USA – Jordan among 16 finalists for Naismith Hall of Fame

SPRINGFIELD (Hall of Fame) – The basketball world is buzzing over this year’s finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with Michael Jordan among them.

The legend, considered by many to be the greatest ever to play the game, led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA crowns, won an NCAA title at the University of North Carolina and captured two Olympic gold medals – the second with the Dream Team that took Barcelona by storm in 1992.

The complete list includes 10 candidates from the North American Screening Committee – players Dennis Johnson, Jordan, Bernard King, Chris Mullin, David Robinson and John Stockton and Coaches Bob Hurley, Don Nelson and Jerry Sloan and Contributor Al Attles.

Two candidates each comprise Finalists from the Women’s Screening Committee – Cynthia Cooper and Coach C. Vivian Stringer – and International Screening Committee – coach Vladimir Kondrashin and Brazilian Legend Maciel “Ubiratan” Pereira, with Legends Richard Guerin and Johnny “Red” Kerr representing the nominees from the Veteran’s Screening Committee.

Jordan, Robinson, Stockton, Sloan and Cooper are Finalists in their first year of consideration by their respective Screening Committees.

Stringer, Kondrashin and Attles are first-time Finalists who have previously been reviewed by Screening Committees.

Hurley, Nelson, Johnson, Mullin, King, Ubiratan, Guerin and Kerr have been named Finalists in prior years.

The Class of 2009 will be announced on Monday, April 6 at a news conference in Detroit prior to the NCAA’s Men’s Championship game.

A Finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2009 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, MA September 10-12.

FIBA