By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs and multi-medalist with the Argentine NT Manu Ginobili and Yugoslavia NT legend Radivoj Korac have been named into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022, as announced Saturday.
Korac was selected by the International Committee, recognized posthumously, nearly 53 years after his passing. During his seven-year run with the Yugoslavian NT, Korac has claimed a silver medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, 2 silvers at the 1963 and 1967 FIBA World Cup, as well as two silver medals at the 1961 and 1965 EuroBasket and a bronze at the 1963 tournament. He lost his life in a car crash in 1969 aged 30, leaving behind a great legacy for the younger generations.
Spurs great Ginobili further leads the 13-member selection for 2022 which also includes five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, two-time NCAA Coach of the Year Bob Huggins, coach George Karl, longtime referee Hugh Evans, three-time WNBA Champion Lindsay Whalen, four-time WNBA All-Star Swin Cash, and NCAA, WNBA coach Marianne Stanley.
The list further includes directly elected enshrines: Lou Hudson from the Veterans Committee, Larry Costello and Del Harris from the Contributor Committee, and Theresa Shank-Grentz from the Women’s Veterans Committee.
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 9-10, 2022.
Per the press release:
– The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the 13 honorees in the Class of 2022 to be celebrated September 9-10 during this year’s Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Class Announcement was made in New Orleans, Louisiana, the site of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four and was televised live on ESPN2.
This year’s class includes two-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili, five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year Bob Huggins, the NBA’s sixth-winningest coach of all-time George Karl and longtime NBA referee Hugh Evans. On the women’s side, the Hall of Fame is proud to welcome five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsay Whalen, four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash and NCAA national champion and WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley.
Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected five directly elected enshrines. They include Lou Hudson from the Veterans Committee, Larry Costello and Del Harris from the Contributor Committee, Theresa Shank-Grentz from the Women’s Veterans Committee and Radivoj Korac from the International Committee.
“Year after year, we are constantly reminded of the extraordinary and transcendent efforts of the remarkable men and women who have impacted the game of basketball from a global perspective,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Class of 2022 is ripe with individuals who have had a significant historical impact on the game we love. We congratulate and thank them for everything they’ve done to better the sport and look forward to honoring them during Enshrinement this fall.”
To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., the Birthplace of Basketball, on September 9-10, 2022.
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