Four-time champion Manu Ginobili, five-time All-Star Tim Hardaway, and 28-year veteran referee Hugh Evans were among the NBA alums enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 on Saturday.
Thirteen individuals representing the NBA, WNBA, Olympic Gold Medalists, world champions, and college champions took the stage to accept the honor and reflect on their careers.
Hall of Famer Tim Duncan presented Ginobili and sat alongside the former guard as he recalled the moments that shaped him into a Hall of Famer.
“The Italian experience for me was so valuable,” Ginobili said. “That’s where I became not only the player I became here in the NBA but the man.”
Ginobili was playing in Italy when San Antonio drafted him.
“The Spurs were one big, strong, supportive family for me,” Ginobili said. “Pop, what can I say? You’ve been so, so important for me and my family, on and off the court, that’ll I never be able to thank you enough,” Ginobili said, his voice cracking.
IT’S OFFICIAL 👏@manuginobili is now an enshrined member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/iTdHVIP9wr
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) September 11, 2022
Hardaway, a member of Golden State’s 1990s trio TMC with Chris Mullen and Mitch Richmond reflected on his journey to greatness.
“They would ask me, ‘Tim, how great do you want to be?’” Hardaway said. “A kid from the east side of Chicago made it all the way to Springfield, Massachusetts,” Hardaway said. “Incredible.”
Former Golden State coach George Karl, who coached the TMC trio, was also enshrined.
“This is really incredible for a guy from Penn Hills, Pennsylvania,” Karl said. “This is a ‘wow’ moment for me.”
Six-time All-Star and All-NBA player Lou Hudson, 1994-95 Coach of the Year Del Harris, NBA player and coach champion Larry Costello, and one of NBA’s first Black referees, Hugh Evans, were also enshrined.
Former WNBA players Swin Cash, Lindsay Whalen, and former WNBA coach Marianne Stanley were enshrined.
NCAA player and coach Bob Huggins, college player, coach, Olympic bronze medalist Theresa Shank Grentz, and Olympic medalist Radivoj Korac rounded out the rest of the class.
