(Detroit, MI)-The American Basketball Hall of Fame Foundation announced the list of 40 eligible candidates for the Class of 2023 today. The American Basketball Hall of Fame Foundation will combine both classes of 2022 and 2023 together to be enshrined. The American Basketball Hall of Fame (ABHOF) has inducted 50 players into the AHOF from the likes including former Boston Celtics Sam Jones, Harlem Globetrotter Legend Meadowlark Lemon, to the late great Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant.
The goal of the ABHOF is to honor the history of basketball and also give players who have been overlooked another opportunity to be honored and a chance to be inducted into a national hall of fame from the levels of high school to college players/coaches, barnstorming teams, playground legends, and the CBA, ABA, WNBA, and contributors that have made an impact on the game of basketball. Robinson said that he is in talks with several cities that have shown interest in landing the project. The goal is to build a state-of-the-art 80,000 sq. ft. basketball facility called the National Basketball Village that would include basketball courts, a weight room, track, classrooms, and a basketball theme restaurant along with the two halls of fame, the ABHOF and the HBCU Black College Basketball Hall of Fame.
10 of the 40 finalists for the Class of 2023 will be announced on March 8, 2022, and the entire Class of 2023 will be unveiled at a press conference. Basketball Hall of Fame Weekend Enshrinement and Festivities will take place in Detroit, Michigan on June 23-25, 2023.
40 eligible candidates for the American Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023:
- Isiah Thomas -Player
- Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland -Player
- Larry Johnson-Player -Player
- Earl “The Pearl Monroe -Player
- Darrell Scott -Player
- Artis Gilmore -Player
- Clark Kellogg -Player
- Dennis Hopson -Player
- Michael Ray Richardson -Player
- Albert King -Player
- Mark Aguirre -Player
- Mateen Cleaves -Player
- Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond -Player
- Brain Burdine -Player
- Walter Davis -Player
- George Gervin -Player
- Mack Calvin -Player
- Connie Hawkins -Player
- James “Fly” Williams -Player
- World B. Free -Player
- Adam “Dutize” Bostick -Player
- Ron Harper -Player
- Campy Russell -Player
- Jerome Macon -Player
- Ramona McCastle Neyland -Player
- Tyrone Crawford -Player
- Brian Burdine -Player
- David Thompson -Player
- Geoff Warren -Player
- Charles Oakley -Player
- Vincent Johnson -Player
- Olden Polynice -Player
- Denny Lehnus -Coach
- Chuck Daly -Coach
- Tom Izzo -Coach
- Sonny Hill – Contributor
- Mat Ishbia – Contributor
- Bobby Grund -Contributor
- Stephen A. Smith – Contributor
- Harlem Clowns – Contributor