They Got Game: NBA Names 2016 Hall of Fame Finalists

13 Feb, 2016

NBA star Allen Iverson  and Shaquille O’Neal are among the 14 finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2016. The names were announced Friday afternoon in Toronto, site of this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game.

Former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell, Kevin Johnson and Sheryl Swoopes are the other former players to be named finalists. Tim Izzo, Bo Ryan, Eddie Sutton and Muffet McGraw are among the coaches to earn the nod.

Those finalists move on to a vote of the Hall of Fame’s 24-member Honors Committee; they must receive 18 votes for enshrinement. As a nominee from the International Committee — which does not have the two-step induction process like the North American and Women’s nominating committees — former Houston Rockets big man Yao Ming earned an automatic spot in the Hall of Fame.

Also Friday, former Washington Post sportswriter and current Turner Sports personality David Aldridge was awarded the 2016 Curt Gowdy Award for print journalists. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas will receive the Gowdy Award for electronic media.

Driesell went 507-348 at Maryland from 1969 to 1986, leading the Terrapins to eight NCAA tournament appearances and the National Invitation Tournament title in 1972 (when the NIT still meant a great deal). He also coached at Davidson, James Madison and Georgia State over his 41-year coaching career, finishing with 786 wins (eighth all-time in Division I) and leading all four schools to the NCAA tournament (he’s one of only four to accomplish that feat).

Iverson averaged 23 points and 4.6 assists per game at two seasons in Georgetown, helping lead the Hoyas to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in 1995 and 1996, respectively. He then played 14 seasons in the NBA, earning rookie of the year honors in 1997, MVP honors in 2001 and 11 all-star game berths.

The Hall of Fame class of 2016 will be announced April 4, the day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament title game in Houston. The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place Sept. 9 in Springfield, Mass.

The Washington Post

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