The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 11 finalists for the class of 2022 Friday evening (video link). They are as follows:
- Leta Andrews, the all-time winningest high school coach, male or female
- Swin Cash, a three-time WNBA Champion, four-time All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (Cash is currently the vice president of basketball operations and team development for the Pelicans)
- Michael Cooper, a five-time NBA Champion and eight-time All-Defensive team member, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 1987
- Hugh Evans, a former NBA referee who officiated over 2,200 games, including 35 in the NBA Finals
- Manu Ginobili, a four-time NBA Champion, two-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Tim Hardaway, a five-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist
- Bob Huggins, a longtime NCAA coach with more than 900 career wins, whose teams have made 25 NCAA tournament appearances
- Marques Johnson, a five-time NBA All-Star and NCAA Champion
- George Karl, the 2013 Coach of the Year who’s sixth all time in wins for NBA head coaches
- Marianne Stanley, the 2002 WNBA Coach of the year who led Old Dominion to the NCAA National Championship in 1985
- Lindsay Whalen, a four-time WNBA Champion, five-time All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
The selections will be announced on April 2, at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans, per a league press release.
The Hall of Fame also announced that the ’22 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award went to Reggie Minton, who coached Air Force Academy from 1984-2020.
Finally, the three recipients for the ’22 Curt Gowdy Media Award were Dick Ebersol (Transformative), the former president of NBC Sports who created the NBA on NBC; Mechelle Voepel of ESPN (Print), a longtime women’s basketball writer; and Walt Frazier (Electronic), the longtime color commentator for the Knicks, who’s already in the Hall of Fame as a player.
Andrew’s, cash, cooper, Ginobili, Karl, and Whalen is who I old put in
Why be selective? They let anyone in the hall of fame now a days anyway. Put them all in there?
I don’t really know about ref’s and high school coaches. I’ll leave those opinions to someone else.
I can only truly speak on the three guys I watched in games. I don’t see Ginobli, Hardaway or Karl as Hall of Famers. Not at all. There was never a point where I thought any of those guys were amongst the best in the sport, at what they do. Pre-injury Hardaway maybe. But after that he was just really good, not great. Ginobli was awesome at what he was. A clutch 6th man on championship teams. He was really good. But definitely not a Hall of Famer. Karl stuck around a long time and was a good coach. But he never won a title or out-coached anyone in the playoffs. I can’t even remember any of his teams making the finals besides Kemp and Payton Sonics. But I could be wrong on that. If I recall correctly, he started to but heads with players a lot at the end. His last several years were not glorious.
Wow, what a weak list. Maybe Cooper. That’s about all I’d elect as much as I liked Marques back in the day.
That’s pretty disrespectful. These people worked hard and you just have to sully them.
Just because your feelings are hurt doesn’t mean miltpappas is wrong.
Who said anything about right and wrong? Stop trying to polarize this. Milk paper was disrespectful objectively. This country is suffering a severe lack of respect for anything IMO
You, talking about polarizing!
A choice has to be made, and all this talk of respect accomplishes is avoidance. They are all respected for being nominated.
How dare you try to intellectualize the confrontation. Talk about avoiding!
There was disrespect in the form of a snide remark (something we hear way too much of today and frankly I blame Seinfeld but that’s another story). I found it unfortunate to distract from hard work by immediately calling their worth into question.
This in addition to commentary regarding Jason Tatum and his worth being tied to subjective opinion only further illustrate the blatant disregard for decency when it comes to these players. We are presented with a visage, sure, but underneath that they are human beings.
You say they are respected for being nominated. Is that allowance to tear them down? To pull them apart, separate, like the country we live in today? I can only hope things get better for the sake of humankind.
Nothing but a cupcake with a candle fully burned.
Are you serious?— snideness (better avoid any sitcom), polarization (most people will make choices & support them), intellectualization (“for the sake of humankind”), worth (is Oprah around?), Jason Tatum (who?), visage (do you mean profile?).
The candidates are all deserving on some level, but decisions must be made. Your sauce is weak. Now say I’m cooking.m
I am watching skating. Some skaters may not like the score they get, but try not giving them one at all! (I would prefer knowing why not me, also.)
Obviously, Lil D, you’re one of the chair people on the “Everyone gets a trophy” committee. Okay, swell. Let’s put all of them in the Hall of Fame. For that matter, let’s put Marc Iavaroni in. Don’t forget Foots Walker. How about Bad News Barnes? Oops, can’t forget you, Trent Tucker. I picture Lil D shouting from the window “You’re all winners!”
Lol good reference
UTEP Two-Step Tim Hardaway belongs in the HOF.
He made the Cross-over dribble famous.
His guided his teams to the Playoffs nearly every year of his Career. As a point guard, can’t ask for much more.
And Yes, I am biased Warriors fan.
Why didn’t that Warriors team win anything? Hard, Spree, Mullins, Webber, + others… so fun in NBA live on sega at least haha.
Hardaway was Injured in the only year that we had Webber. Tore up his knee in the pre-Season, so we had to go out and Sign Avery Johnson.
In the other years, our Head Coach Don Nelson would not play or develop our big men, like Tyrone Hill, Chris Gatling, and Victor Alexander, so when we reached the playoffs, we were over-matched.
Hugh Evans for sure. He called a great game, and the players respected him a lot. Leta Andrews too, but after that … maybe Cooper, and good old San Antonio Spur, George Karl whose reflections on his time in the CBA And ABA are priceless. His forthrightness was maddeningly charming.
Ginobli was a big part of 4 NBA championship teams. He was also the 2nd best player on those teams. He came off the bench because Pops asked him too so he provide energy and a scoring punch to the reserve unit. He is the best 6th man of all time.He won an Olympic gold medal as well as a bronze. He is credited with bringing the euro step to the NBA. The Naismith basketball game takes all achievements in basketball into account but even without his international contributions his NBA accolades should be more than enough to be in the Hall of Fame
Agreed, imo Olympic gold that year should make him 1st ballot, especially when you consider the titles in SA
All are deserving, but would love to see Swin make it!
I’d only vote for 4 of these.
Andrews, Cooper, Evans, and Huggins
It’s a shame the standards aren’t higher for the Hall. No anyone can get in
I’m going the all-non player list Andrews, Evans, Huggins, and Karl…
Ginobli will likely get voted in, but other than being on a successful team with the Twin Towers and the best PF of all time, and really making the 6th man “a thing” in the NBA he was never a top 10 player during his time..
This has been one of the weakest lists for a HOF I’ve ever read…No offense, all these players were really good, but not great, not HOF worthy..
Cooper, Cash, Whalen, Ginobli, and Hardaway all deserve to be recognized as really good players during their respective times, but none were ever really the top select few..
Its insane to me how many people actually believe Manu Ginobili isnt a Hall of Famer
If Ming and Sabonis are in the HOF I can’t see why Ginobli wouldn’t belong.
What a surprise, formerlyz likes the 3&D wing.
Backups should be a no.
Tony Parker was always more important for the Spurs, plus Duncan. They made the game, set the fate. Basically Ginoboli came in after the other team was softened up and on their heels and closed it. Terrific role player, applause, but a marginal HOFer.
Ginoboli was third string behind Bellinelli & Danny Green (’14); before that (’09+’07) he split time with Finley & Brent Barry; before that (’03) played behind Stephan Jackson and about the same as Steve Smith; and ’99 was before Ginoboli and Parker. Good ones but not HOFers or even allstars.
Sabonis Sr has to be in, one of the best ever. Ming is not… do not get that.
Ginobli was a reserve by Pops directive and in my opinion more important to the Spurs success than anyone besides Duncan. Besides that he revolutionized the game with the euro step.
Ming and Sabonis are both deserving, the HOF is more than just production on the court. Being an ambassador for the game means almost as much.
Marques Johnson gets points for representation; Huggins loses them. Whoops, I polarized them!
Ming when healthy was no doubt a hall of famer. But yeah, he wasn’t around long enough. Putting China on the map and exposing the NBA to all the money in that huge market is why he got in. But when he was actually on the court, he had it all. He was dominant down low offensively and defensively. Could knock down the long jumper and hit his free throws. Had the right instinct. Prime Shaq tried to bully him and he held his own if not won the battle. He was no doubt on his way to all time greatness.
I’m not surprised people think he is, because everyone has a different perspective on what a hall of famer is. To me, he was never one of the best 50 players in his sport in any given year. He didn’t dominate, was never amongst the best players in the game.
Saying he’s not a hall of famer isn’t an insult though.
It’s okay to appreciate a really good players contributions without him being in the hall.
I thought that Manu was the Spur’s Toni Kukoc – instant offense off the bench – that’s what was asked of him and he was great at it. He’s in as far as I’m concerned
Dam Johnson a 5 time all star and won in college that gets you into the hall of fame.
Yet we have Chris Webber over here. He was a National high school player of the year. A 5 time all start, 1 all nba first team, 3 all nba second teams and 1 all nba third team. Member of the fab 5 in college. Former Rookie of the year and the nba rebounding leader 1999.
He’s way better the Johnson ever was.
Basketball hall of fame is a joke. They need to make a NBA hall of fame
Cash and Ginobili are the only locks, imo.