On Aug. 12, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will welcome all-time NBA greats Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, WNBA icon Becky Hammon and legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
The evening promises to spark several unforgettable moments for the six inductees, their families, friends, former teammates and coaches and for all in attendance. The event will be held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Get ready to witness basketball history unfold at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend in Massachusetts, where legendary players will be immortalized. Experience the excitement both on and off the court, with US sports betting adding an extra layer of thrill to the festivities.
Sports fans interested in trying out betting for the first time can enjoy several welcome bonuses and promo codes, including a first bet offer of up to $1,000 from BetMGM, a second chance wager of up to $100 from BetRivers and $150 in bonus bets from DraftKings once you wager $5.
This isn’t the only notable sporting event in the state of Massachusetts to enjoy in August. The Boston Red Sox will continue to play regular season home games at Fenway Park through Sept. 27, and the New England Patriots will welcome the NFL’s Houston Texans for preseason action on Aug. 10.
The Inductees
More than a decade ago, the six inductees’ respective spots in the Basketball Hall of Fame were never in question.
Nowitzki, Wade, Gasol and Parker were among the NBA’s premier scorers and game-changers during the 2000s and first half of the 2010s.
Each went on to win at least one NBA Championship: Nowitzki in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks, Gasol with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, Parker with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 and Wade with the Miami Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
A 14-time All-Star, Nowitzki won 2007 MVP honors and led Dallas to the franchise’s first championship in a giant upset against LeBron James’ Heat in 2011.
Gasol was a six-time All-Star who proved to be the final piece the Lakers needed to win their fourth and fifth championships in the Kobe Bryant era. Gasol perfectly complemented Bryant in La La Land and cemented his legacy in helping the team win back-to-back championships.
Parker formed one of the NBA’s all-time great “big threes”, alongside Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs never once missed the postseason in Parker’s tenure with the club, and he was named 2007 NBA Finals MVP after leading San Antonio to a sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wade was a 13-time All-Star and a two-time all-NBA First Team member. He was the league’s 2009 scoring champion and won 2006 NBA Finals MVP after leading Miami to the franchise’s first title against Nowitzki’s Mavericks.
Hammon enjoyed an illustrious career in the WNBA, earning six All-Star selections and a pair of All-WNBA First Team honors. She was named to the WNBA’ 15th, 20th and 25th Anniversary Teams.
Hammon played for the New York Liberty from 1999 to 2006 and for the San Antonio Silver Stars from 2007 to 2014. Throughout her career, Hammon averaged 13.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Her impact on the game goes well above what Hammon did on the court, however.
She was a Spurs’ assistant coach under Popovich’s staff from 2014 to 2022. Popovich was ejected in the team’s Dec. 30, 2020 game against the Lakers, and Hammon served as the head coach for the remainder of the contest.
This made Hammon the first female acting head coach in NBA history.
A year later, the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces hired Hammon as their new head coach. In her first year on the job, Hammon led the Aces to a 26-10 record and guided the franchise to the WNBA Championship — the first in franchise history.
Popovich is the NBA’s all-time leader in wins for a head coach. He took over the Spurs’ HC position in the midst of the 1996-97 season and has guided the organization to five championships — 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
The three-time NBA Coach of the Year led the Spurs to 22 straight postseason appearances from 1998 to 2019 and six total NBA Finals appearances.
With generational prospect Victor Wembanyama now in the fold, “Coach Pop” has a franchise-changing building block to help revive the franchise following a frustrating four-year rebuilding period.
