Andrew Hammond | Detroit Free Press
On Tuesday, the the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced their 14 finalists for the 2021 class: Two of Michigan’s finest are eligible for selection once again.
Detroit Pistons forward Ben Wallace and former Michigan basketball star Chris Webber hold down spots along with notables such as former Pistons assistant coach and NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, former Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh and Villanova head coach Jay Wright.
The class of 2021 will be announced May 16. The enshrinement ceremony will be in September.
The full list for eligible 2021 candidates can be seen here.
This is the third time Wallace has been named a finalist, and the fifth time for Webber.
Wallace won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award four times during his career (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), a four-time NBA All-Star (2003-2006), and was a member of the 2004 Pistons’ NBA championship squad. After hopping around to the Bulls and Cavs, Wallace ended his career with the Pistons for a three year stint from 2009-2012. His jersey was retired by the team in 2016.
Webber, a Birmingham Detroit Country Day product, was Michigan’s Mr. Basketball in 1991. He was a member of Michigan’s famed Fab Five that went to Final Fours in consecutive seasons (1992-1993). Drafted No. 1 overall in 1993 by the Orlando Magic, Webber spent time with the Warriors, Bullets (now Wizards) before perhaps his most successful NBA stop, the Sacramento Kings.
Webber put together nine straight seasons of averaging 20 points per game (1994-2003) and was an All-Star and All-NBA selection five times. In 2007, Webber came home to Detroit to play for the Pistons before retiring in 2008.
The other finalists: Bill Russell (previously inducted as player, finalist as coach), Rick Adelman (coach), Paul Pierce, Michael Cooper, Jay Wright (coach), Yolanda Griffith, Lauren Jackson, Marianne Stanley (coach), Leta Andrews (coach), Marques Johnson.