Sports
Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki Headline 2023 NBA Hall of Fame Class
NBA Stars Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker are among the finalists to be selected for the NBA Hall of Fame. According to ESPN, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and WNBA legend Becky Hammon have also been selected. An official announcement concerning the full class is expected this weekend.
In 2019, Dwyane Wade retired from the NBA after a 16-year career that has three championships with the Miami Heat. During his career, he also made 13 All-Star appearances. Wade is seen as one of the top two guards of all time. In addition to his Heat tenure, Wade spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls.
After two decades with the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki retired in 2019. In 2011, he led the Mavs to their solo NBA title. This established him as one of the best power forwards of all time. Nowitzki also revolutionized the game during his career as a floor-spacing big man.
In 2019, Pau Gasol played his last game in the NBA. The 7”1 center spent nearly two decades in the league playing for Memphis, L.A., Chicago, San Antonio, and Milwaukee. Alongside NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Gasol won two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also made six All-Star teams and had an illustrious international career.
As San Antonio Spurs coach, Greg Popovich has been running things since 1995. He is the NBA’s highest-winning coach, leading the Spurs to five championships. In 2020, Popovich got a gold medal for serving as the head coach for Team USA during the Tokyo Olympics. One of Popovich’s star players was Tony Parker, who played under him for 17 seasons. Parker won four championships in San Antonio and was named Finals MVP in 2007.