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Dirk Nowitzki Named First Ballot Hall of Famer

Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki

By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Photo: Naismith Hall of Fame

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 12 inductees in the Class of 2023 and among them was beloved Dallas Maverick legend Dirk Nowitzki. This was his first year being eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Nowitzki and the 11 other inductees will be celebrated during this year’s Enshrinement festivities on August 11-12. The Class Announcement was made in Houston, the site of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and was televised live on ESPN.

Nowitzki is No. 6 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 31,550 points, was named league MVP in 2007 and won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, when he was named Finals MVP. A statue of him was unveiled in front of American Airlines Center in December.

This year’s North American Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):

Gene Bess – All-time winningest college coach (1,300), 2-time NJCAA Coach of the Year

Pau Gasol – 6-time All-Star, 2-time NBA champion, 2002 Rookie of the Year

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David Hixon – 826 wins, 2-time D3 national champion, 2-time D3 Coach of the Year

Gene Keady – 6-time NCAA Coach of the Year, 17 NCAA Tournament appearances

Dirk Nowitzki – 14-time All-Star, 2006-07 MVP, 2011 NBA Champion

Tony Parker – 6-time All-Star, 4-time NBA champion, 2007 Finals MVP

Gregg Popovich – Winningest coach in NBA history, 3-time NBA Coach of the Year, 5-time NBA champion

Dwyane Wade – 13-time All-Star, 3-time NBA champion, 2006 Finals MVP

This year’s Women’s Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):

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Gary Blair – 852 wins, 2011 National Champion, 2-time Final Four participant

Becky Hammon – 6-time WNBA All-Star, 2-time First-Team All-WNBA recipient

This year’s Direct Elect Committee inductees (in alphabetical order):

1976 Women’s Olympic Basketball Team (Women’s Veterans) – Silver medalists in inaugural appearance for Women’s Olympic Basketball

Jim Valvano (Contributor) – 1983 NCAA Champion, created The V Foundation for Cancer Research

The Class of 2023 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, the Birthplace of Basketball, as well as the Mohegan Sun on August 11-12. VIP packages and single-event tickets to the 2023 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend are now available at hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2023.

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