Hall Of Fame Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Anthony, Howard Headline 2025 Hall Of Fame Class

April 5th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard headline the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The organization has confirmed the news.

The full list of inductees is as follows:

Carmelo Anthony – 10-time All-Star, six All-NBA teams, three Olympic gold medals with Team USA, NCAA championship with Syracuse, member of the 75th Anniversary team.
Dwight Howard – Eight-time All-Star, eight All-NBA teams, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five rebounding titles, NBA champion, Olympic gold medal.
Sue Bird – 13-time WNBA All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA, four-time WNBA champion, five Olympic gold medals.
Maya Moore – Seven-time All-WNBA, six-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA champion, 2013 Finals MVP, 2014 MVP.
Sylvia Fowles – Eight-time All-WNBA, eight-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2017 MVP.
Danny Crawford – Officiated over 2,000 regular season games and 30 NBA Finals.
Billy Donovan – Currently head coach of the Bulls, Donovan will be inducted for his accomplishments at the college level, including winning back-to-back national championships with Florida in 2006 and ’07.
Micky Arison – The longtime Heat owner was inducted as a contributor. Miami has won three NBA titles and made the NBA Finals seven times during his tenure.
2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team – Known as the “Redeem Team,” the Americans went 8-0 en route to a gold medal in Beijing after finishing with a surprising bronze in 2004.

As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes, Anthony and Howard will essentially be inducted twice in the same year, as both were members of Team USA in 2008. Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh and Kobe Bryant, all of whom were already in the Hall of Fame, were also members of that team, as were LeBron James and Chris Paul — both of whom are still active NBA players.

The 17 finalists for the 2025 class were announced in February.

Dwight Howard Elected To Hall Of Fame

April 4th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA center Dwight Howard has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and will be part of the class of 2025, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The first overall pick in the 2004 draft, Howard immediately became the starting center for the Magic and spent the next eight seasons in Orlando, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards with the team and finishing in the top five in MVP voting in four consecutive seasons from 2008-11. The Magic made the playoffs in six straight years during Howard’s tenure, appearing in the NBA Finals in 2009.

From 2012-22, Howard bounced around the NBA, spending time with the Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, and Sixers. He had three separate stints with the Lakers during that decade and won his first and only championship with the team in 2020.

Howard earned a total of eight All-Star nods and appeared on eight All-NBA teams, including five First Teams, over the course of his 18-year NBA career. In addition to winning DPOY three times, he made an All-Defensive team five teams, including claiming a spot on the First Team for four years in a row from 2009-12.

Howard led the league in rebounding five times and currently ranks 11th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list. He was also the league leader in blocked shots twice and ranks 15th all-time in that category.

The big man didn’t play college basketball but fortified his Hall of Fame résumé by winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Beijing in 2008.

The Hall of Fame will officially announce its full class of 2025 on Saturday at the NCAA Final Four. According to reporting from Charania, Howard and another former NBA star, Carmelo Anthony, will be among the first-ballot selections in that group.

Carmelo Anthony To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

April 2nd, 2025 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he has been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and will be part of the 2025 class, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Anthony was among 17 Hall of Fame finalists who were announced in February. While the new Hall of Famers from that group won’t be formally revealed until this Saturday (April 5) at the NCAA Final Four, Charania’s report indicates Anthony will be among them.

The third overall pick in the 2003 draft, Anthony appeared in 1,260 regular season NBA games across 19 seasons in the league, averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest, with a shooting line of .447/.355/.814. He spent his first six-and-a-half professional seasons with Denver before being traded to New York, where he played from 2010-17.

After playing his prime years with the Nuggets and Knicks, Anthony spent time with the Thunder, Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Lakers from 2017-22 before calling it a career. The 6’7″ forward was named an All-Star 10 times over the course of his career and earned six All-NBA nods (two Second Team and four Third Team).

Anthony also led the league in scoring in 2012/13, ranks 12th on the all-time points list, and was one of 75 players named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.

In addition to his strong NBA résumé, Anthony made an impact in NCAA and international competition. He won a national championship during his first and only college season with Syracuse in 2002/03 and brought home three Olympic medals for Team USA. Anthony was widely lauded for how he adjusted to the FIBA game and was a valuable contributor to the U.S. teams that won gold in Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Rio (2016).

Anthony, who announced his retirement in 2023, is one of many former NBA players who have taken to podcasting and currently puts out weekly episodes of his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast.

Anthony said in the latest episode of 7PM in Brooklyn that he has interest in joining an NBA ownership group, specifically naming the Wizards as a team he’d like to get involved with (Twitter video link).

“Former player. I understand players. I understand personnel, I understand being fatigued,” Anthony said as part of a longer explanation for why he thinks he’d make a good team owner (hat tip to Paul Kasabian of Bleacher Report). “I understand how to build teams, but I also understand what I don’t understand. I know what I don’t know. You also have to put people in those positions. President, GM, you put all the basketball acumen in those positions, and then you cover that with business model.”

And-Ones: Hall Of Fame, Cap Projections, Cassell, Midseason Grades

February 14th, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame unveiled its list of 17 finalists for its 2025 class via a press release.

10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, one of the most prolific scorers in league history, and three-time former Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard headline the list from the NBA side. Former All-Star forwards Marques Johnson and Buck Williams also made the final group.

The 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, a repeat nominee, moved on to this final round of consideration.

A total of 189 candidates for enshrinement were initially announced in December.

WNBA superstars Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore — all first-time nominees — made the cut. Coaches Billy Donovan, Mark Few and Jerry Welsh are also now finalists. Heat owner Micky Arison, who has won three championships with Miami, is among this final 17 as a contributor.

The full 2025 Hall of Fame class will be announced in San Antonio at the NCAA Tournament on April 5.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Following a more active-than-usual trade deadline, several teams have new financial outlooks in 2025/26 and beyond. Keith Smith of Spotrac breaks down which clubs do and don’t project to have cap room this summer in the wake of a litany of moves.
Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell is expected to be a top contender for the head coaching vacancy at Florida State, reports Steve Bulpett of Heavy. “Once the athletic department reaches out to me, then (FSU’s interest) is official,” Cassell told Bulpett. “The athletic director hasn’t reached out to me yet.” Cassell, an All-Star and champion as a player, has interviewed for head coaching positions with the Lakers and Clippers. “Listen, man, I have a great life. I’m associate head coach of the Boston Celtics. It’s good livin’ right here.”
The 2025 All-Star break is generally seen as a time for teams to take stock of their personnel and assets and appraise where they stand around the league — and for pundits to do the same. Accordingly, The Athletic’s staff grades the seasons of all 30 teams heading into the break.

And-Ones: Carter, Bryant, Free, Katz

January 26th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Vince Carter joined six other Nets legends when his number was retired Saturday night at Barclays Center, writes Pat Pickens of The Associated Press. Three members of that club, Julius Erving, Bill Melchionni and Buck Williams, showed up for the celebration along with Carter’s family, team president Rod Thorn and many of his former Nets teammates.

“This is truly something my family and I will cherish forever,” Carter said during the ceremony. “To be the seventh number to go up is insane. It is an honor to be up there with you gentlemen. No. 15 Carter is going up there, but we’re going up there together.”

Carter spent four and a half years with the Nets after being acquired from Toronto midway through the 2004/05 season. He credits the trade and the partnership he formed with Jason Kidd for reviving his career.

“There was new life,” Carter said. “My role in Toronto was just give me the ball, and I’ll get you a (basket). But when I got here, they had a guy … he made the game easier for me.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

On the fifth anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash, Sam Amick of The Athletic looks at the impact the Lakers star still has on the game and the culture in Los Angeles. NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement (via Twitter) to mark the occasion, saying, “Kobe Bryant continues to serve as an inspiration to aspiring and current NBA and WNBA players, young athletes playing at all levels and those who are motivated by his relentless pursuit of excellence. Our thoughts today are with Vanessa and the Bryant family as we remember Kobe and their daughter, Gianna, with whom he shared a special bond around a profound love of the game of basketball.”
World B. Free would consider it “a tear-dropping moment” if he were to be elected to the Hall of Fame, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Free, who retired in 1988 after a 13-year NBA career, admitted that he had given up on the honor until the veterans committee nominated him for the first time last month. The finalists will be announced February 14. “The way I played the game, I know people didn’t think it was the right way. But it was the way I grew up, and it was something — it was always good for me. I enjoyed playing the game,” Free said. “That was the knock on me — ‘He’s going to shoot. He’s shooting before he gets into the building. And he’s taking these long shots.’ Well, yeah, I was taking those shots. But those shots are going in.”
Former Sixers owner Harold Katz died Friday at 87, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Nutrisystem founder owned the franchise for 15 years before selling to Comcast Spectacor. “It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Harold Katz, who owned the Philadelphia 76ers from 1981-96,” the Sixers wrote in a Twitter post. “He was a successful businessman and entrepreneur who helped deliver an NBA title to our city and fans in 1983. We send our condolences to Harold’s family and friends.”

And-Ones: Hall Of Fame, Brown, Maledon, Lessort, G League

December 19th, 2024 at 4:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame officially announced its list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2025, including several-first-time nominees (Twitter link). Ten-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and eight-time All-NBA team member Dwight Howard are among the notable names.

WNBA greats Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, Chamique Holdsclaw and Maya Moore are first-time nominees, as are legendary coaches Lisa Bluder, Billy Donovan, Mark Few and Doc Rivers. NBA stars Marc Gasol and Amar’e Stoudemire round out the list of new candidates, while Heat owner Micky Arison is nominated as a contributor. According to a report from The Associated Press, the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team was among the repeat nominees.

Along with announcing the list, the Hall has adjusted its waiting period for candidates from three seasons out of the game to two.

“To better recognize the distinguished careers of potential first-ballot nominees in a more timely manner, the board has appropriately shortened the waiting period,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “We are excited about this change and believe that honoring individuals while their contributions are still fresh in people’s minds is both meaningful and impactful.”

This is the first step in the process of enshrinement. Finalists are selected on Feb. 14 in San Francisco during NBA All-Star weekend and the full class will be revealed on April 5 in San Antonio at the NCAA Tournament. There are a total of 189 candidates in various categories, according to the Hall.

We have more from around the basketball world:

ESPN announced that 91-year-old Hubie Brown will call the final game of his broadcasting career on Feb. 9. That game, between the Bucks and the Sixers, will be jointly called by Brown and Mike Breen. Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, worked for the Knicks, Grizzlies and Hawks.
Former NBA guard Theo Maledon is reportedly being targeted by Real Madrid, according to a report from Sportando. Maledon is currently playing with French club ASVEL and is fourth in the EuroLeague in points per game (18.8). According to the report, Real Madrid offered a buyout to current guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes with an eye toward giving Maledon a multi-year deal. Maldeon most recently played with the Suns in 2023/24 and also had stints with the Thunder and Hornets after being selected with the 34th overall pick in 2020.
Mathias Lessort, whose draft rights are held by the Knicks, suffered a fibula fracture and will be out for the next four months, according to a report from Eurohoops.net. Lessort has been an impressive defensive force for Greek club Panathinaikos. There’s been some speculation that Lessort, the 50th overall pick in 2017, could make the move stateside at some point — he’s in the final year of his current contract.
The G League Union elected a new executive committee as the league is in the negotiation process of creating its first-ever CBA for players, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets. Robert Baker of the Osceola Magic will serve as president, Yauhen Massalski of the San Diego Clippers will be secretary-treasurer, and College Park’s David Singleton and Salt Lake City’s Josh Pierre-Louis were elected as vice presidents, according to Bontemps (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Seattle, Cuban, Boozer Twins, Hall Of Fame

October 12th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

SuperSonics legends filled the crowd Friday night as the NBA returned to Seattle for the third annual Rain City Showcase, writes Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. Former players Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Dale Ellis, Detlef Schrempf and Rashard Lewis were among those in attendance, along with ex-coaches Lenny Wilkens and George Karl. The game featured the Trail Blazers and the Clippers, but most of the focus was on the Sonics and their potential return whenever the league decides to expand.

“Everybody talks about it. This is obviously a desired city and market that people love, some great sports, got all the other sports,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “It makes the most sense. It’s already been very successful, the market has. It makes a lot of sense. Just got to wait on it.”

A report last month indicated that the 2027/28 season is the most realistic target for the NBA’s new expansion franchises to take the court. Seattle and Las Vegas are considered the favorites to land teams, and the fans at Friday’s game tried to send a loud message to the league office, according to Kari Anderson of Yahoo Sports. They carried signs calling for the return of their team and launched into a loud chant of “SuperSonics” with about five minutes left to play.

“There’s no way we can think about the timetable. There are so many different aspects that have to be decided on,” Karl said before the game. “All I know is Seattle, the karma, the energy, the spirit, the fan base, the history, the tradition, and it’s got the best building in the world. How does the NBA say no to that? Maybe they can, maybe they will. I have no idea. But if you do a list of good and bad, Seattle’s list is pretty damn good.”

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

During a recent appearance on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast, Mark Cuban stated that he might be interested in becoming the primary owner of another team someday if O’Neal is part of the venture (hat tip to Afrotech). Cuban made the surprising decision to sell his controlling interest in the Mavericks last season, although he still holds a minority share. “If my kids were like ‘All right, we’re set. That’s not what we want’ or whatever, and it was Shaq, yeah I would look at making a comeback,” Cuban said, “but out of respect to my partners I’d have to check with them first.”
Twins Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer, both projected first-round picks in the 2026 draft, have committed to Duke, Rivals announced (via Twitter). Cameron Boozer, a power forward, is considered one of the top high school players in the country and is expected to be in contention for the No. 1 pick. They are the sons of former Blue Devils and NBA star Carlos Boozer.
With the Class of 2024 being inducted this weekend, Kevin Pelton of ESPN compiled a list of the players who will become eligible to join the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the next three years.

Western Notes: Lee, Billups, Wembanyama, Paul

October 6th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After being sidelined all of last season due to a right knee injury, Suns guard Damion Lee expects to play a limited role in the early going, according to The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin.

“I don’t anticipate or expect myself to come out early in the season and play 30 minutes a game,” Lee said. “I know what I do. I know what my role is and when the time comes for me to out there and contribute, then I will and I’ll try to do it to the best of my abilities.”

Lee appeared in 74 games for Phoenix in 2022/23, averaging 8.2 points in 20.4 minutes per contest.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame next weekend. Billups, the Final MVP with the Pistons in 2004, was in a state of disbelief when he got the call that he had been elected, in part because of the timing. “(When the Hall) actually called, they picked a (heck) of a day. It was April Fool’s. It was on April 1,” Billups told the Denver Post’s Sean Keeler. “So when they called, I just kept saying, ‘If y’all are playing this sick joke on me, man, I’m never speaking to any of y’all again. That’s the worst.’”
Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul are among the Spurs who won’t suit up for their preseason game against Oklahoma City on Monday, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. There are no injury concerns — San Antonio is simply easing its stars into the preseason schedule. Both participated in all five practices last week, Orsborn notes.
Wembanyama worked on his ball-handing and moves with longtime NBA guard Jamal Crawford this offseason, Orsborn reports in a separate story. The Spurs big man believes that work will pay off this season. “It was my first time working for a long period of time with an actual retired NBA player,” Wembanyama said. “I learned a lot because the view he has of the game is different from a coach’s because he understands the player maybe more than any coaches I have worked with before. It was a great experience. I would do it again.”

And-Ones: Tomjanovich, Cooper, Hezonja, SuperSonics

June 10th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Rudy Tomjanovich, who won two NBA titles as head coach of the Rockets after a long playing career in Houston, is this year’s recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association, per ESPN. Tomjanovich led the Rockets to championships in 1994 and 1995, becoming one of just nine coaches with consecutive titles. At a press conference Sunday, he admitted being moved to tears after learning about the award from NBCA president Rick Carlisle.

“And the reason is, when something like this happens, I’m not thinking about the championships,” Tomjanovich said. “I’m not thinking about all the good stuff. I’m thinking about the dark days — the days when I doubted myself. Much like the coach here in Boston (Joe Mazzulla), I got a job out of the blue. Didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Tomjanovich touted two of his former players in his acceptance speech, pushing for Celtics assistant Sam Cassell to get a head coaching job and for Robert Horry to be voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“He’s proven it time and time again,” Tomjanovich said of Horry. “He’s made so many teams champions playing a role, and that’s so important. It isn’t about just the stats. It’s about getting results. I pray that one day he’s going to be able to stand up there and accept that honor.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Former Lakers great and WNBA head coach Michael Cooper talked to Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register about his upcoming Hall of Fame induction. Cooper, who won five NBA titles in L.A., sees his career as proof that flashy numbers aren’t necessary to earn a place among the game’s legends. “The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is not about how many points you had or how many dunks, it’s about what you’ve done to improve this game and help grow it,” he said. “And I’ve had an opportunity to do that at almost every level.”
Mario Hezonja is denying a report that he’s close to a contract extension with Real Madrid, Eurohoops relays. Speaking with ONDA Cero’s Radioestadio by Alberto Pereiro following Game 1 of the ACB Finals, the former NBA forward said, “It’s a lie. We are trying to reach an agreement, but now it’s not the time to talk about that.”
In a video segment for ESPN (Twitter link), Michelle Steele examined whether there’s an NBA future for the Seattle SuperSonics, who could be revived if the league decides to expand. A spokesperson told Steele that the arena the team would share with the NHL’s Kraken is NBA-ready, and Kraken co-owner Samantha Holloway “will pursue an (NBA) team when the time is right.”

And-Ones: Media Rights, Awards, Hall Of Fame, Lithuania, More

April 30th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBC is making a strong play for the right to broadcast NBA games beginning in 2025/26, according to Joe Flint, Amol Sharma, and Isabella Simonetti of The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). People familiar with the situation tell the WSJ trio that Comcast’s NBCUniversal is prepared to pay $2.5 billion per year for a package of NBA games.

As we wrote last week, Amazon Prime Video is in strong position to become a broadcast partner for the NBA, with ESPN/ABC (Disney) also making good progress in talks.

After operating with just two partners (ESPN/ABC and TNT) in its current media rights deal, the NBA is looking to expand to at least three partners this time around. If Amazon and NBC were to join the mix with Disney, it could leave TNT (Warner Bros. Discovery) on the outside looking in, though the league reportedly hasn’t ruled out making four separate deals.

As Flint, Sharma, and Simonetti detail, TNT Sports paid about $1.2 billion per year for its NBA rights the previous media rights agreement, which will expire after the 2024/25 season. TNT remains involved in negotiations with the league and will have the right to match NBC’s offer, but would be looking at a substantial increase in cost.

If Comcast is able to reach a deal with the NBA, their package would include both regular season and playoff games on NBC and their streaming service Peacock, according to the WSJ report.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

After revealing its Executive of the Year winner on Tuesday, the NBA has two more minor award announcements on tap this week, per the league (Twitter link) — Teammate of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, with the Hustle Award to follow on Thursday.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame recently announced that its enshrinement ceremony for 2024 has been postponed from August to October, primarily for Olympic-related logistical reasons. Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups are among the headliners of the ’24 class, which was revealed earlier this month.
Eight years after being told by a Pistons doctor that he wouldn’t be able to play basketball again due to a back injury, Lithuanian big man Donatas Motiejunas remains active in the EuroLeague and has played in 123 consecutive games. In a conversation with Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (subscription required), Motiejunas discussed how that incident – which resulted in a voided deadline-day trade – changed the trajectory of his professional career.
Speaking of Lithuanian big men, Kings center Domantas Sabonis and Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas are both expected to suit up for Lithuania’s national team in their Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico this summer, according to head coach Kazys Maksvytis. Eurohoops has the story, via a report from Lithuanian outlet 15min.lt.
With LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry combining for a single playoff win, this spring feels like a passing-of-the-torch moment for the NBA, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic.