DETROIT, April 7 – National Basketball Association legends and 1992 US Olympic "Dream Team" players Michael Jordan, David Robinson and John Stockton were among five selections named on Monday for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and US women’s collegiate coaching legend C. Vivian Stringer were also selected to be enshrined at 50th anniversary ceremonies for the honor shrine in September at Springfield, Massachusetts.
Jordan, Robinson, Stockton and Sloan were all elected in their first year of eligibility, each receiving at least 18 of 24 votes from the honor committee.
"We are extremely pleased and honored to introduce this historic class," Basketball Hall of Fame chief executive John Doleva said.
Jordan became one of the greatest sport celebrities on the planet during his heyday, when he guided the Chicago Bulls to six NBA crowns.
With flamboyant acrobatic moves, high leaping slam dunks and the ability to make the most of the talent around him, Jordan was a 14-time NBA All-Star, a six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and the key figure on the 1992 US Olympic gold medal "Dream" squad.
David Robinson, nicknamed "Admiral" after playing collegiately at the US Naval Academy, guided the San Antonio Spurs to two NBA titles. He was also a member of the 1992 and 1996 US Olympic gold medal squads.
Stockton, who was also on the 1992 and 1996 Olympic championship teams, played his entire career with the Utah Jazz and retired as the NBA all-time leader in both assists with 15,806 and steals with 3,265.
Together with Karl Malone, Stockton helped the Jazz reach the NBA Finals twice, losing each time to Jordan’s Bulls.
Sloan began his coaching career with the Bulls and later began a landmark career with the Jazz, who made 18 playoff appearances and more than 1,000 games under his guidance.
Sloan is the longest-tenured professional coach in American sports after 20 years at the Jazz, and signed a one-year contract extension in January. His stay is the longest of any coach on one team in NBA history.
Stringer ranks third on the all-time US women’s college win list with more than 800 triumphs during tenures at Cheyney State, the University of Iowa and Rutgers University, where she now coaches. Stringer guided all three schools to the US women’s college Final Four.
