It goes without saying that the Basketball Hall of Fame honors its absolute best each summer. But perhaps more than any other Hall of Fame class in basketball history, this year’s group beautifully encompasses the ever-changing nature of the sport.
On Saturday evening, in no particular order, we’ll see the NBA’s winningest coach—who also has the most highly touted rookie in recent memory—inducted. We’ll see one of his protégés, who first had an all-time WNBA playing career before winning a WNBA crown in her first year as coach, enter the Hall. Three international stars will be enshrined, fitting timing given that the league has seen its past five regular-season MVP awards taken by foreign players. And a star who helped usher in the NBA’s superteam and player-empowerment era will take his place in history at a time when today’s stars are landing deals worth $50 and $60 million annually.
More Hall of Fame Coverage: How the 1976 Olympic Women’s Team Forever Changed Sports
