Tag: naismith basketball hall of fame

Lisa Bluder among notable 2025 first-time Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame nominees

Lisa Bluder is a first-time Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame nominee.

On Thursday, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame revealed their nominees list for the 2025 induction class, with former Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder among some of the most notable names displayed for the first time.

Bluder retired after 25 seasons as head coach with the Hawkeyes following their second consecutive National Championship game appearance in April.

During her tenure at Iowa, she finished with a cumulative record of 528-254 (67.51%), is No. 10 on the all-time wins list in Division-I women’s basketball history, hosts the title of most Big Ten conference wins in conference history, and won seven Big Ten titles. (five Big Ten Tournament and two Regular Season).

In her combined 40 seasons as a head coach with stops at St. Ambrose, Drake, and Iowa, Bluder compiled a record of 884-395 (69.06%).

Other notable first-time nominees included Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, Doc Rivers, Billy Donovan, Sylvia Fowles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mark Few, Lisa Bluder, Marc Gasol, and Micky Arison.

Finalists chosen from the applicable Category Screening Committees for the Class of 2025 will be announced on Feb. 14 as part of NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, Calif.

Those chosen as finalists for the 2025 inductee class will be unveiled during the broadcast at the 2025 NCAA Final Four on April 5 from San Antonio.

While the 2025 Hall of Fame nominees list is vast and chocked full of tremendous resumes, Bluder’s numerous coaching accolades are certainly worthy of recognition if she were to be selected.

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The Brooklyn Nets announce they will retire Vince Carter’s jersey number

The Brooklyn Nets announce they will retire Vince Carter’s iconic No.15 jersey number into the rafters next season.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] is having quite the year, and it just got much sweeter after the Brooklyn Nets announced their plans to retire his jersey number (No. 15) and raise it into the rafters next season. 

The news couldn’t come at a better time, with Carter already being celebrated for his soon-to-be induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which will take place in August. The Nets teased the announcement all week before revealing their plans to retire Carter’s jersey in a tribute video they plastered on their social channels. 

Carter played 22 seasons in the NBA, but his most memorable days were playing with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey (Now Brooklyn) Nets. Carter’s arguably best season came the year he was traded to the Nets, averaging 27.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the 2004-05 season. 

Carter played a pivotal role with the Nets, using his insane dunk package to fill the stat sheet and become a household name. The No.15 Nets jersey was iconic during the 2000s, a popular jersey that no matter your fandom was likely in your closet. 

It’s always nice to see players get their flowers while they are still breathing, even better when those players are Tar Heels. 

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Tracy McGrady to induct Vince Carter into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Former Toronto Raptor teammate and cousin Tracy McGrady to induct Tar Heel Vince Carter into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] announced on Fanduel’s ‘Run it Back’ that Tracy McGrady will be one of the people inducting him into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Carter, as well as other UNC late great Walter Davis, will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame on August 17th in Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA.

It’s only fitting that McGrady is one of the selected few to induct Carter into basketball heaven, given their on and off-court connection. 

Watch below as Michelle Beadle tosses Carter the million-dollar question:

Not only were Carter and McGrady teammates in the NBA when they played for the Toronto Raptors but also cousins. McGrady revealed a year ago, he found out at a family reunion while Carter was playing at the University of North Carolina that the two were cousins, and the rest was history. 

Carter and McGrady were teammates for two seasons, electrifying fans in attendance. McGrady is also in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, getting inducted in 2017.

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Social media reacts to Vince Carter being named as a HOF finalist

Social media reacts to Vince Carter being named a finalist for the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

It was an eventful Friday night for UNC star [autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] as he was named one of the finalists for the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Carter was one of two Tar Heels to be named a finalist, joining the late [autotag]Walter Davis[/autotag]. After the announcement rang out, so did the social media reactions, with hoop fans pouring in love.

Half-Man Half Amazing is known for his highlight dunks, redefining what Gravity had as one of the more memorable NBA careers. Carter even holds the NBA record for having the longest career, playing for 22 seasons.

In those 22 seasons, Carter appeared in 1,541 games, finishing with 25728 points (23rd all-time) and 2290 three-point field goals (9th all-time). Carter was an 8x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, and 1999 Rookie of the Year.

His remarkable career was never in doubt, retiring with a 94% chance of making the Hall of Fame. It’s always nice to see players receive their flowers, let’s take a look at how social media reacted to Carter being named a finalist for the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rickea Jackson named to Cheryl Miller Award top 10 watch list

Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson named to Cheryl Miller Award top 10 watch list.

Rickea Jackson is one of 10 candidates named for the 2023-24 Cheryl Miller Award watch list by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Jackson has made the top 10 list for a third time during her career.

The Cheryl Miller Award also recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.

Jackson is averaging 19.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game during the 2023-24 regular-season.

Jackson joins Madison Booker (Texas), Mara Braun (Minnesota), McKenzie Forbes (USC), Yarden Garzon (Indiana), Kiki Jefferson (Louisville), Jordan King (Marquette), Aneesah Morrow (LSU), Alyssa Ustby (North Carolina) and Cotie McMahon (Ohio State).

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes among first time nominees for Naismith Hall of Fame

Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes is among the newcomers on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ballot for the class of 2024.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released the list of eligible candidates for the class of 2024 and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes was among the first-time nominees.

Barnes was joined by fellow newcomers Vince Carter, Bill Laimbeer, Mike Fratello, and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Basketball team, known as the ‘Redeem Team’.

Barnes has been a head coach every season since 1987, when he began his career at George Mason by going 20-10.

The next year he was at Providence in the Big East, spending six years with the Friars and making three NCAA Tournaments.

From there he spent four years at Clemson and then 17 as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, making the NCAA Tournament in all but one season and appearing in the Final Four, while coaching legends like Kevin Durant, TJ Ford, and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Barnes has been at Tennessee the past eight seasons, with five NCAA Tournament appearances and even a No. 1 overall ranking during the 2018-19 season.

All told Barnes has a 788-409 record, including a 9-3 start this year, good for a 65.8% winning rate. He has been named conference coach of the year six times, and Naismith Coach of the Year once, and his team has been in the NCAA Tournament an astonishing 27 times, although he has only made the one Final 4.

Barnes joins Miami coach Jim Larranaga among active college basketball head coaches on the ballot, and recently retired coaches who are eligible include Bo Ryan and John Beilein.

Finalists from the Honor’s Committee for the Class of 2024 will be announced on Friday, February 16, in Indianapolis, Indiana, during NBA All-Star Weekend.

The entire Class of 2024 will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, in a nationally televised broadcast.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski calls out Hall of Fame for omitting Sonny Vaccaro

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski took issue with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s omission of Sonny Vaccaro over the weekend.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2021 on Sunday. Among the group were NBA greats Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce and Chris Webber, but one basketball pundit had an issue with one high-profile omission.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski took to Twitter following the announcement of the class to criticize the snub of Sonny Vaccaro. Vaccaro is best known for his work with Nike, but also co-founded the first national high school basketball All-Star game — The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic — in 1965.

“The list of powerbrokers determined to deny his impact on the game, but it’s impossible to write the history of basketball without Sonny Vaccaro,” Wojnarowski tweeted. “His imprint is massive. He deserves election to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. It’s an embarrassing omission.”

While Vaccaro was left out of the Hall of Fame for another year, seven others were directly elected by committees. Val Ackerman, Cotton Fitzsimmons, and Howard Garfinkel were inducted by the Contributor Committee, Clarence ‘Fats” Jenkins from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Toni Kukoc from the International Committee, Bob Drabdrige from the Veterans Committee and Pearl Morre from the Women’s Veterans Committee.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 will officially be enshrined on Saturday, Sept. 11. For the first time in the history of the Hall of Fame, two different classes will be inducted in the same year after the Class of 2020’s enshrinement original ceremony was rescheduled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the first time in our history, we’ll enshrine two Classes in one calendar year,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Class of 2021 to Springfield – the Birthplace of Basketball – where we can celebrate them and honor their remarkable achievements and contributions to the game.”

Evaluating the Hall of Fame cases of 10 NBA stars

10 NBA players who are hoping to end up in the Hall of Fame some day.

The biggest honor and feat in team sports is to win the championship and hoist that trophy with the teammates and coaches you fought so hard alongside all season.

When it comes to an individual’s career, being enshrined to the sport’s Hall of Fame is the mountain top. To join the legends and greats that paved the way is something no one can take from you.

This weekend, we saw Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and the late, great Kobe Bryant enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to honor their long, illustrious careers.

Today’s NBA is filled with sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famers: LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant to name a few. Then you have your fringe Hall of Famers — guys who are on the fence with arguments for and against being enshrined.

See the list below of current, or freshly retired players, who are on the doorstep of becoming a Hall of Famer.

Anthony Davis shared an absolutely wild story about Kobe Bryant that you have to read

This Kobe Bryant moment is absolutely incredible.

In light of Kobe Bryant’s enshrinement into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, Anthony Davis was asked to share his favorite Kobe Bryant story.

It’s not quite as personal as Kevin Garnett’s story, but it was just so absolutely Kobe Bryant. It’s emblematic of him in every single way possible.

He told a story about how early in his career when he was still with the Pelicans, he played against Bryant who hurt his shoulder in the middle of a game.

Turns out he dislocated his shoulder. And that is an incredibly painful experience. One that would honestly stop a lot of people from doing regular, everyday activities — let alone playing a game of basketball.

But Kobe Bryant? Nah, he doesn’t care. Instead of sitting down or even popping his shoulder back in, he just shot the ball with his left hand instead.

“I was sitting on the bench and Quincy Pondexter was guarding him. I think the play before, Kobe had dunked and dislocated his right shoulder. There was a timeout, the next play he comes down, catches the ball in the post — no one knew it was dislocated, though, he was just holding his shoulder. I figued something was bothering. And then he came down the next play and hit a turnaround left handed jumper from the post.” 

And that’s just Kobe Bryant for you. That’s toughness. That’s skill. That’s perseverance all just wrapped up into one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

What a story. What a moment.