SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Class of 1993, as the final Hoophall Hangout guest appearance of the summer on Wednesday, August 23, at 1:00 PM EST.
Dr. J’s appearance will include a live interview on the Hall’s Center Court, which will be followed by an audience Q&A and photo opportunities available for visitors (there will be no autograph session). The experience is included as part of the day's regular admission.
Tickets are available in person on the day of the event or online at:
hoophall.com/plan-your-experience/special-events/hoophall-hangouts-2023
This special appearance comes after the Hall of Fame had a monumental month of July, which was its most-attended month in the history of the facility, followed by the historic Class of 2023 Enshrinement Ceremony this past Saturday at Symphony Hall in downtown Springfield. Attendance at the Hall is up 91% overall compared to pre-Covid attendance levels in 2019. The growth is attributed to the $23 million investment in an entirely new Basketball Hall of Fame visitor experience, which opened in early 2022.
“We are extremely proud to have broken our all-time attendance record this July, which will undoubtedly carry us to another record-breaking attendance year in 2023,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Our new museum design clearly delivers on the fan experience, and we are most pleased that our delighted visitors have consistently generated strong word-of-mouth recommendations to friends and family about our innovative interactive exhibits and state-of-the-art renovations.”
The museum is open to visitors daily, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame Museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.