Getting To Know The Basketball Hall Of Fame And The Famers

If you are going to review your basketball history, you will surely encounter the name James Naismith. He is the inventor of the game. And from the time that he has introduced the game up to this date, the game basketball has evolved and became the game that we know today. Basketball moves and new basketball rules were added and different leagues and conferences were introduced. Along with the changes, many people have contributed to the evolution and development of the sports. To honor them, the Basketball Hall of Fame was introduced.

Known as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, this is a building located in Springfield, Massachusetts. It aims to honor basketball players with exceptional talent and skills, great coaches and referees as well as people who have important contribution to basketball. To date, there have been six teams inducted into this Hall of Fame. They are;

• James Naismith’s First Team
• The Buffalo Germans
• The Original Celtics
• The New York Renaissance
• Harlem Globetrotters
• 1966 Texas Western Team – most recently inducted

Mission

Upon establishment, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has one mission. And that is to preserve as well as to promote basketball at all levels. It also aims to serve as the game’s most important library of history.

So, if you are in search for the most comprehensive stories behind the history of basketball and its evolution, you will most likely find it here.

History and Structure

The Hall of Fame was built in 1968, the 17th of February at Springfield College. But, it was actually established in 1959 but lack of funds prohibited building. In 1985, the new Hall of Fame building was opened on Connecticut River’s east bank. In 2002, the 28th of September, the Hall of Fame found its new and present home. It is located just south of the previous one. It costs $45 million and features a user friendly ambience.

The new Hall of Fame is divided into three floors; the Honors Ring where all members have photos and an artifact representing each of them. The second floor is where you find the famous Hooperactive Zone, the Coaches Gallery, the Players Gallery, the Broadcast Section as well as the College Section. The Center Court is a full-sized basketball court where the public may take shots; choose from different hoops area such as slam dunk area and the trivia challenge area.

The Hall of Famers

As of this year, there have been 285 individuals honored by the Hall. Some notable inductees were John Wooden, Bill Sharman and Lenny Wilkens who were all inducted both as players and coach. On the other hand, the inductees of Class 2007 did not include a player. This is the first since 1968.

Among the most notable inductees are;

• Arnold “Red” Auerbach (1969) – coach; has great contributions to the Boston Celtics.

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995) – player; one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

• Isaiah Thomas (2000) – player; named one of the 50 Greatest Players of the NBA History.

• Lawrence “Larry” Brown (2002) – coach; the only coach to lead seven different teams to the play-offs.

• Charles Barkley (2006) – player; known as “The Round Mound of Rebound”.

• Hakeem Olajuwon (2008) – player; notable for leading the Houston Rockets into a back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995.

If there is something you want to know about the Basketball Hall of Fame and its members, you can always search the internet. There are lots of information you can find online pertaining to this subject.