A look at the 13-member class of 2024 being enshrined Sunday in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
VINCE CARTER
An eight-time All-Star during his NBA-record 22 seasons. The NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999, Carter is the only player to play in four different decades. He won an Olympic gold medal and an All-Star slam dunk title in 2000 and holds the single-season scoring records for both the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets.
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS
The No. 3 pick in the 1997 draft was a five-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals. Nicknamed “Mr. Big Shot” for his play in the clutch, Billups shot 89.4% from the free throw line, sixth-best in NBA history. He currently coaches the Portland Trail Blazers.
MICHAEL COOPER
Cooper was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and an eight-time selection to the All-Defensive team (five of those were first-team honors). The Los Angeles native, a former Pasadena High and Pasadena City College star, spent his entire 12-year NBA career (1978-90) with the Lakers. Cooper, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were the only three players with the Lakers for all five of their NBA championships (1980, ’82, ’85, ’87 and ’88) during the “Showtime” era. Larry Bird called Cooper the toughest defensive player he faced. Cooper won two more championships as the coach of the WNBA’s Sparks. He remains a steward of the game.
WALTER DAVIS
The career scoring leader for the Phoenix Suns, Davis was an All-Star six times in his 15 NBA seasons. He was the 1978 Rookie of the Year after averaging 24.2 points in his first season. Won an Olympic gold medal in 1976 while at North Carolina before being the No. 5 pick in the 1977 draft.
DICK BARNETT
Helped the New York Knicks win NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. Barnett also won three straight NAIA national championships from 1957-59 with Tennessee A&I University, when the Tigers became the first HBCU to win a national title. Was an All-Star in 1968 while with the Knicks, one of his three teams in a 14-year career.
SEIMONE AUGUSTUS
The No. 1 pick in the 2006 WNBA draft was an All-Star eight times in her 15 seasons. Helped the Minnesota Lynx win four WNBA championships and was the MVP of the 2011 WNBA Finals. Led LSU to three straight Final Fours and was the college player of the year in both 2005 and 2006.
MICHELE TIMMS
Played with the Phoenix Mercury in 1997 during the WNBA’s inaugural season and helped them reach the WNBA Finals the next year. Won an Olympic bronze medal in 1996 and a silver in 2000 while playing for Australia. The point guard is already a member of the Sport Australia, Women’s Basketball and FIBA Halls of Fame.
JERRY WEST
Will become a three-time Hall of Famer, having previously been inducted as a player and as part of the 1960 U.S. team that won an Olympic gold medal. This honor is for West’s work as an executive. An iconic figure in basketball whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, he was an elite talent evaluator who helped the Lakers win eight championships as an executive before becoming the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies, and he won Executive of the Year awards with both teams. As Lakers general manager, he drafted Magic Johnson and James Worthy, and later brought in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the summer of 1996 and hired Phil Jackson in 1999, laying the groundwork for three consecutive championships in 2000-02. He also was an executive with the Golden State Warriors for two of their championships and later served as an executive board member and consultant for the Clippers before passing away in June at 86. His impact on basketball in Southern California, specifically, is all but immeasurable.
DOUG COLLINS
Was a four-time All-Star as a player with the Philadelphia 76ers who later won more than 400 games as a coach. Collins coached Michael Jordan in both Chicago and Washington, and also coached Philadelphia and Detroit. Collins was one of basketball’s best TV analysts, working the 2008 and 2012 Olympics with NBC and also calling NBA games for CBS, TNT and TBS.
HERB SIMON
The longest-tenured owner in NBA history. Bought the Indiana Pacers along with his brother, Mel, in 1983. Helped the Pacers become a perennial Eastern Conference contender in the mid-1990s and reach their lone NBA Finals in 2000.
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BO RYAN
Won four Division III national titles before moving up to the Division I level at Wisconsin. Led the Badgers to back-to-back Final Fours in 2014 and 2015. Finished went 747-233 in his 32 seasons, including 364-130 with Wisconsin, where he won four Big Ten regular-season titles and three in the conference tournament.
CHARLES SMITH
Smith won nine Louisiana state high school championships and is the state’s career leader in coaching victories. Led Peabody Magnet High School to 41-0 seasons in 2004 and 2010, winning national coach of the year honors from ESPN the latter time. Previously inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
HARLEY REDIN
Went 431-66 with six AAU national championships in 18 seasons coaching the Wayland Baptist women’s basketball team. Had 17 top-five finishes. Redin was 110-2 during his first four seasons with the program and had two undefeated seasons. Also coached the U.S. women’s national team.