Gregg Popovich has been at the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony many times over the years, always there to show support for someone on the stage.
Next year, he may be there in a different capacity.
The NBA鈥檚 all-time winningest coach 鈥� who has quietly declined overtures from the Hall in the past 鈥� is among the list of prominent first-time nominees for the 2023 class
Also on the ballot for the first time: Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and Dwyane Wade. They were all expected; Popovich was the biggest surprise on the list, since it鈥檚 never been clear until now when he would allow the Hall to list him as a candidate.
鈥淚t will be an unbelievable moment, really,鈥� Nowitzki said. 鈥淚 mean, to top everything that has happened here the last couple years and words and accolades that have come my way, that will be the ultimate ... to be enshrined, hopefully, with the greatest in our game ever.鈥�
Also on the nominee list for the first time: the 1976 U.S. Olympic women鈥檚 team, the 1982 Cheyney University women鈥檚 basketball team that became the first from a historically Black college or university to play for an NCAA title, and Miami coach Jim Larra帽aga 鈥� who recently won his 700th game and took George Mason on a historic run to the Final Four in 2006.
The finalists from the North American and Women鈥檚 committees for the Hall of Fame will be announced at NBA All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City on Feb. 17. The full class of Hall of Famers for 2023 will be announced at the NCAA Final Four in Houston on April 1, and enshrinement weekend will be Aug. 11 and 12 in 小蓝视频icut and the Hall鈥檚 home in Springfield, Massachusetts.
It could be one of the most star-studded classes ever, particularly if Parker and Popovich go in together. Popovich has coached San Antonio to five NBA titles, four of them with Parker as the team鈥檚 point guard. The other two legs of the Spurs鈥� Big 3 from that championship era 鈥� Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili 鈥� are already Hall of Famers.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will be an assistant coach on USA Basketball鈥檚 team that, if it qualifies, will play in the World Cup next summer in the Philippines. The induction ceremony will take place shortly before the start of the tournament, and Spoelstra is already vowing to take a quick break from his duties on Steve Kerr鈥檚 U.S. staff and be in Massachusetts for the big event.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for it because we all know how Dwyane is,鈥� Spoelstra said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to throw a party that鈥檚 going to be one for the ages.鈥�
The 1976 U.S. women鈥檚 team and the Cheyney team will be considered by the women鈥檚 veterans direct-elect committee. There are also 12 candidates that will be reviewed by the international direct-elect committee, 26 candidates to be considered by the contributor direct-elect committee, and 44 candidates for the veterans direct-elect committee 鈥�
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
