Tina Thompson elected for enshrinement in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2018
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced March 31 the 13 members of the Class of 2018 to be honored September 6-8 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Among those headed for basketball immortality is Texas women's basketball associate head coach Tina Thompson.
Joining Thompson in this year's class are two-time NBA champion Ray Allen, four-time NBA All-Star Maurice Cheeks, the only coach in NCAA history to be named Conference Coach of the Year in four different conferences — Charles “Lefty” Driesell — seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, 10-time NBA All-Star Jason Kidd, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith.
Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected five directly elected members. They include Charlie Scott from the Veterans Committee, Dino Radja from the International Committee, Ora Mae Washingtonfrom the Early African American Pioneers Committee and Rod Thorn and Rick Welts from the Contributor Committee.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to honor the best in the game, both men and women, at all levels and throughout the world,” Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame president and CEO John L. Doleva said. “The class of 2018 is a remarkable bunch with accolades spanning decades and continents. As players, coaches and executives, we thank them for their contributions to the game and look forward to honoring them during enshrinement this fall.”
To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Hall of Fame. Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2018 is a unique blend of modern-day all-stars and those who paved the way decades ago,” Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame board chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “We are very pleased to honor each of these well-deserving electees in the birthplace of basketball this September.”
The class of 2018 will be enshrined Sept. 7 in Springfield, the home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ticket packages to the 2018 ceremony are on sale now and available online at http://www.hoophall.com or by calling the Hall of Fame at 413-231-5513.
