Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki are getting ready to receive one of the biggest honors in basketball. According to ESPN, the two former NBA are among the finalists who will be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2023 also includes Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, WNBA legend Becky Hamon and NBA coach Gregg Popovich. An official announcement of the entire class will come Saturday during the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in Houston.ย
Wade, 41, began his NBA career with the Miami in 2003 when he was selected No. 5 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. In his 16 years in the league, Wade also played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before ending his career with the Heat. Wade was selected an All-Star 13 times, named to the All-NBA Team eight times, named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team three times, won three NBA Championships with the Heat and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2006. Wade is a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team and his No. 3 is retired by the Heat.ย
Videos by PopCulture.com
Nowitzki, 44, began his NBA career in 1998 and spent his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks (1998-2019). In his 21 years with the Mavericks, Nowitzki was selected to the All-Star team 14 times, named to the All-NBA Team 12 times, won the Three-Point Contest in 2006, named NBA MVP in 2007 and led the Mavericks to an NBA Championship in 2011 while also being named NBA Finals MVP. Nowitzki is a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and his No. 41 retired by the Mavericks.
Gasol, 42, played for multiple NBA teams from 2001-2019. He spent the majority of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers and won two titles with Kobe Bryant when he was in Los Angeles. Gasol is also a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time selection to the All-NBA team. Parker, 40, played for the San Antonio Spurs from 2001-2018 before spending his final season with the Charlotte Hornets. He helped the Spurs win four NBA championships, was named NBA Finals MVP in 2007 and was selected to the All-Star team six times.
Hamon, 46, played for the New York Liberty (1999-2006) and San Antonio Stars (2007-2014) and was selected to the WNBA All-Star team six times. And Popovich, 74, has been the coach of the Spurs since 1996 and led the team to five NBA Championships.ย
