SAN ANTONIO – This Saturday is a big day for the Silver and Black as several San Antonio Spurs basketball greats are set to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame.
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, former point guard Tony Parker and WNBA great Becky Hammon will all be recognized for their accomplishments on the hardwood.
The Spurs have been posting tribute videos as a way to honor the group through social media leading up to the big day. The ceremony is being held in Springfield, Massachusetts and will take place Saturday at 8 p.m. The presentation will air on NBATV. A tip-off celebration and awards gala will take place on Friday.
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. He will be presented by former Spurs greats David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Parker during the presentation. A look at his tribute video can be seen below.
Parker will also be inducted at the ceremony and will be presented by teammates Ginobili and Duncan. 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 he was named MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals. Here’s a look at his tribute video:
Hammon, a six-time WNBA All-Star, is also set to 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 team honored her with this video here:
Additionally, former Spurs player Pau Gasol, another international great, will be enshrined after playing three seasons for San Antonio during a lengthy professional career. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA championships. The team chose to honor him as well.
