Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2015 finalists announced

The class of 2015 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame were announced on Saturday.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its finalists for the class of 2015 on Saturday. The list of 12 candidates includes a mixture of both NBA and college coaches/players along with one league official, a former WNBA star, and two high school coaches.

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Jerry Colangelo, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Chairman, released the following statement regarding Saturday’s announcement.

“The finalists for the Class of 2015 are a group of very distinguished individuals who have each made a unique impact on the game of basketball. To be recognized as a Finalist is a great achievement in and of itself and each of the Finalists recognized today should be very proud. Although the process of selecting the final class members of 2015 will be a difficult task, we look forward to making the announcement at the Final Four in April.”

Below is a list of the finalists, along with a few highlights regarding their candidacy.

Dick Bavetta – A long time NBA referee, Bavetta retired after the 2014 NBA season following 39 years of service. He officiated a record 2,635 consecutive games.

John Calipari – Calipari is the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Throughout his time in the NCAA, his teams have won a combined 579 games thus far and his win percentage stands at an impressive .769 mark. He coached UK to the 2012 National Championship.

Bo Ryan – The current head coach at Wisconsin, Ryan has made the NCAA tournament every season since being hired in 2001. He has posted 726 career wins against just 226 defeats, exactly 500 games over .500 and good enough for a .763 mark overall. While coaching at Wisconsin-Platteville, he won four Division III National Titles.

Bill Fitch – A two time coach of the year winner (1976, 1980), Fitch had been instrumental in turning around lowly teams into playoff contenders. In 1981, he won the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics, and overall has coached teams to victory 944 times.

Tim Hardaway – A five time NBA all-star, Hardaway was one of the more consistent point guards in his heyday. His no. 10 is retired by the Miami Heat. his career averages are 17.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

JoJo White – White is a two time NBA champion, winning both titles with the Boston Celtics and was named MVP of the finals in 1976. An all-star for seven straight seasons from 1971-1977, White’s no. 10 is retired by the franchise as well.

Kevin Johnson – The current mayor of Sacramento, California, Johnson was a three time all-star and made all-NBA teams in five seasons. His no. 7 is retired by the Phoenix Suns.

Spencer Haywood – An NBA champion in 1980 for the Los Angeles Lakers, Haywood was a four time NBA all-star and all-NBA selection. He has career averages of 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. His no. 24 is retired by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dikembe Mutombo – One of the most imposing defenders of his era, Mutombo retired in 2009 second all time in blocks with 3,289. He was selected to eight all-star teams, won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award a record tying four times, and was an all-NBA honoree eight times (six for defense alone). Twice, he lead the league in rebounding, and three times in blocks.

Lisa Leslie – A three time WNBA MVP, and four time Olympic gold medal winner, Leslie is widely considered one of the greatest female players of all time. She is a two time WNBA champion, twelve time all-WNBA selection (eight first team, four second team), and became the first woman to ever dunk in a professional basketball game.

Leta Andrews – The former Corpus Christi Calallen head coach, Andrews won a Texas state basketball title, and collected 1,416 career wins; a record at the high school level.

Robert Hughes – A winner of five Texas state basketball championships, Hughes retired in 2005 after winning a then record 1,333 games as the head coach at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Fort Worth.

H/T Sports Illustrated

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