The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts inducted the class of 2024 on Sunday. The induction ceremony was originally scheduled for August 17, but was moved to October due to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Led by Vince Carter, these are the 13 people who will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for 2024, representing NBA and WNBA stars, in addition to longtime college and high school coaches:
Vince Carter: Known for his spectacular dunking, Carter was an eight-time NBA All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and 1999 Rookie of the Year during his 22 seasons. He has suited up for eight NBA teams in his career and is the only player to have played in four different decades.
“Thank you for this incredible honor. I have great respect for this honor,” Carter said during his acceptance speech. “I have finally come to terms with the fact that you have given me an honor that not many players will experience. I am now walking through the doors that the icons of the game walked through.”
Michelle Timms: Timms, this year’s International Committee Inductee, won two Olympic gold medals for Australia in 1996 and 2000. She played internationally with Germany’s Lotus Munich and five seasons with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Timms is also in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame.
Chauncey Billups: Billups won the 2004 NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons and earned Finals MVP honors. He was a five-time All-Star and played for seven teams during his seventeen NBA seasons. He is currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“It was in Detroit where I became an NBA champion known for being a winner, and that’s all I ever wanted,” Billups said as he donned a pair of the city’s popular Buffs sunglasses. “It was in Detroit where I became known as a winner, and that’s all I ever wanted.”
Michael Kuiper: Cooper was a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and was also named to eight All-Defensive Teams. As a coach, he won back-to-back WNBA championships with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02 and earned WNBA Coach of the Year honors in 2000.
Walter Davis: Davis is a six-time All-Star during his 15 NBA seasons and is the Phoenix Suns’ all-time leading scorer. He won an Olympic gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Games and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978.
Harley Redin: Redin, this year’s Women’s Veteran Committee Inductee, went 431-66 in 18 seasons at Wayland Baptist University, including two undefeated seasons, and won six AAU national championships. He was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and won the Naismith Award for Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Basketball in 2000.
Dick Barnett: Barnett, the Men’s Veteran Committee inductee, won three consecutive NAIA national titles this year at Tennessee A&I University, the first historically black school to win a men’s basketball championship. He played fourteen seasons in the NBA and was an All-Star in 1968.
Bo Ryan: A 2017 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Ryan won 747 games in 32 seasons as a head coach, earning three Division III championships. He was a four-time Big Ten coach of the year at Wisconsin, won four regular season and three conference tournament titles and made two Final Fours.
Seimone Augustus: August, the Women’s Committee inductee, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft of the Minnesota Lynx, won 2006 Rookie of the Year and played 15 seasons in the league. At LSU, she played in three Final Fours and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards.
“Act 1 is done. And Act 2 has just begun for me. And if I do that right, I might be back here another night,” said Augustusreferring to her role as an assistant coach for LSU.
Jerry West: West is the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (Class of 1980) and Olympian (in 2010), and now as a contributor. As an executive, he won eight NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the Golden State Warriors.
Karel Smit: At Peabody Magnet High School, Smith won nine state championships and is Louisiana’s all-time winningest head coach. Twice his teams went 41-0 (in 2004 and 2010). He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and into the National HIgh School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021.
Doug Collins: As a player, Collins was a four-time All-Star during his eight NBA seasons. As a coach, he won 442 games with four teams. But to many basketball fans, Collins may be best known as a TV analyst for CBS, NBC, TNT and ESPN.
Herb Simon: Simon has owned the Indiana Pacers since 1983, making him the longest-serving team owner in NBA history. He is also co-owner of the Indiana Fever with his cousin David. The Pacers have made 27 appearances in the NBA playoffs during Simon’s tenure, including a trip to the 2000 NBA Finals.
“This is not the recognition I ever expected. But I am so honored and humbled to have received it.” – Herb Simon #24HopeClass
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) October 13, 2024
“This is not an acknowledgment I ever expected,” Simon said in his speech. “But I am so honored and humbled to receive it.”
