February 14, 2014
Former Warriors Sarunas Marciulionis and Guy Rodgers Named As Direct Elects To Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of FameAlvin Attles To Receive Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2014 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award; Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond Named as Finalists For Class of 2014
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today at NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans that former Golden State Warriors Sarunas Marciulionis and Guy Rodgers were named as Direct Elects to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, Warriors legend Alvin Attles will receive the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2014 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award while former Warriors Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond were among the 10 Finalists for the Class of 2014, which will be unveiled at the NCAA Final Four in April.
"Sarunas was one of the most unique players in the history of the game and he certainly had a huge impact on the growth of the sport on an International basis," said former Warriors' coach Don Nelson. "The NBA has become a global brand and Sarunas was certainly a pioneer in that regard and his Hall of Fame induction is extremely well deserved."
"I'm really happy that Guy Rodgers has finally been recognized for his outstanding career," said Attles. "He was a player who could do a little bit of everything on the court, including his ability to score, pass and defend. He was a well-rounded player, a great teammate and of course was part of the original Warriors team that moved West to the Bay Area from Philadelphia in 1962. I wish he could celebrate this tremendous honor."
Marciulionis and Rodgers are among the initial members of the Class of 2014 after being named as Direct Elects by the International Committee and the Veterans Committee, respectively. They were joined by Bob Leonard (American Basketball Association Committee), Nat Clifton (Early African American Pioneers Committee) and David Stern (Contributor Director Election Committee).
Marciulionis was one of the first international players to receive regular playing time in the NBA, helping lead the internationalization of the NBA in the early 1990s. Originally drafted by Golden State in the sixth round of the 1987 NBA Draft, he moved to the NBA from Lithuania in 1989. Marciulionis played four seasons (1989-93) for the Warriors, averaging 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 52.8 percent from the field in 227 regular season games (26 starts). Over seven seasons (1989-97) in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, Seattle Supersonics, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets, he posted career averages of 12.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field in 363 regular season games (30 starts). A member of the 1988 USSR National Team, Marciulionis won a Gold Medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Rodgers, a four-time NBA All-Star, was originally a territorial selection by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1958 NBA Draft. In eight seasons (1958-66) with the Warriors (four in both Philadelphia and San Francisco), Rodgers averaged 12.8 points, 8.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds over 587 regular season games with the franchise, earning All-Star honors three times (1962-63, 1966). A Temple University product, Rodgers played 13 seasons (1958-1970) in the NBA with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, finishing with career averages of 11.7 points, 7.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 892 regular season games, leading the NBA in assists two times (1963, 1967),
Warriors Legend & Ambassador Alvin Attles becomes the 42nd winner of the Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, which was instituted by the Board Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-64, the award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional or International game. Attles has spent more than 50 consecutive years with Golden State as a player, player-coach, coach, general manager, vice-president, consultant and ambassador.
Attles, an 11-year NBA veteran, was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in the fifth round of the 1960 NBA Draft. Spending his entire playing career with the Warriors as the franchise moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco, he finished with career averages of 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 711 regular season games. Named player-coach of the Warriors midway through the 1969-70 season, Attles went on to coach the Warriors through the 1983 season, the longest coaching stint (13 seasons) in the franchise’s history. The North Carolina A&T graduate became the second African-American coach to win an NBA title after leading the San Francisco Warriors to its first and only West Coast NBA championship in 1975. Currently in his 54th year with the Warriors organization, Attles’s current stint with the same team represents the longest active streak in the NBA.
Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond were named as finalists for the second consecutive year. Other finalists for the Class of 2014 include: three-time NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson, seven-time NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning, 1994 Naismith, NABC Coach of the Year Nolan Richardson, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, two-time NCAA National Championship coach Gary Williams, Immaculata University’s AIAW National Championship teams of the early 1970s, four-time NBA All-Star Spencer Haywood and six-time AAU National Champion Coach Harley Redin.
Hardaway, a five-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection in 1997, was selected by Golden State with the 14th overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft, spending the first six and-a-half years of his career with the Warriors (1989-96) and averaging 19.8 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.95 steals and 37.0 minutes in 422 games. In 13 NBA seasons with the Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, Hardaway posted averages of 17.7 points, 8.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.65 steals and 35.3 minutes in 867 games. The University of Texas-El Paso alum, who won a gold medal as a member of the United States Men’s National Team at the 2000 Olympics, ranks second in franchise history and 13th in NBA history in both assists and three-point field goals made and is Golden State’s all-time leader in assists per game.
Richmond, a six-time NBA-All Star, was selected by Golden State with the fifth overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft and spent the first three seasons of his career with the Warriors (1988-91), averaging 22.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.31 steals and 36.5 minutes in 234 games. In 14 NBA seasons with the Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers, Richmond posted averages of 21.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.24 steals and 35.2 minutes in 976 games and captured an NBA Championship with the Lakers in his final season (2001-02). The Kansas alum earned a gold medal as a member of the United States Men’s National Team at the 1996 Olympic Games after previously capturing bronze at the 1988 Olympics. Along with Hardaway and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, Richmond was a member of the celebrated “Run TMC” trio in his final two seasons with the Warriors and boasts the fifth highest scoring average in franchise history.
The Class of 2014 will be announced on Monday, April 7, prior to the NCAA’s Men’s Championship game. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Hall of Fame. The Class of 2014 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass. in August.
Located in Springfield, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.
/* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * */ var disqus_shortname = 'goldenstatewarriors'; // required: replace example with your forum shortname
/* * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */
(function() {
var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true;
dsq.src = 'https://' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js';
(document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq);
})();
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
comments powered by Disqus