By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
It’s that time of the year again when the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame starts the process of enshrining basketball legends from all over the world.
The first list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2024 has been announced, with many esteemed Europeans among them.
For the first time, among the international nominees are David Blatt, Jorge Garbajosa, Panagiotis Giannakis, Andrei Kirilenko, Ettore Messina, and Juan Carlos Navarro. The names of Mirza Delibasic, Giuseppe Giergia, Dusan Ivkovic, Vladimir Kondrashin, and Ranko Zeravica are once again on the list of international candidates.
The 2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team (“Redeem Team”), Vince Carter, Seimone Augustus, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Barnes, and Mike Fratello are among the North American contributor nominees.
Finalists from the Honors Committee for the Class of 2024 will be announced on Friday, February 16, in Indianapolis, Indiana, during NBA All-Star Weekend. The entire Class of 2024 will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, in a nationally televised broadcast.
Enshrinement weekend will begin at the Mohegan Sun on Friday, August 16, with the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala, followed by the Enshrinement ceremony on Saturday, August 17, at Springfield’s historic Symphony Hall.
Also, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced changes to its election process that will more carefully examine candidates from the International, Men’s Veterans, Women’s Veterans, and Contributor Committees. Since 2011, the Hall of Fame has allowed these categories to be standalone ‘direct-elect’ committees to ensure candidates who may have ‘fallen through the cracks’ received focused and specialized consideration in these various categories. The Election Process Committee has determined that this objective of more acute consideration has been met during these 12 years, and now candidates put forth from these categories will revert to the previous and traditional process of being presented for final consideration to the Honors Committee for election.
INTERNATIONAL NOMINEES
David Blatt (COA)*
Ettore Messina (COA)*
Tal Brody (CONT)*
Juan Carlos Navarro (PLA)*
Jean-Jacques Conceicao (PLA)*
Andres Nocioni (PLA)*
Mirza Delibasic (PLA)
Fabricio Oberto (PLA)*
Jorge Garbajosa (PLA)*
Jose Ortiz (PLA)*
Andrew Gaze (PLA)*
Amaury Pasos (PLA)
Panagiotis Giannakis (PLA)*
Modesto Palauskas (PLA)*
Giuseppe Giergia (PLA)
Togo Soares (PLA)
Dusan Ivkovic (PLA)
Penny Taylor (PLA)*
Andrei Kirilenko (PLA)*
Michele Timms (PLA)*
Vladimir Kondrashin (COA)
Amaya Valdemore (PLA)*
Marcos Leite (PLA)
Ranko Zeravica (COA)