The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 11 finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame class, a group that stretches through multiple levels of basketball.
Former Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, former Lakers guard Michael Cooper and former Warriors and Heat forward Tim Hardaway are up from the NBA. Marques Johnson, who was the national collegiate player of the year in 1977 and spent 12 years in the NBA, is also a finalist.
From the WNBA, former Sun and Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen is up for induction along with former three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash.
The list also includes four coaches: George Karl from the NBA, Bob Huggins and Marianne Stanley from college basketball, and Leta Andrews, who is the all-time winningest high school basketball coach.
And finally, Hugh Evans is on the list for his 28-year career as an NBA referee.
Ginobili and Whalen are the only first-time finalists on the list.
When the committee votes on this year’s inductees, finalists need 18 of 24 votes to secure induction into the hall.
The Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2022 at the Men’s Final Four in New Orleans on April 2, and the induction ceremony will take place on September 10.
