The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 14 finalists for 2024 on Friday evening (via Twitter), with former NBA stars Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups among the nominees. Billups is currently head coach of the Trail Blazers.
Here’s the full list of finalists:
- Chauncey Billups — Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defense, one-time champion, 2003/04 Finals MVP (Pistons)
- Vince Carter — NBA-record 22 seasons, 25,728 career points (23rd in NBA/ABA history), eight-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1998/99 Rookie of the Year
- Michael Cooper — Five-time NBA champion, eight-time All-Defense, 1986/87 Defensive Player of the Year (all with the Lakers)
- Walter Davis — Six-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1977/78 Rookie of the Year, Suns‘ all-time leading scorer
- Bo Ryan — Former head coach of Wisconsin, four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year
- Charles Smith — Winningest high school head coach in Louisiana history
- Seimone Augustus — Four-time WNBA champion, eight-time All-Star, 2006 Rookie of the Year
- Marian Washington — Longtime former head coach of Kansas (women’s)
- Dick Barnett — Two-time NBA champion, one-time All-Star, three-time NAIA champion at Tennessee A&I
- Harley Redin — Former men’s and women’s coach of Wayland Baptist University (Texas)
- Michele Timms — One-time WNBA All-Star, Olympic bronze and silver medals with Australian national team
- Doug Collins — Former NBA player, coach and broadcaster *
- Herb Simon — Pacers owner *
- Jerry West — Four NBA championships as an executive with the Lakers (he’s already in the Hall of Fame as a player) *
* Nominated as contributors
The Class of 2024 will be unveiled on Saturday, April 6 during the NCAA’s Final Four. The enshrinement ceremony for 2024’s Hall of Fame inductees will take place on Saturday, August 17.
“Unbelievable,” Carter said of being a finalist, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “You look in the crowd, you see Hall of Famers, and the opportunity … I mean, you can’t beat that. You can’t beat that. It’s a proud moment.”
“Everybody that enters the NBA … it’s their dream. It’s basically basketball heaven to be in the Hall of Fame,” Billups told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links). “That was never my goal when I was playing. I just wanted to try to win and be the best teammate I could be. … I’m just humbled by today. Just being close to it is an honor. I know I’m not there, but I’m closer. It’s a straight honor.”
According to Reynolds, four others were honored by the Hall of Fame as well. JoAn Scott, the NCAA’s vice president of men’s basketball, received the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. J.A. Adande and Debbie Antonelli received the Curt Gowdy Awards for print and electronic journalism, respectively, while Slam Magazine and the television show “NBA Inside Stuff” received the award for transformative media.
Rob Babcock will introduce Vince.
VC baaaaby
Revitalized the game and made it fun, that was such a fun draft class too. The era of fun, made Sportscenter must watch.
I hope he gets in. I was at the Nets’ game where he joined the NBA’s four-decade club as a member of the Hawks in January 2020. The Nets aired a tribute to him. It was very cool.
Heads up, Billups years are wrong on the Finals MVP Years…
Cane down to comment this.
Thanks, was only off by 20 years, hah. Apparently it’s ingrained in me to write 2023/24.
Half Man – Half Amazing
Air Canada
Has Cooper been up before? 8 time all defensive 5 time champion and snubbed. Played with some good guys sure but 8 times all D. Doesn’t pay to play D does it. Absolutely criminal and I despise the Lakers.
I have no memory of Vince playing for the Grizzlies and Kings.
It’s all the drugs man.
Kings I get but he played in Memphis for a while
Weak class
Yes to Carter, Billups and Davis (in spite of the latter’s drug issues). West as executive? Sure, why not? Collins? Long overdue. The rest? Thanks for playing.
Best player ever to don a kings jersey
Billups is so good he got Carmelo out of the first round of the playoffs
After Carter, Walter Davis is the best player on the board (and its closer than most people might think). He was also a member of the US’s most significant Olympics team (prior to the Dream Team). His career, like Carter’s, really had two parts to it. Early dominance, followed by a longer period of less than that.
Titles aside, Jerry West is greatest team builder of the past 50 years. I have no idea how and when contributors are deemed worthy, but I would think that would be enough. Collins and Simons, why? Lots of people have owned and coached teams, and broadcast games.
Dick Barnett’s time with the NYK might actually hurt his chances. He’s a legend of the golden era of HBCU basketball, who took his game seemlessly to the NBA. The NYK were his final act.
Seems like you’re underestimating the hell out of Chauncey.
The MVP of the team that DOMINATED the Lakers team in the Finals that was lead by Shaq and Kobe in their primes going for their 3rd win in a row with Phil Jackson running the show.
And they very nearly won a 2nd one the next year, taking the Spurs to the end of game 7 (with that elite Spurs team lead by Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili also being in their prime).
Advanced stats show what a beast he was, even though he was nowhere near as flashy as a young Vince Carter. There’s a real argument to be made that he’s the best player in this entire group.
Carter and Davis should be no brainers. Billups will eventually make it as well. I’d have to hope Dick Barnett gets in. He won the NAIA national title 3 times at Tennessee State. He won 2 NBA titles with the Knicks and was a starter on the 1970 Knicks championship team. He also won a title in the ABL withe the Cleveland Pipers in 1961-1962. All he did was win every place he played.