Dirk Nowitzki Among Hall of Fame Finalists

By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor

Beloved Dallas Maverick legend Dirk Nowitzki was named as a finalist for the 2023 Class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The announcement came as part of NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Nowitzki is No. 6 on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 31,550 points, was named league MVP in 2007 and won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, when he was named Finals MVP. A statue of him was unveiled in front of American Airlines Center in December.

Named as a coaching finalist was San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Greg Popovich, the NBA's all-time leader in coaching wins who has guided the Spurs to five championships.

Other player finalists include Miami Heat legend Dwayne Wade, former Laker Paul Gasol, former Spurs point guard and 2007 Finals MVP Tony Parker; Becky Hammon, a six-time All-Star in her WNBA career; and Jennifer Azzi, a collegiate national champion at Stan- ford, an Olympic gold medalist for USA Basketball in 1996 and a five-year WNBA veteran.

Other coaching finalists include Purdue men's basketball all-time wins leader Gene Keady; Marian Washington, who amassed 560 wins in 31 years coaching the University of Kansas women's team; Gary Blair, who led Texas A&M to the women's championship in 2011; Gene Bess, who won 1,300 games and two national championships with Three Rivers Community College; and David Hixon, who won 826 games in 42 years at Amherst College.

The inductees for the August ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, will be announced as part of the NCAA Final Four festivities in Houston in April.

Gene Bess - All-time winningest college coach (1,300)

Pau Gasol - 6-time All-Star, 2-time NBA champion, 2002 Rookie of the Year

David Hixon - 826 wins, 2-time

D3 national champion, 2-time D3 Coach of the Year

Gene Keady - 7-time Big Ten Coach of the Year

Dirk Nowitzki - 14-time All-Star, 200607 MVP, 2011 NBA Champion

Tony Parker - 6-time All-Star, 4-time NBA champion, 2007 Finals MVP

Gregg Popovich - Winningest coach in NBA history, 5-time NBA champion

Dwyane Wade - 13-time All-Star, 3-time NBA champion, 2006 Finals MVP

This year’s Women’s Committee finalists (in alphabetical order):

Jennifer Azzi - 1990 Naismith Player of the Year, 1990 national champion

Gary Blair - 852 wins, 2011 national champion

Becky Hammon - 6-time WNBA All-Star

Marian Washington - 560 wins, 11 NCAA apps.