion (Patterson, 1923; Kingston, 1928) | |
| 1962 | Lynn W. St. John. | He worked with James Naismith (1912–37); Chairman of the Rules Committee (1919–37); Member of the Basketball Olympic Committee (1936) | |
| 1963 | William A. Reid | Director of Athleticism at the University of Detroit Mercy (1919); Director of Athleticism at Colgate University (1936–55); President of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) (1944–45); Director of the ECAC Executive Council (1945–49) | |
| 1964 | John W. Bunn | He trained Stanford at Pacific Coast Conference (1936–38); Helms Athletic Foundation (Stanford, 1937); Hall of Fame (1949–63); Editor, College Guide & Official Rules Interpreter (1959–60) | |
| 1964 | Edward S. "Ned" Irish | Basketball Director of Madison Square Garden (1934); member of the BAA (1946); founder of the New York Knicks (1946); President of the New York Knicks (1946-74) | |
| 1964 | R. William Jones | Co-founder of the International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA) (1932); organizer of the European male and female championships (1935–63); organizer of the male and female world championships (1950–63); organizer of the Olympic basketball tournament (1936–60) | |
| 1965 | Walter A. Brown | President of the Boston Garden (1937–64); founder of the Boston Celtics (1946); led the formation of the NBA (1949); President of the International Ice Federation | |
| 1965 | Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle | Helms Athletic Foundation (Butler, 1924, 1929); President of the NABC (1954-55); Chairman of the Rules Committee of the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada; trained the Great Lakes Navy teams during World War II | |
| 1965 | William G. "Bill" Mokray | First Chairman of the Fame Hall Honor Committee (1959–64); owner of the world ' s largest basketball library; considered the number one authority in the history of the game | |
| 1968 | Clair F. Bee | It influenced the development of the 3-second rule; developed zone defense 1-3-1; National Invitation Tournament Championship (NIT) (University of Long Island, 1939, 1941); Author of Chip Hilton's Sports Stories for Young People | |
| 1969 | Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor | Organized the first basketball clinic at the State University of North Carolina (1922); developed the popular Converse Basketball Yearbook (1922); selected All-America teams (1932); Chuck Taylor "All-Star" was the official shoe of the Olympics (1936–68) | |
| 1971 | Abraham M. "Abe" Saperstein | Saperstein's Globetrotters played at 55 million fans in 87 countries; the Globetrotters were part of the first box office success at Madison Square Garden; he led the Globetrotters to the World Professional Title (1940); he won the International Cup with the Globetrotters (1943–44) | |
| 1972 | Robert L. "Bob" Douglas | New York Renaissance Owner and Coach (1922–49); World Professional Championship with the Renaissance (1939); known as "The Professional Black Basketball Father" | |
| 1972 | Edward "Ed" Gottlieb | BAA Championship (Philadelphia Warriors, 1947); NBA Championship (Philadelphia Warriors, 1956); NBA Rule Committee Chair for 25 years; NBA calendar creator for 30 years | |
| 1972 | W.R. Clifford "Cliff" Wells | Tournaments of 50 districts, regional and invitation, including two championships (Indiana State; 1919, 1934); first President of the Indiana Institute Coach Association; member of the National Rule Committee (1952–56); first full-time management secretary and director of the Hall of Fame (1963–66) | |
| 1973 | Elmer H. Ripley | Two NCAA tournaments (Georgetown; 1941, 1943); Eastern Championship (Georgetown, 1943); Israel Olympic Team coach (Melbourne, 1956); Israel Olympic Team coach (Rome, 1960) | |
| 1974 | Harry A. Fisher | Two championships of the Helms Athletic Foundation (Columbia; 1904–05); All-America at the Helms Athletic Foundation (Columbia; 1904–05); Eastern Intercollegiate League Championship (Columbia; 1911–12, 1914); editor of the College Guide (1905-15) | |
| 1974 | Maurice Podoloff | NBA First Commissioner (1949–63); negotiated the first television contract of the NBA (1954); organized and created the first 24-second watch (1954); the NBA Season MVP Award is named in his honor | |
| 1975 | Emil S. Liston | Two Kansas Conference Championships (University Baker; 1930, 1937); President of the Kansas Conference Trainers Association (1936-38); created the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB)/National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) (1937); NAIA Management Secretary (1940–49) | |
| 1979 | John B. McLendon | Three NAIA championships (Tennessee State University; 1957–59); NAIA Year Coach (1958); 8 CIAA championships (1941, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1952); American Basketball League’s first Afro-descendant coach | |
| 1979 | Peter F. "Pete" Newell | NCAA Championship (California; 1959); NIT Championship (San Francisco, 1949); Olympic Champion (Rome, 1960); National Year Coach (1960) | |
| 1980 | Lester "Les Harrison" | Organized the Rochester Seagrams, Ebers and Pros (1920s-40s); NBA Championship (Rochester Royals, 1951); decisive in the formation of the NBA (1949); organized the Kodak Classic Collegiate Tournament (now known as Rochester Basketball Classic) | |
| 1981 | Ferenc Hepp | Member of the FIBA Technical Commission (1948–56); President of the Hungarian Basketball Federation (1954); member of the FIBA Central Board (1956); member of the FIBA Finance and Amateurism Commission (1960–80) | |
| 1981 | James Walter Kennedy | Director of Public Relations (BAA/NBA; 1946–51); Director of Public Relations (Harlem Globetrotters, 1950s); John Bunn Prize (1975); NBA appointed the award to the best citizen in his honor | |
| 1982 | Alva O. Duer | Apparition at the NAIB Finals (Pepperdine; 1945); Director and founder of the NAIB/NAIA National Basketball tournament (1949–75); Member of the Ethics Committee of the United States Basketball Association (1960–64); Board of Directors of the American Olympic Committee | |
| 1983 | Louis G. Wilke | Chairman of the AAU Basketball Committee, seven periods; President and manager of the Baloncesto Olympic Committee (1948); Member of the Executive Committee of the American Olympic Committee (1956, 1960); Vice-Chairman of the FIBA Rules Committee and the Pan American Federation (1962) | |
| 1984 | Clifford B. "Cliff" Fagan | Secretary of Director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (1947-57); Secretary of the National Basketball Rule Committee (1958-77); Executive Director of the National Institutes Federation (1959-77); member of the Board of Directors of the American Olympic Committee (1961-76) | |
| 1984 | Edward S. "Ed" Steitz | Decisive in the restoration of mate (1976); eliminated the balloon in the air (jump ball) with the exception of the start of the party and extension (1981); support of the 45-second possession watch and the shooting of three points (1985); NIT Selection Committee (1962–68) | |
| 1985 | Senda Berenson Abbott | Director of Physical Education (Smith College; 1892–11); organized the first female basketball game at Smith College (22 March 1893); author of the Basketball Guide for Women (1901–07); Chairperson, Basketball Committee for Women (1905–17) | |
| 1985 | Bertha F. Teague | Eight state championships in Oklahoma and 7 sub-camps; it compiled 36 seasons of 20 or more victories, including 28 consecutive (1930–57); founded the first women basketball clinic; coach of the decade (1930, 1940, 1960) by the Jim Thorpe Athletic Awards Committee (1974) | |
| 1991 | Lawrence "Larry" Fleisher | General Council of the National Basketball Players Association (1963–87); developed the system of free agents (1976); established the anti-drug program; was part of the ABA-NBA merger | |
| 1991 | Lawrence F. "Larry" O'Brien | Sportsman of the Year The Sporting News (1976); NBA (1980); developed the anti-drug programme (1984); President of Hall of Fame (1985–87) | |
| 1991 | Borislav "Boris" Stankovic | Italian National Championship (Oransoda, 1968); oversaw the introduction of the three-point line in international competitions; oversaw the reorganization of FIBA in the area administration system; member of the International Olympic Committee | |
| 1999 | Wayne R. Embry | Five times All-Star of the NBA (1961–65); NBA Championship (Boston Celtics, 1968); first Afro-descendant general of the NBA (Milwaukee Bucks, 1971–79); NBA Year Executive by The Sporting News (1992, 1998) | |
| 1999 | Fred Zollner | NBL Championship (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, 1944–45); key figure in the merger of the BAA and NBL to form the NBA; appearance at the NBA Finals (Fort Wayne Pistons, 1955–56); named "Mr. Pro Basketball" at the All-Star Game Silver Anniversary in 1975 | |
| 2000 | Daniel "Danny" Biasone | President and Founder (Syracuse Nationals, 1946–63); inventor of the 24-Second Event (1954); NBA Championship (Syracuse Nationals, 1955); John Bunn Prize (1982) | |
| 2000 | Charles Martin Newton | NCAA Championship (Kentucky, 1951); Coach of the Year of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) (1972 and 1976 with Alabama, 1988 and 1989 with Vanderbilt); President of USA Basketball (1992–96); John Bunn Award (1997) | |
| 2003 | Francis D. "Chic" Hearn | Three times National Sports of the Year (1959, 1965, 1987); Curt Gowdy Media Award (1992); Emmy Award to Excellence in Basketball Coverage (1965); Star at Hollywood Fame Walk (1986) | |
| 2003 | Meadowlark Lemon | John Bunn Prize (1998); played over 16 000 games; known as "Clown Prince of Basketball" | |
| 2003 | Earl F. Lloyd | "Decade Player" of the CIAA during the 1940s; member of the NAIA Gold and Silver Anniversary Teams; member of the NBA Champions Team (Syracuse Nationals, 1955); first Afro-descendant to play in the NBA (1950); first African-descendant coach in American professional sport (1968) | |
| 2004 | Jerry Colangelo | Executive of the NBA Year by The Sporting News (1976, 1981, 1989, 1993); youngest general manager in professional sport (1968); Illinois member Basketball Hall of Fame (1995); former President and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| 2005 | Hubert "Hubie" Brown | Twice NBA Year Trainer (1978, 2004); ABA Championship (Kentucky Colonels, 1975); Curt Gowdy Media Award (2000); nominated for an Emmy Sport Award (1994, 1999) | |
| 2006 | Dave Gavitt | Coach of the 1980 Olympic American team; five times New England Year Coach; John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award (1987); Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball Award (1993) | |
| 2008 | William Davidson | Main Owner Detroit Pistons (1974–2009); NBA Championships (Detroit Pistons, 1989–90, 2004); Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Championships (Detroit Shock, 2003, 2006, 2008); first owner in sport history to win championships in three different professional leagues, NBA, WNBA and National Hockey League (NHL) | |
| 2008 | Dick Vitale | Deportiva Personality of the Year by the American Sportscasters Association (1989); Curt Gowdy Media Award (1998); NABC Cliff Wells Appreciation Award (2000); Author of books Time Out Baby!, Campus Chaos, Living a Dream and Holding Court | |
| 2010 | Jerry Buss | Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers team (1979–2013) and Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2006); 10 NBA championships (Lakers, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987–88, 2000–02, 2009–10); 2 WNBA championships (Sparks, 2000–01) | |
| 2011 | Tom "Satch" Sanders | Boston Celtics Player (1960–73); 8 NBA Championships (1961–66, 1968, 1969); later Celtics and Harvard University coach; key developer of the transition program rookies of the NBA and founder of many programs for players; John Bunn Award (2007) | |
| 2011 | Tex Winter | Creator attack in triangle2 NCAA Final Fours with Kansas State University (1958, 1964); UPI National Coach of the Year (1958); NABC President, 1982–83; 9 NBA titles as assistant coach (Chicago Bulls, 1991–1993, 1996–1998; Los Angeles Lakers, 2000–2002); John Bunn Award (1998) | |
| 2012 | Donald Barksdale | First Afro-descendant to be included in an All-America team (Helms Foundation, 1947, with UCLA); first Afro-descendant to play and win an Olympic gold with the United States Basketball Selection (1948); first Afro-descendant to play an NBA All-Star Game (1953) | |
| 2012 | Phil Knight | Nike co-founder, "accredited with the expansion of the basketball game around the world through its innovative products and influential marketing" and "the first sport brand to incorporate the best athletes to emotionally connect with consumers" (the most outstanding, Michael Jordan) | |
| 2013 | Russ Granik | NBA Executive from 1976 to 2006, he was also president of USA Basketball, serving as a key piece in the inclusion of professional players in the 1992 Dream Team. | |
| 2013 | Edwin Bancroft Henderson | Known as "the father of the black basketball." | |
| 2014 | Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton | First Afro-descendant to sign a contract with a NBA team; once NBA All-Star (1957); he also played in two teams that are part of the Hall of Fame, the New York Renaissance and the Harlem Globetrotters. | |
| 2014 | David Stern | NBA Commissioner between 1984 and 2014, during his term the league expanded from 23 to 30 teams, and got lucrative television contracts. Also responsible for the creation of the WNBA, the draft lottery and other league outreach organizations. | |
| 2015 | George Raveling | University coach for a long time and announcer who served in the boards of directors of many major basketball organizations, including NABC, NCAA, USA Basketball, and Nike, who also served as director of Nike's international and base basketball. | |
| 2016 | Jerry Reinsdorf | Owner and President of the Chicago Bulls since 1985, turning franchise into a lucrative business that won six NBA championships in the 1990s (1991-1993 and 1996-1998) | |
| 2017 | Rebecca Lobo | He was a member of the NCAA Connecticut Huskies National Champion (1995). He won several awards, including: Women's Athlette AP of the Year, the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Prize, National Player of the Year of the WBCA and National Player of the Year of USBWA. | |
| 2017 | Mannie Jackson | A star of the Harlem Globetrotters saved the team from extinction by buying it and becoming its CEO from 1993 to 2007. Mannie Jackson is the first African-American to own an important international sports and entertainment organization. He was also president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2007-2009). | |
| 2017 | Tom Jernstedt | Administrator of the NCAA with a career of 38 years. Previously he played for the Oregon Ducks as a field marshal. He helped increase the revenues of the NCAA basketball contract of $1.2 billion when he reached $10.8 billion when he left in 2010. | |
| 2017 | Jerry Krause | He was executive vice president and general manager of the Chicago Bulls during the years of the dynasty led by Michael Jordan. He won 6 NBA championships as general manager of the Bulls (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998), and also won the NBA Executive Award twice (1988 and 1996). | |
| 2018 | Rod Thorn | NBA Year Executive 2002 | |
| 2018 | Rick Welts | President and Executive Director of Phoenix Suns (2002-2011) and Golden State Warriors (2011-2021) He won three NBA championships as president of the Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018) in a five-year period (2015-2019). | |
| 2019 | Al Attles | NBA Champion in 1975 as Warriors Coach No. 16 retired by the Golden State Warriors No. 22 withdrawn by North Carolina A fakeT | |
| 2020 | Patrick Baumann | FIBA Secretary General (2003–2018). Focused primarily on the youth sector and the expansion of 3x3 basketball as a global game, while developing programs and events to make basketball grow worldwide. | |
| 2021 | Val Ackerman | Widely regarded as a pioneering basketball executive and an important contributor to the female and male basketball at the university, professional and international levels. She served as president of WNBA from the beginning of the league in 1996 to 2005, and the first female president of USA Basketball between 2005 and 2008. Since 2013, he led the Big East Conference as Commissioner, launching several initiatives including BIG EAST Serves, Digital Network, Student-Athlete Well-Being Forum and winning two NCAA national basketball championships. (Villanova 2016, 2018) Received the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), the Edward Steitz Award (2013) and the Billie Jean King Award of the Women's Sports Foundation (2016), as well as a shrine of the Women's Basketball Hall (2011). | |
| 2021 | Howard Garfinkel | Co-founder and long-time director of Five-Star Basketball Camp, who revolutionized the development of search, recruitment and training. Five-Star training station style became the standard for basketball camps and countless participants played at the NBA. Before Five-Star, High School Basketball Illustrated began in 1965, the first high school exploration report. It was included in the University Basketball Fame Hall in 2013. |
Players
As part of the inaugural class of 1959, four players were inducted, including George Mikan, the first player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In total, 139 players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, 86 of whom played in the NBA. The class of 1993 was the largest of all, with eight new members. No players were listed in 1965, 1967, 1968, and 2007. Four players have also been listed as managers: John Wooden in 1973, Lenny Wilkens in 1998, Bill Sharman in 2004, and Tom Heinsohn in 2015. Michael Jordan, David Robinson, and John Stockton (all from the class of 2009) are the most recent players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Eleven members are women: Lusia Harris-Stewart (1992), Nera D. White (1992), Ann E. Meyers (1993), Uljana Semjonova (1993), Carol A. Blazejowski (1994), Anne T. Donovan (1994), Cheryl Miller (1995), Nancy I. Lieberman (1996), Joan Crawford (1997), Denise M. Curry (1997), Lynette Woodard (2004) and Hortência de Fatima Marcari (2005). Of those eleven, only Donovan, Lieberman and Woodard have played in the Women's National Basketball Association. Harris-Stewart is the only woman chosen in the NBA Draft, while Meyers is the only one to have signed with an NBA team.
Nine members were born outside the United States. Canadian Robert J. "Bob" Houbregs (drafted in 1987) was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1953 and played five seasons in the NBA. Both Sergei A. Belov and Uljana Semjonova (drafted in 1992 and 1993) were born in the former Soviet Union (USSR) (today Russia and Latvia, respectively) and both won Olympic gold medals with the USSR national team in their respective categories. Krešimir Ćosić, Dražen Petrović and Dražen Dalipagić (inducted in 1996, 2002 and 2004, respectively) represented Yugoslavia internationally during their sporting careers, and Petrović played for Croatia after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. Italian Dino Meneghin (inducted in 2003) he spent most of his career in the Italian league. Hortência de Fatima Marcari, included in 2005, was born in Brazil and represented her country internationally. Nine-time All-Star Jacques Dominique Wilkins, a 2006 draftee, was born in France, though he represented the United States internationally.
Referees
The category of umpires has existed since the inception of the Hall of Fame, with the first umpire being inducted in 1959. Since then, thirteen umpires have been inducted. Ernest C. Quigley, born in Canada, is the only one to have been born outside from United States.
| Year | Arbitrator | Achievements | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Matthew P. "Pat" Kennedy | He settled in high school, university and professional (1924–56); he settled in NCAA and NIT tournaments; BAA/NBA referee supervisor (1946–50); he hosted the Harlem Globetrotters (1950–56) | |
| 1960 | George T. Hepbron | One of the pioneers of national rules; author of the AAU Basketball Guide (1901–14); Secretary of the Basketball Olympic Committee (1903) | |
| 1961 | George H. Hoyt | Founder of the Eastern Massachusetts Board of Approved Basketball Officials; founder of the New England Inter-School Basketball Tournament; head of referees of the Eastern Massachusetts Institute Tournament; instituted and university parties | |
| 1961 | Ernest C. Quigley | Supervisor of the NCAA tournament (1940–42); member of the NCAA American Football Rules Committee (1946–54); over 1,500 matches in forty years of career; referee of the Major League Baseball for twenty-five years | |
| 1961 | David "Dave" Tobey | Arbitró en la Eastern Intercollegiate Conference, la Eastern Conference, la Ivy League y en el National Invitation Tournament; Comité Ejecutivo de la Asociación de Coaches del Instituto de la Ciudad de New York; miembro honorario de la International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) | |
| 1961 | David H. Walsh | New Jersey State Championship at the Hoboken Institute (1924); Collegiate Director Basketball Officials Bureau (1941–56); co-author of the first Basketball Arbitrators Manualarbited at Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball Conference and Eastern Conference | |
| 1978 | John P. Nucatola | He settled in 18 NCAA tournaments and eighteen National Invitation tournaments; original BAA and NBA arbitrator (1946–54); he settled in the Olympic Games (Helsinki, 1952, Melbourne, 1956) | |
| 1979 | James E. "Jim" Enright | He settled in the Olympic playoffs (London, 1948, Helsinki, 1952), in the Final Four of the NCAA (1954), in regional tournaments of the NCAA (1952, 1953); he hosted two Star Game of the Great Baseball Leagues (1950, 1962) | |
| 1980 | J. Dallas Shirley | He settled at the Olympic Games (Rome, 1960); head of referees at the Pan American Games (1959); President of the United States Basketball Olympic Committee (1976); he led clinics in the United States and 13 foreign countries | |
| 1983 | Lloyd R. Leith | He settled the end of the NCAA between Kentucky and Kansas State (1951); he entered the NCAA tournament for sixteen years; he became the tenth arbitrator to enter the Hall of Fame; Pacific Intercollegiate supervisor Athletic Conference (1955–62) | |
| 1986 | Zigmund J. "Red" Mihalik | He settled down six finals of the NCAA championship; he settled down three NAIA Finals and three of the NIT; he settled in the Olympic Games (Tokio, 1964, Mexico, 1968); best referee by Dell Publications | |
| 1995 | Earl Strom | He settled in 7 All-Star Games of the NBA, in twenty-nine Finals of the NBA and ABA; he hosted 2400 regular league games and 295 playoff | |
| 2007 | Marvin "Mendy" Rudolph | Arbitró 2112 matches from the NBA, a record to its withdrawal; first referee to run 2000 NBA matches; he hosted 8 All-Star Games from the NBA and at least one match from the NBA Finals for 22 consecutive seasons; head of referees from the NBA | |
| 2012 | Hank Nichols | He settled six NCAA finals, the most prominent ones in 1975 (the last game as coach of John Wooden) and 1979 (the beginning of the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson), in addition to pitting in 10 Final Fours; the only referee to be the finals of the NCAA and the NIT the same year; the first coordinator of arbitrators of the NCAA (1986); often called the "John Wooden of the arbitrators". | |
| 2015 | Richard "Dick" Bavetta | NBA member for 39 years, without losing a single encounter in his entire career (2635 matches), including 27 NBA Finals, more than 250 playoffs games, and three NBA All-Star Game; first NBA arbitrator in Olympic games (Barcelona 1992) | |
| 2016 | Darell Garretson | NBA member for 27 years (from 1967 to 1994), later served as an internal supervisor of the NBA for 17 years (from 1981 to 1998). He believed and led the NBA's first arbiter union, known as the Asociación Nacional de Árbitros de Baloncestopredecessor of the current NBRA. |
Teams
The team category has existed since the Hall of Fame's inception, with the first teams being inducted in 1959. Since then, six teams have been inducted.
| Year | Equipment | Achievements | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | First Team | Founded during a class in the Springfield YMCA; first basketball game played on December 21, 1891 with eighteen players, nine at each side; the result of the first match 1–0; traveled through the United States and helped popularize basketball in the months following their invention | |
| 1959 | Original Celtics | First professional team to sign contracts to exclusive players; two American Basketball League (ABL) championships (1926–27); introduced the game in the post, defense in zone and defense to man | |
| 1961 | Buffalo Germans | Pan American Championship (1901); Olympic exhibition title (St. Louis, 1904); undefeated in five of the first eighteen seasons; won 111 consecutive matches (1908–10) | |
| 1963 | New York Renaissance | Founded and owned by Hall of Fame Robert L. Douglas; World Professional Tournament (1939) | |
| 2002 | Harlem Globetrotters | He played more than 20 000 matches in more than 100 countries; the 25th anniversary tour was notable for a match against 75 000 spectators at the Berlin Olympic Stadium (1951); John Bunn Prize winner (1999) | |
| 2007 | Texas Western Miners | At a time when there were hardly any black players in the NCAA or in the NBA, Texas Western, an unknown team from a small mining university, won the NCAA championship of 1966 with the first quintet titled of the story formed by five African American players (Bobby Joe Hill, David Lattin, Orsten Artinados, Willie Worsley, & Harry Flournoy); ended the season with a 28 win | |
| 2010 | United States Olympic Team, 1960 | Considered the best amateur team in history; won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games with 8 wins and 0 defeats and an average margin of over 40 points; the squad (Jay Arnette, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger, Burdette Haldorson, Darrall Imhoff, Luke Kelley, Jerry Westella) | |
| 2010 | United States Olympic Team 1992 | Named by the Hall of Fame "the largest collection of basketball talent on the planet"; won the 1992 Olympics gold medal with a record of 8-0 and a margin of more than 44 points per game, with his coach Chuck Daly without asking for a single dead time in the entire tournament; the staff (Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewingtodo, Michael Johnson | |
| 2012 | All American Red Heads | Women's team founded in 1936 that played against men's teams at the time with its rules; it won 96 matches consecutively (fake); among the merits that led them to be elected, figure that "they broke the stereotypes about athlete women and overcome the social barriers that existed inside and outside the basketball court" | |
| 2014 | Immaculata College | Denominated by the Hall of Fame "the first female university basketball dynasty"; it won three consecutive national AIAW (1972–1974) titles, including an unsuccessful season and a series of 35 consecutive games without losing. | |
| 2019 | Teams of 1957, 1958 and 1959 of the Tennessee | First African American university team to win an important national championship and first university program to win three consecutive national basketball championships, led by Hall of Fame John McLendon (1979 and 2016) and the players Dick Barnett and John "Rabbit" Barnhill. | |
| 2019 | Women's Team at Wayland Baptist University between 1948–82 | He had a winning streak of 151 matches from 1953 to 1958 and 10 national AAU championships. They were included in the Women ' s Basketball Hall in 2013 along with these people: Harley Redin, coach 1955–73 (1999) Katherine Washington, 1957–60 (2000) Dean Weese, Coach 1973–79 (2000) Claude Hutcherson, sponsor 1950-77 (2003) Patsy Neal, 1956–60 (2003) Marsha Sharp, player 1970-72 and coach 1972–74 (2003) Jill Rankin Schneider, 1975–78 (2011) |