NBA Hall of Fame candidates: Who will live forever in Springfield?

NBA Hall of Fame candidates: Who will live forever in Springfield?

Bella Lee, Staff writer

The end of the NBA season is fast approaching, which means it’s time to begin considering who will be joining the greats in the NBA Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 class.
There are some big names that are on the list of nominees, and any one of them can be worthy of joining the 2023 class.
One of the major names that could join the Hall of Fame is superstar Dwyane Wade, who spent 16 years in the NBA, mainly with the Miami Heat. Over the course of his career, Wade won three NBA Championships, was a 13-time NBA All-Star, and was an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA in 2008. Another massive name that could join the ranks is Dirk Nowitzki, who spent his entire 21-year career with the Dallas Mavericks. During his time in the NBA, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to 15 NBA playoffs, four division titles, two Finals appearances, and one championship. Additionally, Nowitzki ranks number six on the all-time scoring list, hitting 31,550 points.
Another international superstar that could join besides Nowitzki is Pau Gasol. A legend among Spain like Nowitzki is among Germany, Gasol was a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA Team selection, two NBA Championships, and the first non-American to win Rookie of the Year. Another nominee that is well-known is Tony Parker, who spent all but one year of his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs. Parker won four NBA Championships, six NBA All-Star Games, three All-NBA Second Teams, and one All-NBA Third Team.
Additionally, there are some legendary coaches that have a chance at making it to the Hall of Fame. One of the greatest includes Gregg Popovich, the president and head coach of the Spurs. Popovich had 22 consecutive winning seasons with the Spurs, the most in NBA history, is one of only five NBA coaches to win five NBA Championships and was the head coach of Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics, leading them to a gold medal. Additionally, coaching legends nominated include Purdue men’s basketball all-time wins leader Gene Keady; Marian Washington, who amassed 560 wins in 31 years coaching the University of Kansas women’s team; Gary Blair, who led Texas A&M to the women’s championship in 2011; Gene Bess, who won 1,300 games and two national championships with Three Rivers Community College; and David Hixon, who won 826 games in 42 years at Amherst College.
Finally, there are a selection of WNBA names being nominated, including Becky Hammon, a six-time All-Star in her WNBA career and Jennifer Azzi, a collegiate national champion at Stanford, an Olympic gold medalist for USA Basketball in 1996 and a five-year WNBA veteran.
The official NBA Hall of Fame 2023 class will be announced on Apr. 1, the date of the March Madness Final Four. In order to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, nominees must earn at least 18 votes from a voting committee of 24. We can’t wait to see who makes it!