Basketball Hall of Fame names Class of 2023 inductees

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield has announced the players and coaches who will be enshrined into the Class of 2023 this coming August.

According to officials with the Basketball Hall of Fame, the following have been chosen to be inducted:

• Dirk Nowitzki: 14x NBA All-Star, 2006-07 NBA MVP, and 2011 NBA Champion.
• Dwyane Wade: 13x NBA All-Star, 3x NBA Champion, and 2006 NBA Finals MVP.
• Pau Gasol: 2x NBA Champion, 6x NBA All-Star, and 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year.
• Tony Parker: 4x NBA Champion, 6x NBA All-Star, and 2007 NBA Finals MVP.
• Becky Hammon: 6x WNBA All-Star, member of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Team, and 2022 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member.
• Gregg Popovich: The winningest coach in NBA history and 5x NBA champion.
• Gene Keady: 7x Big Ten Coach of the Year with 17 NCAA tournament appearances, and a 2013 Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
• Gene Bess: All-time winningest college coach (1,300) and 2x National Champion.
• Gary Blair: 2011 National Champion and 2013 Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer member.
• David Hixon: 2x D3 National Champion and 2x D3 Coach of the year.
• The 1976 Olympic Women’s Basketball Team: Won the silver medal in the inaugural appearance of the Women’s Olympic Basketball, setting the standard for future generations of American women’s basketball players.
• Jim Valvano: Honored posthumously, 1983 NCAA Champion, broadcaster, and creator of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The announcement was made in Houston, Texas, Saturday morning and confirmed via the Hall of Fame’s Twitter.

“The Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is remarkable and truly embodies the breadth and impact of the global game today,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “This Class represents the game at every level and showcases the incredible efforts of individuals who are not only household names in the game, but also those who teach, coach and counsel to men and women at the most organic levels of basketball. The ultimate achievement of a storied career is Enshrinement in the Naismith Hall, and this Class punctuates and defines what it means to be a Hall of Famer.”

Enshrinement weekend will kick off at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Friday, August 11th with a Class of 2023 press conference, autograph session, enshrinement tip-off, and awards gala. During the gala, inductees will be presented with their Class of 2023 rings and jackets.

The winners of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, the Mannie Jackson: Basketball’s Human Spirit Awards, and the Curt Gowdy Media Awards will also be honored at the gala on August 11th.

An exclusive VIP reception will precede the enshrinement ceremony on Saturday, August 12th. The nationally televised ceremony will take place at Springfield Symphony Hall.

Stay tuned to Western Mass News on air and online as we continue to bring you the latest updates as the event date nears.

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