Finalists for the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame were announced on Thursday and include NBA greats Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming.
Also included on the list of finalists are three-time All-Star Kevin Johnson, WNBA great Sheryl Swoopes and college coaching icons Tom Izzo, Bo Ryan, Muffet McGraw and Eddie Sutton.
The Class of 2016 will be announced on April 4 in Houston prior to the NCAA Men’s Championship game.
From the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
TORONTO, ON – This year’s list includes seven first-time finalists: 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson, nine-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, two-time NABC Coach of the Year Tom Izzo, the first African-American coach in a professional league John McLendon, three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal, four-time WNBA Champion Sheryl Swoopes and 10-time AAU National Champions Wayland Baptist University.
Previous finalists included again this year for consideration are the only coach in NCAA history to win 100 games at four different schools Charles “Lefty” Driesell, the all-time winningest high school coach Leta Andrews,the all-time winningest boys high school coach Robert Hughes, three-time NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson, three-time Consensus National College Coach of the Year Muffet McGraw, four-time Division III national champion coachBo Ryan and four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton.
Absent from the All-Star announcement was Yao Ming, whose nomination falls within the Direct Elect International Committee. Enshrinees from the Direct Elect Committees will be recognized at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Houston in April.
