Colangelo also shared a bit about how the team will be chosen, which doesn’t entail just picking the 12 best players in the league. “You never know how these things are going to play out. We’re not going to necessarily — I keep saying this, and I’ve been consistent — you don’t take the 12 best players necessarily. You take the best 12 that make the best team.”
Tag: jerry colangelo
To keep the list short this time, the …
To keep the list short this time, the direct-elect categories that send one person each straight to the Hall – no finalist round for them – have been suspended. That includes the men’s and women’s veterans committees, the early African-American committee and the contributor committee. The exception this year is the international committee, which still will select a Hall of Famer to be announced with the actual Class of 2020 at the NCAA men’s Final Four April 4 in Atlanta. Said Colangelo: “Because of the enormity, even before Kobe’s death, we think Kobe and Duncan and Garnett bring to [this] … we’ve never had a class that strong at the top. And then with Kobe’s death, it added more focus.”
The upside of waiting? Not to get “lost …
The upside of waiting? Not to get “lost in the shuffle,” as Colangelo described it. “Sad as it all is, we have to deal with that,” Colangelo said. “And life does go on in the world of basketball and the Hall of Fame. We don’t want to take away from the people here who are prospective inductees.” Asked if the 2020 ceremony in Springfield might be different as well from recent editions, the Hall chairman said: “Let’s put it this way: There’s a great sensitivity as a result, and so that leads to probably a little bit different than in the past. But it’s going to be done the right way.”
Rose has served as a marquee NBA agent …
Rose has served as a marquee NBA agent for over 20 years with clients such as LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. He’s taking care of his current clients and businesses before decertifying as an agent to officially run the Knicks. It’s unclear if he’ll hire an experienced NBA executive to serve as GM. “That’s for ownership to determine. How do you structure an organization?” Colangelo said. “Who is the lead guy and people around him? I’ve known Leon Rose as an agent. I think he knows basketball. I think he really loves the game, etc. He certainly has a lot of relationships. I think the key in the game today is relationships.”
Colangelo is still powerful in the NBA …
Colangelo is still powerful in the NBA as the director of USA basketball and chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame. On Friday, he endorsed two Team USA coaches — Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau — for the Knicks job. “Those are great basketball guys. They’re terrific coaches. I have great respect for both of them,” Colangelo said. “They’re different. They’re alike in some ways. But they’re born to coach. And the fact that they’re not — there are teams out there that could use those guys, for sure.”
The Hall still hopes to properly honor …
The Hall still hopes to properly honor the other inductees, and its leadership will work to plan a ceremony that serves both to salute them and honor Bryant. “We want everyone to get their due, and that’s important and it’s sensitive,” Colangelo said. “We have a job to do between now and the end of August to make sure it’s that kind of a program and production. As sad as that all is, we have to deal with that. Life does go on in the world of basketball and the Hall of Fame and we don’t want to take away from the people here who are prospective inductees.”
In one of the most anticipated Naismith …
In one of the most anticipated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame classes in years, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan headline the finalists up for induction in August. The finalists were announced on Friday at NBA All-Star Weekend, and Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said they kept the class small this year because of the magnitude of the players who are expected to reach the Hall. Colangelo said that was the plan before Kobe Bryant’s death.
“When we met in Dallas after his death, …
“When we met in Dallas after his death, we had to deal with that, and the way we dealt (with) it is that we weren’t going to submit a lot of names,” Colangelo said. “We were going to make it a small class. We want everyone to get their due, and that’s important and sensitive.”
To keep the class small, the Hall of …
To keep the class small, the Hall of Fame has suspended three direct election categories – Men’s and Women’s Veterans Committees, the Early African American Pioneer Committee, and the Contributor Committee – for one year. The International Committee will still induct a direct-elect candidate.
Marc Stein: As @usabasketball chairman …
Marc Stein: As @usabasketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told @NYTSports last month, this preliminary roster features virtually every top American name available — with the 12 players who will ultimately go Tokyo to be selected and announced in June before the NBA playoffs are complete