The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
announced today at NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 the selection of 14
finalists from the following committees: North American, Women’s,
Men’s Veterans, Women’s Veterans, International, and
Contributors.
The finalists will then be put forward
to the Honors Committee to be considered for election as members of
the Class of 2024. The new class will be announced in Phoenix on
April 6 at the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
North American Committee Finalists (in
alphabetical order):
- Chauncey Billups
- Vince Carter
- Michael Cooper
- Walter Davis
- Bo Ryan
- Charles Smith
Women’s Committee Finalists:
- Seimone Augustus
- Marian Washington
Men’s Veteran Committee Finalist:
Women’s Veteran Committee
Finalist:
International Committee Finalist:
Contributors Committee Finalists:
- Doug Collins
- Herb Simon
- Jerry West
“Being named a Finalist for the Class
of 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is a testament to the
highest echelons of achievement in the sport,” said Jerry
Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “It’s
an honor that reflects not only individual greatness but also the
long-lasting impact on the game itself. From the strategic
brilliance of coaches to the unmatched abilities of players and the
influential roles of a coach/broadcaster, an esteemed owner, and a
dynasty-building executive, each Finalist embodies the pinnacle of
basketball excellence. Their inclusion underscores the diverse
contributions that have shaped and enriched the sport, making this
recognition truly exceptional.”
The Class of 2024 will be enshrined
during festivities in Springfield, Mass., on August 16-17. VIP
packages for the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend are now
available. Single-event tickets will go on sale on April 6,
following the 2024 Class Announcement.
North American Committee
Finalists:
CHAUNCEY
BILLUPS (Player) – Nicknamed
“Mr. Big Shot” for his ability to deliver crucial plays in pivotal
moments, Billups was a five-time NBA All-Star and the 2004 Finals
MVP after leading the Detroit Pistons to their third NBA
championship. During his 17-year career, Billups’ averaged 15.2
points and 5.4 assists per game, while his 89.4 free
throw percentage is sixth best in NBA/ABA history. Billups was
drafted third overall in 1997 by the Boston Celtics after earning
Second Team All-American honors at Colorado. He is the current head
coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
VINCE
CARTER (Player) – Renowned for
his high-flying dunks, the former North Carolina standout was an
eight-time All-Star in his 22 NBA seasons (1998-2020). Carter, who
won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, was named the 1998-99 Rookie of the
Year and is the only player in NBA history to play in four
different decades. Carter averaged 16.7 points per game (21.3 as a
starter) and also played a pivotal role in the success of the 2000
Sydney Olympics, clinching a gold medal with the U.S. Men’s
Basketball Team. He currently holds the single-season franchise
scoring record for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets and Toronto
Raptors.
MICHAEL
COOPER (Player) – Cooper
was named to eight NBA All-Defensive Teams, taking home First-Team
accolades five times and winning Defensive Player of the Year
honors in 1987. The former third-round draft pick (60th overall)
out of the University of New Mexico spent his entire 12-year NBA
career (1978-90) with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five
championships while routinely matching up with the opponent’s top
shooter. Following his playing career, Cooper entered the coaching
ranks and earned WNBA Coach of the Year accolades in 2000 with the
Los Angeles Sparks before winning back-to-back WNBA titles in
2001-02.
Walter Davis (Player) – The
all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns’ history was a six-time
All-Star (1978-81, ‘84, ‘87) during his 15-year NBA career with the
Suns (1977-88), Denver Nuggets (1988-92) and Portland Trail Blazers
(1991). Before Phoenix chose Davis with the fifth pick in the 1977
draft, the standout player from North Carolina won a gold medal in
the 1976 Summer Olympics. He then averaged 24.2 points per game in
his first NBA season and was named the 1978 Rookie of the Year. The
late Davis had his No. 6 retired by the Suns, and in 2004, he
was enshrined in the team’s Ring of Honor.
BO RYAN (Coach)
– Ryan went 747-233 (.762) in 32 seasons as a
collegiate head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
(1984-89), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-2001) and
University of Wisconsin (2001-15), including a 364-130 (.737)
ledger in 14-plus seasons in Madison. Ryan, honored four times as
the Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Wisconsin to unprecedented
success, clinching four Big Ten regular-season titles, winning
three Big Ten tournament championships, and making back-to-back
Final Four appearances (2014-15). The four-time Division III
champion (1991, ‘95, ‘98-99) was inducted into the College
Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
CHARLES
SMITH (Coach) – Smith is Louisiana’s all-time
winningest high school head coach, surpassing the previous mark of
1,071 in 2020. With eight state championships to his name, Smith’s
coaching tenure at Peabody Magnet High School began in 1985 after
starting as a math teacher in 1975. He guided the Warhorses to a
pair of perfect seasons, going 41-0 in 2004 and 2010 and earning
national top-five rankings. Smith, ESPN’s National Coach of the
Year in 2010, was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
in 2019 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association
Hall of Fame in 2021. In addition, Smith served as a head coach at
the McDonald’s All-American game in 2020.
Women’s Committee
Finalists:
SEIMONE
AUGUSTUS (Player) – Augustus,
who was selected first overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft, was a
four-time champion and eight-time All-Star during her 15-year WNBA
career (2006-2020). The cornerstone player for the Minnesota Lynx,
where she spent 14 of her 15 seasons, averaged 15.4 points per game
and was named the 2006 Rookie of the Year and 2011 Finals MVP. At
LSU, Augustus led the Tigers to three straight Final Four
appearances and won the Naismith College Player of the Year and
Wooden Awards in back-to-back campaigns (2005-06).
MARIAN
WASHINGTON (Coach) – Washington led the University of
Kansas women’s basketball team for 31 seasons (1973-2004) and
recorded a school-record 560 wins. The Jayhawks made 11 NCAA
tournament appearances under her guidance, including two trips to
the Sweet 16 (1996, ‘97). Washington, who also served as Kansas’
director for women’s athletics from 1974-79, was named her
conference’s Coach of the Year on three occasions (Big Eight: 1992,
’96; Big 12: 1997). She was a pioneer on the international stage,
becoming one of the first two African American women to compete in
basketball internationally at the 1971 World Championships and the
first black woman to coach a United States team in international
play at the 1982 R. William Jones Cup. Washington, who was the
first female president of the Black Coaches Association, was
inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
Men’s Veteran Committee
Finalist:
DICK
BARNETT (Player) – Barnett
first gained prominence at Tennessee A&I University, where he
led the Tigers to three straight NAIA national championships
(1957-59), the first historically black school to claim a men’s
basketball title. The “Skull” played 14 NBA seasons with the
Syracuse Nationals (1959-61), Los Angeles Lakers (1962-65) and New
York Knicks (1965-73), winning a pair of titles in the Big Apple
(1970, ‘73) and making his lone All-Star team in 1968. The Knicks
retired his No. 12, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
honored his 1957–59 Tigers squad in 2019.
Women’s Veteran Committee
Finalists:
Harley Redin (Coach) – Redin went 431-66 in 18
seasons leading Wayland Baptist’s women’s basketball program and
captured six AAU National Championships. He coached the Flying
Queens to two undefeated women’s seasons (1956, ‘57), 17 top-five
finishes, and went 110-2 during his first four campaigns at Wayland
Baptist. Redin also coached the Women’s U.S. National Team in 1959,
the 1971 Pan-American Games, and the 1963 World Tournament in Peru.
He was the recipient of the Jostens-Berenson Service Award by the
Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for his lifetime of service
to women’s basketball in 1992, inducted into the Women’s Basketball
Hall of Fame in 1999, and honored with the Naismith Award for
Outstanding Contribution to the game of women’s basketball in
2000.
International Committee
Finalist:
MICHELE
TIMMS (Player) – A
trailblazer in Australian women’s basketball, Timms became
well-known as one of the best point guards in the world,
representing the Australian national team throughout the 1980s and
1990s. Timms won a pair of Olympic medals with the Opals, winning
bronze in 1996 and silver in 2000, and was the first Australian,
male or female, to play professional basketball internationally
when she suited up for Lotus München in Germany. In addition, Timms
spent five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, guiding the team to a
berth in the 1998 WNBA Finals and earning an All-Star selection in
1999. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame inducted her in 2003, the
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, and the FIBA Hall of Fame
in 2016. The Mercury retired her No. 7 jersey in 2002.
Contributor Committee
Finalists:
DOUG
COLLINS (Coach/broadcaster) – Collins’
versatile career in basketball is marked by significant
achievements in roles ranging from player to coach to broadcaster,
underscoring his wide-ranging impact on the sport. Following an NBA
career where he was a four-time All-Star with the Philadelphia
76ers, he transitioned into coaching and accumulated over 400 wins
with the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98),
Washington Wizards (2001-03) and 76ers (2010-13). Collins, who
coached Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in both Chicago and
Washington, also served as an analyst for various NBA-related
broadcasts for CBS, NBC, TNT, TBS, and ABC/ESPN, along with working
for NBC at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
HERB
SIMON (Owner) – Simon, the longest-tenured governor
in the history of the NBA, purchased the Indiana Pacers, along with
his late brother Mel, back in 1983. Under Simon’s stewardship, the
Pacers won numerous Central Division titles and made the
franchise’s first NBA Finals in 2000. Throughout his ownership
period, the Pacers have been home to legendary players like
Jermaine O’Neal, Rik Smits, and Reggie Miller (Class of 2012).
Beyond ownership, Simon’s influence extends deeply into the heart
of the Pacers’ organization, shaping its identity and impact both
on and off the court through his philanthropic endeavors and civic
engagement.
JERRY
WEST (Executive) – Enshrined as a player in 1980,
West then went on to establish himself off the court as one of the
most successful executives in the sport’s history. West played a
pivotal role as the architect of a pair of Los Angeles Lakers’
dynasties during the 1980s and 2000s, drafting key players like
Magic Johnson and James Worthy, acquiring Kobe Bryant, signing free
agent Shaquille O’Neal, and hiring head coach Phil Jackson. He
totaled eight NBA championships in Los Angeles (1980, ‘82, ‘85,
‘87-88, 2000-02) and was named Executive of the Year twice (1995,
2004). Following his time in the Lakers’ front office (1979-2000),
West served as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-07 before
earning two additional NBA championships as an executive with the
Golden State Warriors (2015, ‘17).
