Basketball Hall of Fame's star-studded 2023 class revealed
New York, New York - The stacked 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class was revealed on Tuesday, with some NBA and WNBA greats making the cut.
According to ESPN, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, and Becky Hammon are all included on this year's list.
Wade, Nowitzki, Gasol, and Parker are all first-ballot selections after playing their final seasons in 2018-19, while it was also Popovich's first time on the ballot after previously declining Hall of Fame consideration in recent years.
Hammon's elevation was also considered simply a matter of time, with the six-time WNBA All-Star, former long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant, and 2022 WNBA championship-winning coach with the Las Vegas Aces having put together a stellar resume since turning pro in 1999.
With Hammon's ties to the Spurs, it figures to be a special night for San Antonio fans as Parker and Popovich are enshrined, joining fellow linchpins of their dynasty Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili after their inductions in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
Nowitzki, who for a long period was European basketball's biggest star, brought the Mavericks their only title in 2011 as he took down the Heat in LeBron James' first season there.
Dwyane Wade tops glamorous list
While both Popovich and Nowitzki could headline a Hall of Fame class in any given year, that honor may go to Wade, who was the architect of all three of Miami's titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Drafted in 2003, Wade ended up carrying the Heat – alongside Shaquille O'Neal – to their first ever championship in only his third season.
It was the beginning of a run that saw him make 14 All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams, and three NBA All-Defensive teams as he rivaled LeBron and Kobe Bryant for the status of best player in the league in 2009 and 2010.
While Wade may have been at his peak in 2009 and 2010, both of those seasons ended with Gasol lifting the title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gasol spent just six-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles, but it is where he will be most fondly remembered after making such a profound impact that he recently had his number 16 jersey retired into the rafters alongside running-mate Bryant.
Cover photo: Collage: Credit Ethan Miller & Michael Reaves & TOM PENNINGTON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP