Dwyane Wade And Dirk Nowitzki Headline 2023 Naismith Hall Of Fame Nominees
The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame 2023 nominees have been announced, with NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki headlining this year’s class of potential inductees.
In addition to Wade and Nowitzki, other first-time nominees include former NBA stars Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, current San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team. Former NBA champion and current Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups is also nominated this year, his sixth time on the Hall of Fame ballot.
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Former WNBA star and San Antonio Spurs coach Becky Hammon is also up for induction if voted in. Potential 2023 nominees who were eligible, but weren’t included on this year’s ballot are Amar’e Stoudemire, Detlef Schrempf, Shawn Kemp, and Larry Foust.
Wade and Nowitzki famously battled it out on the court on numerous occasions. Wade’s Miami Heat defeated Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, earning Wade his first NBA championship. In 2011, Dirk and the Mavs got their revenge, outlasting Dwyane, LeBron James, and the Heat in the NBA Finals, with Dirk winning the first and only championship ring of his career.
The announcement of the 2023 nominees on Wednesday (Dec. 21) is the first step in the Hall of Fame election process. The finalists for induction into the 2023 class will be announced during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City on Feb. 17. The official inductees will be revealed on April 1 during NCAA Final Four Weekend in Houston.
The 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class will be enshrined in a ceremony scheduled to take place on Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.
