KNOXVILLE — When Tamika Catchings was officially selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday, she became the first Lady Vol player to be so honored.
Catchings, a first-ballot hall of famer, however, joins two others with University of Tennessee ties being enshrined in Springfield, Mass.
Her coach, Pat Summitt was inducted in 2000. Sumitt, who died from complications from early-onset dementia in 2016, was a true pioneer and trailblazer for women’s basketball.
Summitt won 1,098 games and eight NCAA Tournament championships. Her teams made the Final Four 18 times, won 16 Southeastern Conference Tournament titles and 16 SEC regular-season championships.
In 2013, men’s basketball player Bernard King was inducted to the hall of fame.
He is one of UT’s most decorated players.
With the Volunteers, King was the SEC Player of the Year three times. He was a three-time All-American and his number (53) is retired by the Vols.
In the NBA, King played for the New Jersey Nets (1977-79, 1993), Utah Jazz (1979-80), Golden State Warriors (1980-82), New York Knicks (1982-87) and Washington Bullets (1987-1991).
He was a four-time NBA All-Star and earned numerous honors throughout his professional career.
Catchings is the Indiana Fever’s general manager and one of the WNBA’s most decorated players. She also played professionally overseas, winning a Polish League Title and two Turkish Cups.
She was a WNBA Rookie of the Year, a league MVP and a WNBA Finals MVP.