NEW YORK, September 2, 2008 – NBA TV and ESPN Classic will present live the enshrinement ceremonies for the Class of 2008 into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when the networks simulcast the event from Springfield, Mass., on Friday, Sept. 5, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. This year’s prestigious class of inductees includes NBA legends Patrick Ewing, Pat Riley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Adrian Dantley and William Davidson, as well as women’s basketball pioneer Cathy Rush and ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale.

Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA on ESPN and ABC, will host the coverage and serve as master of ceremonies, while NBA TV's Andre Aldridge will interview Hall of Famers, legends and current stars on site. ESPN2 will air a one-hour version of the enshrinement ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

In addition to the presentation of each of the inductees, the telecast will feature a tribute to the 2008 Summer Olympic gold medal-winning USA Men’s and Women’s Senior National Teams and an exclusive live interview with Phoenix Suns chairman and managing director of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Jerry Colangelo. The show will also include the presentation of the Mannie Jackson – Basketball’s Human Spirit Award presented by CSX to Sonny Hill and David Robinson and the presentation of the 2008 Curt Gowdy Media Award to longtime USA Today writer David DuPree and legendary broadcaster Bob Wolff.

The Class of 2008 features:

Patrick Ewing, a 17-year NBA player, was an 11-time All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and three-time collegiate All-America. He totaled 24,815 points and 11,607 rebounds during his pro career.

Pat Riley is a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and ranks third on the NBA all-time wins list behind Lenny Wilkens and Don Nelson. Riley has five titles as a coach, four with the Lakers and one with the Heat, and is a member of the NBA's Ten Best Coaches of All-Time.

Hakeem Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, was named NBA MVP in 1994 and was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Olajuwon holds the NBA record for blocked shots (3,830) and is the only player to record more than 3,000 blocked shots and 2,000 steals in a career.

Adrian Dantley, a 15-year NBA pro with seven different teams, was a six-time All-Star, won a gold medal with the 1976 Olympic team and was Rookie of the Year in 1977. His 23,177 career points ranks 23rd all-time in the NBA.

William Davidson has been the owner of the Detroit Pistons since 1974 and the WNBA Detroit Shock since 1998. His Pistons have garnered three NBA titles to go along with two WNBA championships for the Shock. Davidson was elected to the Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Dick Vitale, in the midst of his 28th season as an ESPN college basketball analyst, will be inducted as a contributor. A former high school, college and professional basketball coach, Vitale has become one of the most well-known commentators in all of sports. Hall of Fame contributors are recognized as those who have made contributions to the game and its growth.

Cathy Rush, a pioneer in women's basketball, led Immaculata College to three consecutive AIAW national championships from 1972 to 1974. She won 149 games in seven seasons and lost only 15, for a .908 winning percentage. Rush made six consecutive appearances in the AIAW Final Four (1972-1977).

Beginning at 12 p.m. ET, NBA TV will present related programming, including specials on Ewing and Olajuwon and past enshrinement ceremonies, featuring Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Dominique Wilkins, Larry Brown, Alex Hannum, Mike Krzyzewski, Bob McAdoo, Moses Malone, Robert Parish, and James Worthy. ESPN Classic will replay telecasts from prominent games involving the inductees beginning at 11 a.m. ET.