The basketball hall of fame is the place where the best basketball players are honored.
And its real name is the NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME and it was created in 1959, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
BUT… WHY IS IT NAMED THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME?
It is called the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to honor the creator of basketball, James Naismith.
And he created basketball in Springfield in 1891.
James Naismith
That’s why the hall of fame took the name of Naismith and it remained in Springfield, to honor the creator and location where it started.
Now, the hall of fame is located in a big and modern building near downtown, which makes it a good attraction for tourism and a great place to understand the history of basketball.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inside.
TAKE A LOOK at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with a quick VIRTUAL TOUR.
HOW TO GET TO THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME?
The address is:
1000 Hall of Fame Avenue
Springfield, Massachusetts 01105
It is located at an intermediate point between New York and Boston, in a relatively small driving distance from both cities.
The driving time from Boston is about 2 hours and from New York, 3 hours.
GET MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO GET THERE BY CLICKING HERE.
On the other hand, if you have to fly to get to the hall of fame, the Museum is accessible from Bradley International Airport and Logan International Airport.
In any case, with its iconic architecture and view to the river, you’ll easily recognize the museum and get impressed by the basketball´s birthplace.
By the way, its installations are opened from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for visits; and social and corporate events, such as meetings, dinners or birthdays.
You can visit the Hall of Fame’s website to know more about the history of basketball clicking here.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME?
The Basketball Hall of Fame rewards players, coaches and collaborators who had great skills and popularity during their careers.
They are typically legends of basketball… and just a small portion of players, coaches and collaborators are eligible to be inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
But, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is open to everybody who is involved in basketball, such as international players, professional and amateur; and even teams are eligible to be in the hall of fame.
For instance, the Harlem Globetrotters were inducted to the hall of fame as a team.
Wilt Chamberlain, one of the most important Harlem Globetrotters’ players.
However, being a member of the hall of fame is such a prestigious recognition that only legends can be there!
Imagine how many people on earth have played basketball… and just 400 were allowed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame!
LISTEN to the KARL MALONE’S speech to get an idea of what it means for a basketball player to have this honor:
HALL OF FAMERS
The Hall of Fame has more than 400 members and there are some members that were inducted twice.
For example, John McLendon has been inducted as a coach and contributor.
Also, John Wooden was inducted as a coach and player.
John Wooden, one of the best players and coaches of all time.
However, players are the majority of the hall of fame inductees.
THEY ARE THE HEROES OF THE GAME AND SOME OF THEM HAS BECOME LEGENDS!
WATCH some of them in action!
To give you a better idea of the performance of a hall of famer, here you have 5 legends as examples:
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR
HE’S THE TOP SCORER OF THE NBA HISTORY WITH 38.387 POINTS!
He played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons, from 1969-70 to 1988-89.
And his greatest achievements are the following:
✓ Top scorer in NBA history.
✓ 19 times NBA All-Star Game.
✓ NBA Rookie of the Year (1970).
✓ 6 times NBA Champion.
✓ 6 MVP of the Season.
✓ Most minutes played in the NBA (57,446).
✓ Most games played in the NBA (1,560).
✓ Most defensive rebounds (9,394).
Among other records!
… And his records are really hard to achieve, so he will be remembered for generations.
WILLIAM FENTON «BILL» RUSSELL
HE WON 11 CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH BOSTON CELTICS… IN JUST 13 SEASONS!
Bill Russel is the player who won more championships in the NBA.
And it made Bill one of the most successful players in history.
His greatest achievements are the following:
✓ 11 NBA championships (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
✓ 5 times MVP of the Season (1958, 1961–1963, 1965)
✓ 12 times All-Star (1958–1969)
His impressive 11 championships won will last for decades. Indeed, it seems unachievable nowadays!
WILTON NORMAN «WILT» CHAMBERLAIN
HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN THE NBA HISTORY!
He was a basketball player who played for:
✓ Harlem Globetrotters (1958-1959).
✓ San Francisco Warriors (1959-1965).
✓ Philadelphia 76ers (1965-1968).
✓ Los Angeles Lakers (1968-1973).
And his greatest achievements are the following:
✓ 2 times NBA Champion (1967 and 1972).
✓ 4 times NBA MVP (1960, 1966, 1967 and 1968).
✓ 13 times NBA All-Star (1960-1969, 1971-1973).
✓ NBA Rookie of the Year (1960).
✓ 7 times Top scorer in the NBA (1960-1966).
… And he has several records such as being the only player who has scored 100 points in a game and he managed to have an average of more than 40 and 50 points per game.
Apart from basketball, he was also known for appearing in CONAN THE DESTROYER with Arnold Schwarzenegger and for being ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL LADIESMAN IN HISTORY!
LARRY JOE BIRD
HE’S ONE OF THE GREATEST FIGURES IN THE BASKETBALL WORLD!
He is a former American basketball player who played 13 seasons in the NBA, all of them with the Boston Celtics.
His greatest achievements are the following:
✓ 3 championships (1981, 1984 and 1986).
✓ 12 times All-Star (1980–1988, 1990–1992).
✓ 3 MVP of the Season (1984–1986).
And he was a success in every position he has taken in basketball.
In fact, Larry Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named: Rookie of the Year, MVP, NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
TIMOTHY “TIM” THEODORE DUNCAN
Tim Duncan is a legend of the San Antonio Spurs and the NBA and in his basketball career he was:
✓ 5 times NBA Champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014).
✓ 2 times NBA MVP (2002 and 2003).
✓ 15 times NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-2011, 2013 and 2015).
✓ NBA Rookie of the Year (1998).
TAKE A LOOK at Tim in action:
FINAL THOUGHTS
Being part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is the highest honor that a player, coach or collaborator can expect in the basketball world.
And very few manage to achieve this goal, and that’s why it is an exceptional achievement.
So, inductees to the hall of fame are the ones in the Olympus of basketball and the NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME will protect their achievements and memories while basketball exists.
“NEVER SAY NEVER. BECAUSE LIMITS, LIKE FEARS, ARE OFTEN JUST AN ILLUSION”
– Michael Jordan, Hall of Fame induction speech (2009).
