GASOL, NOWITZKI LEAD LOADED HALL FINALISTS
Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich are all one step closer to basketball immortality.
The three international greats — Gasol, Nowitzki and Parker — were among the list of Class of 2023 finalists unveiled Friday by the Basketball Hall of Fame, putting them on the doorstep of enshrinement this summer.
Also on that list: Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history with the San Antonio Spurs, and Dwyane Wade, part of three championship teams with the Miami Heat.
“It’s really about the journey,” Gasol said. “These type of recognitions, which are an amazing honor, they come along when you do things very, very well for a long time and when you love what you do. I’m just privileged to have played the game for so long, at a high level, with amazing people who taught me so much.”
Also making the finalist cut were four selections from the Women’s Committee — 1990 national player of the year, Olympic champion and world champion Jennifer Azzi; six-time WNBA AllStar and WNBA championship-winning coach Becky Hammon; and longtime coaches Gary Blair and Marian Washington.
The other finalists from the North American Committee include Gene Bess, believed to be the all-time collegiate coaching wins leader with 1,300 to his credit; two-time Division III national champion David Hixon; and seven-time Big Ten coach of the year Gene Keady.
Popovich has coached San Antonio to five NBA titles, four of them with Parker as the team’s point guard, and led the U.S. to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The other two legs of the Spurs’ Big 3 from that championship era — Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili — are already Hall of Famers.
The Hall also announced Friday that longtime high school scout Tom Konchalski will receive the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor
the Hall bestows short of enshrinement.
CBS Sports will receive one of the Curt Gowdy media awards handed out this year, with ESPN’s Holly Rowe and Marc Spears also now Gowdy recipients.
The Hall class will be announced April 1 at the NCAA men’s Final Four in Houston. Enshrinement weekend is Aug. 11 and 12 at Uncasville, Conn, and Springfield, Mass.
Team Pau caps big day
New Orleans guard Jose Alvarado’s drifting 3-pointer clinched a 25-20 win for Team Pau (Gasol) over Team Joakim (Noah) in the title game of the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend.
Alvarado, who was named the Most Valuable Player, had five points in the title game.
The win capped a memorable day for Gasol, who was named a Basketball Hall of Fame finalist earlier.
“I’m going out on top. It may be one and done for me,” Gasol said of his coaching
debut.
Seahawks’ Metcalf can hoop
Team Dwyane rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Team Ryan 81-78 in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Dwyane Wade served as honorary captains of the celebrity teams.
Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf paced Team Dwyane with 20 points and 10 rebounds — but he’ll be best remembered for an array of dunks. Actor Everett Osbourne led Team Ryan with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Metcalf was named the game’s MVP.
Notable
The Los Angeles Clippers have waived two-way player Moses Brown after 34 games with the team.
The 23-year-old center made one start and averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the field.