Mutombo, Bavetta, Calipari among 2015 Hall of Fame finalists
There's certainly no shortage of strong candidates for this year's Hall of Fame class of inductees.
The list of finalists were unveiled on Saturday, as listed below:
| Finalist | Profession | Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
| Leta Andrews | HS coach | Winningest female HS coach |
| Dick Bavetta | NBA referee | 39 years officiating |
| John Calipari | NCAA coach | 2x NCAAB CoY |
| Bill Fitch | NBA coach | 2x NBA CoY |
| Tim Hardaway | NBA player | 5x All-Star |
| Spencer Haywood | NBA player | 5x All-Star |
| Robert Hughes | HS coach | Winningest male HS coach |
| Kevin Johnson | NBA player | 3x All-Star |
| Lisa Leslie | WNBA player | 3x WNBA MVP |
| Dikembe Mutombo | NBA player | Trademarked the finger wag |
| Bo Ryan | NCAA coach | 3x Big Ten CoY |
| Jo Jo White | NBA player | 7x All-Star |
Finalists will require at least 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee to be elected, and of the 12 nominees, eight-time All-Star and four-time defensive player of the year Dikembe Mutombo seems like a surefire pick.
Dikembe Mutombo on being named a Hall of Fame finalist: "To me, it is a dream come true."
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) February 14, 2015
In addition to the finalists, five direct-elect members were also voted in by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They include Louie Dampier, Lindsay Gaze, John Issacs, George Raveling and former Celtics coach Tommy Heinsohn, who is already in the Hall of Fame as a player.
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