SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will be presented by David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker during the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Ceremony.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the presenters for the Aug. 12 ceremony in a news release on Wednesday. The ceremony will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Popovich, 74, is the NBA’s all-time winningest head coach and has won five NBA championships with the Silver and Black. He is the longest tenured active coach in the NBA and was also the head coach of the U.S. national team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, leading the team to a gold medal.
Parker will also be inducted at the ceremony. He played for the Spurs for 17 years, winning four titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 before ending his career with the Charlotte Hornets. He retired as a Spur, and his jersey was retired at the AT&T Center in 2019. His career accolades include six NBA All-Star games, three All-NBA Second Teams, an All-NBA Third Team and was named MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals.
Parker will be presented by Ginobili and Duncan.
Becky Hammon, a six-time WNBA All-Star, will also be inducted. Hammon is the current Las Vegas Aces coach and former Spurs assistant coach, where she was the first woman to coach an NBA team when Popovich was ejected during a 2020 game. She posted an average of 18.8 ppg (fourth best) and 5.0 apg in 2007 which led the San Antonio Stars and was given the nickname “Big Shot Becky” because of her ability to make important shots. She will be presented by Sheryl Swoopes and Teresa Weatherspoon.
The release adds that 45 Hall of Famers are expected to attend the ceremony, including the presenters.
“Members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 were asked to select previous inductees to accompany and present them to their peers,” the release states. The choice is solely the decision of the incoming Hall of Famers or their family members if recognized posthumously.”
Here are the other 2023 Hall of Fame inductees and presenters:
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1976 Women’s Olympic Basketball Team, presented by Ann Meyers (Class of 1993), Nancy Lieberman (’96).
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David Hixon, presented by Jim Calhoun (’05), John Calipari (’15).
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Dirk Nowitzki, presented by Jason Kidd (’18), Steve Nash (’18).
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Dwyane Wade, presented by Allen Iverson (’16).
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Gary Blair, presented by Teresa Weatherspoon (’19), Van Chancellor (’07).
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Gene Bess, presented by Chris Bosh (’21), John Calipari (’15), Roy Williams (’07).
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Gene Keady, presented by Jerry Colangelo (’04), Tom Izzo (’16)
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Jim Valvano, presented by John Calipari (’15).
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Pau Gasol, presented by Toni Kukoč (’21).
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