Every basketball player at any level dreams of one day being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It is the ultimate sign of respect and admiration for an NBA player, WNBA player, or college star to join the list of inductees into the basketball Hall of Fame.
Even casual sports fans will have heard of many of the names on this list, players like Michael Jordan Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal. But then there are the players only hard-core basketball fans will recognize, players like Jamaal Wilkes and Gail Goodrich. What all of these Hall of Fame basketball players have in common is that they committed themselves to being among the very best the sport has ever seen.
The basketball Hall of Fame 2020 class will see the induction of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died tragically at the start of 2020, his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame. The night will be another opportunity for the entire basketball community to come together in one location and remember one of the greatest ever to play the game.
So check out this list of basketball Hall of Famers, and browse through to see if your favorite players made the cut and maybe to discover some older players whose accomplishments you never knew.
Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
NBA champion (1974)
5× NBA All-Star (1977–1981)
3x All-NBA First Team (1977, 1979, 1980)
All-NBA Second Team (1978)
Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
No. 44 retired by the Phoenix Suns
No. 25 retired by USC
College Basketball Hall of Fame (2018)Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
First WNBA player with 1,000 points and 1,000 assists
5× WNBA All-Star (1999–2003)
2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1997, 1998)
4× All-WNBA Second Team (1997–2000)
WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
6x Italian League All-Star (1989–1994)
Wade Trophy (1988)
Honda Sports Award (1988)
2x Kodak All-American (1987, 1988)
America South Player of the Year (1988)
Broderick Cup (1988)
Summer Olympics Gold: 1988 Bronze: 1992
World Cup Gold: 1986Inducted in: 2019
Achievements:
NBA champion (1979)
7× NBA All-Star (1979–1985)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1982)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1978)
No. 43 retired by the Seattle SuperSonics
2x First-Team NAIA All-American (1976, 1977)
Third-Team NAIA All-American (1975)
3x CCIW Player of the Year (1975–1977)Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
5x NBA All-Star (1982–1986)
All-NBA First Team (1983)
4x All-NBA Second Team (1982, 1984–1986)
2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1983, 1984)
4x NBA All-Defensive First Team (1983–1986)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1982)
No. 4 retired by the Milwaukee Bucks
Consensus first-team All-American (1979)
SWC Player of the Year (1979)
College Basketball Hall of Fame (2018)Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
NBA champion (1983)
4× NBA All-Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982)
8× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1977–1984)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1985)
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1983)
ABA All-Star (1976)
All-ABA Second Team (1976)
2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (1975)
No. 24 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
Consensus second-team All-American (1974)Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
NBA All-Star (2001)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1990)
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2000)
No. 21 retired by the Sacramento Kings
Mister Europa Player of the Year (1989)
FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
2× Summer Olympics Silver: 1988, 1996
FIBA World Cup Bronze 1986
2x FIBA World Cup Gold: 1990, 2002
3x EuroBasket Gold: 1989, 1991, 1995
2x EuroBasket Bronze: 1987, 1999
FIBA Hall of Fame (2010)
Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
First African-American drafted into the NBA
No. 15 retired by Duquesne
Consensus second-team All-American (1950)
Inducted in: 2019
Achievements
NBA champion (1962)
5× NBA All-Star (1953–1957)
All-BAA Second Team (1948)
All-NBA Second Team (1954)
Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
NBA champion (1976)
3× NBA All-Star (1973–1975)
2× ABA All-Star (1971, 1972)
All-ABA First Team (1971)
All-ABA Second Team (1972)
ABA Rookie of the Year (1971)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (1971)
ABA All-Time Team
2× Consensus second-team All-American (1969, 1970)
ACC Athlete of the Year (1970)
College Basketball Hall of Fame (2015)
Summer Olympics Gold: 1968Dino Rađa
Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
2× EuroLeague champion (1989, 1990)
FIBA European Selection (1991)
FIBA Korać Cup champion (1992)
3× Yugoslav League champion (1988–1990)
2× Greek League champion (1998, 1999)
Greek League Finals MVP (1998)
2× Croatian League champion (2002, 2003)
Yugoslav Cup winner (1990)
Croatian Cup winner (2000)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1994)
EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1989)
FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
2× Summer Olympics Silver: 1988, 1992
2× FIBA World Cup Gold: 1990 Bronze: 1994
5x EuroBasket Gold: 1989, 1991 Bronze: 1987, 1993, 1995Ora Washington
Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2009)Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
4× WNBA champion (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
9× WNBA All-Star (1999–2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013)
WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2000)
3× All-WNBA First Team (1997–1998, 2004)
4× All-WNBA Second Team (1999–2002)
WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
Member of WNBA All-Decade Team
Russian National League champion (2007)
EuroLeague champion (2007)
Romanian National League champion (2010)
2× Summer Olympics Gold: 2004, 2008
2× World Cup Gold: 1998 Bronze: 2006Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
2× WNBA champion (2006, 2008)
WNBA Finals MVP (2008)
2× All-WNBA First Team (2001, 2003)
7× WNBA All-Star (2000–2003, 2005, 2006, 2009)
WNBA scoring champion (2001)
WNBA's All-Decade Team (2006)
WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
Big Ten Player of the Year (1996)
Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball (1996)
3× Summer Olympics Gold: 2000, 2004, 2008
3× World Cup Gold: 1998, 2002 Bronze: 2006Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
2× NBA Most Valuable Player (2005, 2006)
8× NBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2008, 2010, 2012)
3× All-NBA First Team (2005–2007)
2× All-NBA Second Team (2008, 2010)
2× All-NBA Third Team (2002, 2003)
5× NBA assists leader (2005–2007, 2010, 2011)
4× 50–40–90 club (2006, 2008–2010)
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2007)
Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
No. 13 retired by Phoenix Suns
2× FIBA AmeriCup MVP (1999, 2003)
Lou Marsh Trophy (2005)
3× Lionel Conacher Award (2002, 2005, 2006)
2× WCC Player of the Year (1995, 1996)
No. 11 retired by Santa ClaraInducted in: 2018
Achievements
NBA champion (2011)
10× NBA All-Star (1996, 1998, 2000–2004, 2007, 2008, 2010)
5× All-NBA First Team (1999–2002, 2004)
All-NBA Second Team (2003)
4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1999, 2001, 2002, 2006)
5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2000, 2003–2005, 2007)
NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (1995)
5× NBA assists leader (1999–2001, 2003, 2004)
2× NBA Sportsmanship Award (2012, 2013)
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2007)
No. 5 retired by the Brooklyn Nets
Consensus first-team All-American (1994)
USBWA National Freshman of the Year (1993)
Pac-10 Player of the Year (1994)
Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1993)
No. 5 retired by University of California
Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1992)
2× California Mr. Basketball (1991, 1992)
2× Summer Olympics Gold: 2000, 2008Inducted in: 2018
Achievements
7× NBA All-Star (1995–1998, (2000–2001, 2005)
All-NBA First Team (1997)
4× All-NBA Second Team (1996, 1998–2000)
NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (1995)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1995)
3× NBA Sportsmanship Award (2005, 2008, 2010)
2× NCAA champion (1991, 1992)
Consensus first-team All-American (1994)
Consensus second-team All-American (1993)
ACC Player of the Year (1994)
NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1993)
Summer Olympics Gold: 1996
No. 33 retired by DukeInducted in: 2018
Achievements
NBA champion (1983)
4× NBA All-Star (1983, 1986–1988)
4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1983–1986)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1987)
No. 10 retired by the Philadelphia 76ersInducted in: 2018
Achievements
All-Time Leader three-point field goals (2,973)
2× NBA champion (2008, 2013)
10× NBA All-Star (2000–2002, 2004–2009, 2011)
All-NBA Second Team (2005)
All-NBA Third Team (2001)
NBA Sportsmanship Award (2003)
NBA Three-Point Shootout champion (2001)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
Consensus first-team All-American (1996)
UPI Player of the Year (1996)
Big East Player of the Year (1996)
2× First-team All-Big East (1995, 1996)
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1995)
Summer Olympics Gold: 2000Inducted in: 2017
Achievements
ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player (1973)
ABA Most Valuable Player (1975)
3× NBA All-Star (1976, 1977, 1979)
All-NBA First Team (1976)
All-NBA Second Team (1977)
3× ABA All-Star (1973–1975)
2× All-ABA First Team (1974, 1975)
All-ABA Second Team (1973)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972)
ABA All-Time Team
No. 30 retired by Indiana Pacers
Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1971)
Mr. Basketball USA 1969Inducted in: 2017
Achievements
2× EuroBasket medalist Gold: 1987, Silver: 1989
EuroBasket MVP (1987)
4× EuroBasket Top Scorer (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991)
FIBA World Cup Top Scorer (1986)
8× EuroLeague Top Scorer (1986–1992, 1994)
EuroLeague assists leader (1994)
5× Greek League MVP (1988–1992)
5× Greek League Finals MVP (1987–1991)
5× Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer (1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993)
11× Greek League Top Scorer (1981–1991)
Euroscar (1987)
Mr. Europa (1987)
FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991
FIBA Hall of Fame (2007)
50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)Inducted in: 2017
Achievements
7× NBA All-Star (2001–2007)
2× NBA scoring champion (2003, 2004)
2× All-NBA First Team (2002, 2003)
3× All-NBA Second Team (2001, 2004, 2007)
NBA Most Improved Player (2001)
Mr. Basketball USA (1997)
FIBA Americas Championship Gold (2003)Inducted in: 2016
Achievements
NBA Most Valuable Player (2001)
11× NBA All-Star (2000–2010)
3× All-NBA First Team (1999, 2001, 2005)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)
4× NBA scoring champion (1999, 2001, 2002, 2005)
3× NBA Steals Leader (2001–2003)
Olympic medalist with Team USA Bronze in 2004
FIBA Americas Championship Gold (2003)Inducted in: 2016
Achievements
4× NBA champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
3× NBA Finals MVP (2000–2002)
NBA Most Valuable Player (2000)
FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP (1994)
15× NBA All-Star (1993–1998, 2000–2007, 2009)
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2000, 2004, 2009)
8× All-NBA First Team (1998, 2000–2006)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1993)
NBA 50th Anniversary Team
Summer Olympics Gold: 1996
FIBA Basketball World Cup Gold: 1994
FIBA Hall of Fame (2017)Zelmo Beaty
Inducted in: 2016
Achievements
2× NBA All-Star
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963)
3× ABA All-Star
ABA All-Time TeamSheryl Swoopes
Inducted in: 2016
Achievements
First player to be signed to the WNBA.
3× WNBA MVP
4× WNBA Champion
6× WNBA All-Star
5× First Team All-WNBA
2× Second Team All-WNBA
2× WNBA Scoring Leader
2× WNBA Steals Leader
2× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
2× All-Defensive First Team
3× Olympic Gold Medalist
