Hoop Hall names 13 finalists

Charlotte, N.C. — Paul Westphal says it’s an honor these days to have anyone remember that he played basketball.

The Hall of Fame obviously remembers.

Westphal is one of 13 people who were announced Friday as finalists for enshrinement later this year by the Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s one of four first-time finalists, joining seven-time All-Star Jack Sikma, five-time All-Star Marques Johnson and four-time defensive player of the year Ben Wallace.

“It’s hard to put it into words,” said the 68-year-old Westphal, who played 12 seasons — his best of those years with Phoenix — before spending parts of 17 more seasons as a head coach or assistant coach. “You never want to take anything like this for granted. It’s just a real humbling, thrilling time to consider that something like this might happen.”

There are nine previous finalists back on the list this year — notably five-time All-Stars Chris Webber and Sidney Moncrief, eight-time first-team defensive player Bobby Jones, two-time NBA coach of the year Bill Fitch, women’s basketball pioneer Teresa Weatherspoon and four-time college coach of the year Eddie Sutton.

“I’m so inspired and honored by these individuals on the stage,” Moncrief said during the ceremony, looking at Hall of Famers on the stage such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nancy Lieberman, Rick Barry, Spencer Haywood and Rick Welts. “Thank you all for setting the trend for us.”

Moncrief, Wallace, Jones and Weatherspoon were all known as top defenders.

“Defense matters,” Moncrief said.

Also selected as finalists were Leta Andrews, who won a highschool-record 1,416 games in more than 50 years on the sidelines in Texas; Hugh Evans, a referee in the NBA for 28 years; and Barbara Stevens, the longtime coach at perennial Division II power Bentley and a winner of more than 1,000 games.

“To be named a Finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor and we are proud to recognize the outstanding men and women who have impacted the game,” said Jerry Colangelo, the Basketball Hall of Fame’s chairman.