Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Dirk Nowitzki Named First Ballot Hall of Famer

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 12 inductees in the Class of 2023 and among them was beloved Dallas Maverick legend Dirk Nowitzki. This was his first year being eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki

By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Photo: Naismith Hall of Fame

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 12 inductees in the Class of 2023 and among them was beloved Dallas Maverick legend Dirk Nowitzki. This was his first year being eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Nowitzki and the 11 other inductees will be celebrated during this year’s Enshrinement festivities on August 11-12. The Class Announcement was made in Houston, the site of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and was televised live on ESPN.

Nowitzki is No. 6 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 31,550 points, was named league MVP in 2007 and won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, when he was named Finals MVP. A statue of him was unveiled in front of American Airlines Center in December.

This year’s North American Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):

ADVERTISEMENT

Gene Bess – All-time winningest college coach (1,300), 2-time NJCAA Coach of the Year

Pau Gasol – 6-time All-Star, 2-time NBA champion, 2002 Rookie of the Year

David Hixon – 826 wins, 2-time D3 national champion, 2-time D3 Coach of the Year

Gene Keady – 6-time NCAA Coach of the Year, 17 NCAA Tournament appearances

Dirk Nowitzki – 14-time All-Star, 2006-07 MVP, 2011 NBA Champion

ADVERTISEMENT

Tony Parker – 6-time All-Star, 4-time NBA champion, 2007 Finals MVP

Gregg Popovich – Winningest coach in NBA history, 3-time NBA Coach of the Year, 5-time NBA champion

Dwyane Wade – 13-time All-Star, 3-time NBA champion, 2006 Finals MVP

This year’s Women’s Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):

Gary Blair – 852 wins, 2011 National Champion, 2-time Final Four participant

ADVERTISEMENT

Becky Hammon – 6-time WNBA All-Star, 2-time First-Team All-WNBA recipient

This year’s Direct Elect Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):

1976 Women’s Olympic Basketball Team (Women’s Veterans) – Silver medalists in inaugural appearance for Women’s Olympic Basketball

Jim Valvano (Contributor) – 1983 NCAA Champion, created The V Foundation for Cancer Research

The Class of 2023 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, the Birthplace of Basketball, as well as the Mohegan Sun on August 11-12. VIP packages and single-event tickets to the 2023 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend are now available at hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2023.

ADVERTISEMENT

Written By

ADVERTISEMENT

Read The Current Issue

Texas Metro News

Determining Optimal Protein Intake For Muscle Growth buy steroids the 3 golden rules of muscle growth
ADVERTISEMENT

You May Also Like

News

By Dorothy J. GentrySports EditorPhotos: Charles “City” Gbadebo and Dorothy J. GentryVideo: Dorothy J. Gentry Christmas was not Christmas for the Dallas Mavericks as...

News

Defensive-minded Koclanes has more than a decade of coaching experience in the WNBA and Division I women’s basketball.

News

Photo: Dorothy J. Gentry Keelon Russell, the recently named 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, enjoyed a night out at the Dallas...

News

NEW YORK – The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (“WNBPA”) and Women’s National Basketball Association (“WNBA”) recently met in person to discuss the Collective Bargaining...

Advertisement