The 2012 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement is scheduled to happen on September 7, 2010 at the Springfield Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.
The Class of 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees includes eleven individuals and one team. Each will give their speech.
Reggie Miller and Don Nelson headline this year’s Hall of Fame Class for individual inductees as a player and a coach while the All American Red Heads will be honored as a team.
Other players included in the list are Katrina McClain, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes, Mel Daniels and Chet Walker while the other coach to be enshrined is Lidia Alexeeva.
Don Barksdale and Phil Knight will be inducted as contributors while Hank Nichols as a referee.
Check out the complete Class of 2012 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees speech:
Lidia Alexeeva – Coach
- She led the Soviet national team as a coach to two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in 1976 and 1980, and also to ten European championships. Apart from that, she’s enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
All American Red Heads – Team
- One of the first professional women’s basketball teams established. The team played against men’s teams by men’s rules and was a smash hit with the audience.
Don Barksdale – Contributor
- He was a former basketball player and considered as a pioneer for African-American basketball players. He became the first African-American to be named an NCAA All-American, the first to play in USA men’s Olympic basketball team and first to win gold, and the first to play in an National Basketball Association All-Star Game.
Video here.
Mel Daniels – Player
- He is a former basketball player who played in the ABA and NBA. He has won three championships in ABA with the Indiana Pacers and is a two-time ABA MVP (1969 and 1971).
Phil Knight – Contributor
- He is the co-founder, former CEO, and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nike, Inc., a company that is widely credited with expanding the game of basketball around the world through its innovative products and influential marketing. Nike was the first sports brand to incorporate top athletes to connect with consumers emotionally, landing the most significant sports personality of all time in Michael Jordan. The 1985 debut of the Air Jordan basketball sneaker changed the athletic footwear and apparel industry for good.
Video here.
Katrina McClain – Player
- She is a former basketball player who has won gold medals in Olympics and in FIBA World Championship. She also became a two-time Kodak All-America (1986 and 1987) and was awarded as the 1987 WBCA National Player of the Year.
Video here.
Reggie Miller – Player
- He is a former basketball player who played his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. He’s known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in clutch situations and most notably against the New York Knicks for which he earned the nickname “Knick Killer”. When he retired, he held the record for most career 3-point field goals made, a record that was later broken by Ray Allen.
Video also here.
Don Nelson – Coach
- He is a former NBA player and head coach. He is the all-time winningest coach in the NBA with 1,335 victories, his all-time record is 1,335-1,063 (.557). He’s also credited as an innovator for inventing the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. His unique brand of basketball is often referred to as “Nellie Ball”.
Video here.
Hank Nichols – Referee
- He is a former American college basketball referee and later, a supervisor of officials. He officiated 10 Final Fours, a record 6 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championships, 3 National Invitation Tournament Finals, 2 Olympic Games and 1 European Championships. He’s also the first official to work both the NIT and NCAA Championship Basketball Finals in a single year, and the first National Coordinator of Officials.
Video here.
Ralph Sampson – Player
- He is a former basketball player who played in the NBA. In his college days, he’s a three-time Naismith College Player of the Year and in the NBA, he became the 1984 Rookie of the Year and was awarded as the 1985 All-Star Game MVP.
Video here.
Chet Walker – Player
- He is a former basketball player who has won a championship in NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 7-time NBA All-Star was a durable and reliable small forward who operated best in the open court where his power and speed helped him get to the basket. He excelled at drawing the foul and was automatic from the free throw line. He was also geared for winning, with teams he played for making the postseason every year he was in the league.
Video here.
Jamaal Wilkes – Player
- He is a former basketball player who has won four championships in NBA, one with the Golden State Warriors and three with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1975 Rookie of the Year.
Video here.
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