Detroit Pistons legend Chauncey Billups. An early cornerstone of the Toronto Raptors franchise and one of the great dunkers the game has ever seen in Vince Carter. The logo Jerry West for a third time — this as a GM/front office guru.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced a 13-person Class of 2024 and those are some of the headliners.
“Without a shadow of doubt, the accomplishments of the 2024 class stand as a testament to unparalleled excellence,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “From showcasing unrivaled prowess on the courts and sidelines, spanning the high school, collegiate and professional ranks, to steering the course of basketball across an entire continent and to orchestrating a pair of dynasties, we are honored to pay tribute to these remarkable individuals alongside our esteemed award recipients.”
Many fans remember Carter as one of the greatest dunkers the game has ever seen — and with good reason.
However, Carter is much more than simply a high-flyer. He is an eight-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player, the 1999 Rookie of the Year, has a Gold Medal from the 2000 Olympics and had a long career — he is the only player to ever play in four decades. Carter averaged 16.7 points per game in that career (21.3 as a starter).
Then there is “Mr. Big Shot,” Chauncey Billups. He is the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA player, and a two-time All-Defensive Team member. Over a 17-year career, he averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game (he currently coaches the Portland Trail Blazers).
Jerry West has already been inducted as a player — the man is the NBA logo — and as a Gold Medal winning 1960 USA Olympic men’s basketball team member. He will now be inducted for a third time, this for his work as a general manager — he built the Showtime Lakers that won five rings, led Memphis to some of its best years, was part of Bob Myer’s front office that built the Curry-era dynasty Warriors, and now is a consultant for the Clippers where the team is in the midst of the franchise’s best run of success ever.
Others inducted this year include:
• Michael Cooper. The defensive stopper of the Showtime Lakers, Cooper is a five-time NBA champion who was voted Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and was an eight-time All-Time Defensive Team player. After playing, he coached the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks to back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002, and he was that league’s coach of the Year in 2000.
• Walter Davis. A six-time All-Star, Davis remains the leading scorer in Phoenix Suns history. He averaged 24.2 points per game in his rookie season and won Rookie of the Year. The Suns retired his number in 2004. Before getting to the NBA he won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics.
• Doug Collins. A four-time All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers, he transitioned into coaching and racked up 400 wins with the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03) and 76ers (2010-13). He was Michael Jordan’s first coach, but is known to many fans as a broadcaster with CBS, NBC, TNT, TBS, and ABC/ESPN.
• Herb Simon. The owner of the Indiana Pacers and the longest-tenured governor in the NBA’s history, Simon purchased the Pacers, along with his late brother Mel, back in 1983. Under Simon’s stewardship, the Pacers won numerous Central Division titles and made the franchise’s first NBA Finals in 2000.
• Bo Ryan. Ryan went 747-233 (.762) in 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1984-89), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-2001) and University of Wisconsin (2001-15), including a 364-130 (.737) ledger in 14-plus seasons in Madison.
• Charles Smith. Smith is Louisiana’s all-time winningest high school head coach, surpassing the previous mark of 1,071 in 2020, and he has eight state championships to his name.
• Seimone Augustus. During her 15-year WNBA career, Augustus was a four-time champion and eight-time All-Star. She was the No. 1 pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft and went on to be a cornerstone player for the Minnesota Lynx. She averaged 15.4 points per game over the course of her career. Before that, at LSU, Augustus led the Tigers to three straight Final Four appearances and won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Wooden Awards in back-to-back years (2005-06).
• Dick Barnett. Barnett played 14 years in the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, helping New York to their two titles (1970 and 1973). Before that, he led Tennessee A&I University to three straight NAIA national championships.
• Harley Redin. The late Redin went 431-66 in 18 seasons leading Wayland Baptist’s women’s basketball program and captured six AAU National Championships. He also coached the Women’s U.S. National Team in 1959, the 1971 Pan-American Games, and the 1963 World Tournament in Peru.
• Michelle Timms. A trailblazer in Australian women’s basketball, Timms became well-known as one of the best point guards in the world, representing the Australian national team throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Timms won a pair of Olympic medals with the Opals, winning bronze in 1996 and silver in 2000. Timms played five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, guiding the team to a berth in the 1998 WNBA Finals and earning an All-Star selection in 1999.
