RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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A new class will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night, with legendary players like Candace Parker and Amar'e Stoudemire, as well as the 1996 U.S. Women's Olympic Team, will be recognized at the Springfield Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Parker headlines a trio of legendary players on the women's side, while Stoudemire is the only player from the men's side in this year's class. Additionally, three standout coaches, including Doc Rivers, will be recognized. Longtime NBA official Joey Crawford will receive his moment of recognition as well.
Each honoree has an inspirational story that has shaped modern basketball, whether it in the men's or women's game at the professional or college level.
Here is how to watch this year's induction ceremony, along with the complete list of inductees and what to know about each member of this year's class.
Date : Saturday, Aug. 15 | Time : 7 p.m. ET Location : Symphony Hall -- Springfield, Massachusetts TV channel: NBA TV | Live stream : Fubo (Try for free)
It seems quite fitting that in the year the WNBA is celebrating its 30th anniversary, the team that helped launch the league is being inducted into the Hall of Fame. This legendary roster went a perfect 8–0 at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, resulting in a gold medal after an 111–87 victory over Brazil. The victory helped Team USA bounce back from a Bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games. It also marked the first of eight consecutive gold medals that Team USA has won at the Olympics.
Team USA's efforts from that particular year helped create so much more for women's basketball. They spent 10 months traveling around the world on a pre-Olympic tour, selling out arenas while posting a 52-0 record against top-tier NCAA programs and international teams. Their success proved that a women's NBA could receive fan support and entice sponsors.
"That's when we knew the magnitude of what we were doing," Dawn Staley said during a 30 for 30 episode. "We had something other than the gold medal to fight for, to play for."
With stars like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Dawn Staley, the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team went 60-0 on an exhibition tour that ended in winning an Olympic gold medal which served as an "audition" to launch the WNBA in 1997. 30 seasons in to the league’s… pic.twitter.com/NkzMBEpSFC
Crawford served as an NBA referee for 39 seasons, beginning in 1977 until his retirement in 2016. His 2,561 officiated games rank second all-time behind Dick Bavetta. Crawford worked a record 374 postseason games and 50 NBA Finals games, including every Finals series from 1986 to 2015.
He is the 19th referee to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Despite never winning an NBA championship, D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns from the mid-2000s were a revolutionary group. The team jumped from 29 wins to a 62–20 record in 2004-05, which tied the best record in franchise history. They reached the Western Conference Finals twice and led the league in scoring multiple years. Most importantly, their unique style of play made a major impact on how the game is played today.
D'Antoni implemented a fast-paced offense that involved small-ball lineups and high-volume 3-point shooting. The goal was to attempt a shot within the first seven seconds of the shot clock to overwhelm the opponent's defense before they could set up. The team included Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash and Stoudemire, who will be inducted this year alongside D'Antoni.
In addition to the Suns, D'Antoni coached the New York Knicks , Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets . He won 1,199 games and was twice the NBA's Coach of the Year (2005, 2017).
Delle Donne took an unusual route to the WNBA, leaving UConn for family reasons before playing volleyball at the University of Delaware. She eventually returned to the hardwood for the Blue Hens and emerged as a top WNBA prospect. She was selected No. 2 overall by the Chicago Sky, won MVP for them in 2015, then was traded to the Washington Mystics and won another MVP award there. She also won her lone WNBA championship for the Mystics in 2019. Delle Donne was a seven-time All-Star, a four-time All-WNBA First Team pick and the 2013 Rookie of the Year.
Few turned a private Catholic school with 5,200 undergraduate students in Spokane, Washington, into a college basketball powerhouse. The 1999 "Cinderella" Elite Eight run under Dan Monson put the Zags on the map, but Few -- an assistant under Monson -- took over as head coach the following season and turned that potential into something special. As Gonzaga starts a new era in the Pac-12, there is no better moment to recognize Few's impact.
Gonzaga had just two NCAA Tournament appearances before Few took over. Few led the Zags to national championship game appearances in 2017 and 2021 during a streak of 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament trips. Along the way, Few has guided 30 players to the NBA and has the winningest percentage in men's college basketball history (.832) with a 773-156 overall record.
"Where I come from, a little tiny town (Creswell) in Oregon, it wasn't a dream come true. You couldn't even possibly dream about something like this happening," Few told NBA.com when discussing the Hall of Fame. "But the biggest emotion and feeling that I've had is just this incredible, overwhelming flush of just gratitude for everybody, every step of the way."
Holdsclaw was a two-time Naismith Player of the Year who won three national championships at Tennessee from 1996-98 before an 11-year WNBA career that included six All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year award, a scoring title and two rebounding titles. She was the first overall pick of the Washington Mystics in 1999, who averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds for her career. She also won an Olympic gold medal in 2000.
Parker is one of the greatest women's players of all time. She is still the only player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and Mo...
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