Just last Friday, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame unveiled its finalist for the hall of fame class of 2023. The finalists this year include some international superstars and global icons.
Pau Gasol, two time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, is on the ballot this year as a finalist. Gasol is from Spain, and also spent many years competing with the Spanish national team. Also on the ballet from the ranks of international legends, Tony Parker and Dirk Nowitzki.
Tony Parker had come into a situation on the San Antonio Spurs where they were built to win. Taking over the reins as the point guard for the legendary Tim Duncan and Coach Gregg Popovich, Parker was able to help propel the Spurs dynasty to four championships, winning finals MVP in 2007.
Parker’s Coach, Gregg Popovich, is also on the ballot this year for the Hall of Fame. Popvich can boast being the longest active tenured coach in the NBA, first beginning his Spurs career way back in 1996. Poppovich has won 5 NBA championships with the Spurs and is widley considered to be one of the greatest coaches ever seen in the sport.
Nowitzki spent 21 years as the face of the Dallas Mavericks, capturing a 2007 NBA Most Valuable Player award, as well as the 2011 NBA Championship where the Mavericks defeated the heavily favored Miami Heat.
On the team that Nowitzki defeated that year is another prospective Hall of Famer, Dwyane Wade. Wade first entered the league during the infamous 2003 NBA draft class which featured the likes of Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony, the first two of which would end up becoming his teammates to form the big 3 for the Miami Heat in 2010.
Before that though, Wade found success early on in his career, capturing a championship for the Miami Heat in just his 3rd season in 2006. Wade won finals MVP that series as he helped Miami past Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Wade found more success during the big 3 era of Miami. He managed to win 2 more championships back to back in 2012 and 2013, the 2013 title coming over the San Antonio Spurs which featured Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich as the coach.
This Hall of Fame class contains many legends of the game who have spent much of their careers going up against each other as competitors.
Many of these players have just recently retired, and most NBA fans have a fresh memory as to how great these players were during their time in the league. All of these players will almost surely be able to make it into the Hall of Fame this year, as their contributions to the game are monumental, and they boast career stats and awards that will warrant them to be a part of the group of the greatest that the sport has ever seen.
Fans will be eagerly awaiting the Hall of Fame speeches by these players, as they leave one last mark before entering basketball immortality.