The Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, will hold its enshrinement ceremony on Sunday. This year's class of 13 honorees ranges from NBA all-stars to a high school coach.
This year's event was pushed back a few months due to the Summer Olympics.
Among the honorees are Chauncey Billups, who played briefly with the Celtics and spent 17 seasons as a pro. He's joined by Vince Carter, an eight-time NBA all-star and the league's rookie of the year in 1999.
Two women players will also be enshrined. Seimone Augustus, who averaged 15 points a game during her career in the WNBA, and Michele Timms, the first Australian ever to play professional basketball internationally.
While many names are recognizable to pro basketball fans in this year's Hall of Fame class, one is not: Charles Smith, the all-time winningest high school coach in Louisiana.
Others being enshrined include:
- Michael Cooper, who was part of five NBA championship teams, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was named to the league’s all-defensive team eight times.
- Walter Davis, a six-time NBA all-star who played much of career with the Phoenix Suns.
- Bo Ryan, the coach of two Final Four teams while leading the University of Wisconsin. He won 747 games during his 32-season career, also at Wisconsin-Platteville and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
- Dick Barnett, part of two championship teams with the New York Knicks, who averaged nearly 16 points a game during his 14-year career.
- Harley Redin, a coach at Wayland Baptist University in Texas, who led the women’s team to a 431-66 record in 18 years on the sidelines.
- Doug Collins, a four-time NBA all-star as a player. Collins also won 442 games as a professional head coach and was a broadcaster for several networks.
- Herb Simon, an owner of the Indiana Pacers of the NBA, who also founded the Indiana Fever of the WNBA.
- Jerry West, who is already in the Hall of Fame as a player. He was part of 10 NBA world champions as an executive with the Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
The 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will take place Sunday evening at Symphony Hall in Springfield.
