Commemorative Statue to be Unveiled During Enshrinement Weekend, September 11th
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend will soon be upon us with legends of the game flocking to the Birthplace of Basketball, Springfield, Massachusetts for festivities taking place September 10th-12th. Tickets for many of the events, such as the Enshrinement ceremony, Press Conference, Induction Celebration, and Autograph Session are still available at www.hoophall.com.
Unique to this year’s festivities is the unveiling of the Naismith Coaches Circle, which will take place Friday, September 11th at 2pm and is open to the public. The Naismith Coaches Circle includes a sculpture created by Master Sculptor Brian Hanlon that honors the First Coach of basketball, Dr. James Naismith. In a prominent courtyard located at the north entrance of the museum, the sculpture pays tribute to the core values Dr. Naismith instilled in his players – teamwork, determination, self-respect, leadership, initiative and perseverance. He believed these principles to be the foundation by which young men and women should play the game and conduct their lives.
Through the newly founded Coaches Circle Program, and with the support of Hall of Famers Geno Auriemma, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, John Calipari, Mike Krzyzewski, George Raveling, John Thompson, Jr. and Roy Williams, the Basketball Hall of Fame aims to share the incredible stories of mentor-coach relationships, the compassion coaches have for their players and narratives of coaches impacting their communities, players and peers in a positive manner. Other top coaches in the country in support of the program include Steve Alford, Billy Donovan, Mark Few, Paul Hewitt, Bob Huggins, Tom Izzo, Lon Kruger, Dan Majerle, Sean Miller, Bo Ryan, Bill Self and Jay Wright. Incorporated in the Naismith Coaches Circle design will be engraved benches dedicated by many of the game’s most influential coaches to those who helped shape their success.
Two of these participating coaches will also be inducted as part of the Class of 2015, three-time College Coach of the Year John Calipari and George Raveling, Nike’s Director of International Basketball. Additional inductees in the Class of 2015 include 39-year NBA referee Dick Bavetta, four-time NBA All-Star Spencer Haywood, eight-time NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo, seven-time NBA All-Star Jo Jo White, three-time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie, ABA superstar Louis Dampier, early African-American pioneer of the game John Isaacs, acclaimed Australian player and coach Lindsay Gaze and 2-time NBA Champion coach with the Boston Celtics Tom Heinsohn.
A complete schedule of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend activities and ticket prices can be found on the next page.
2015 BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 10th
2:00 pm Enshrinement Press Conference presented by Haggar ($35 – standing room only)
6:00 pm BHOF Family Reunion and Awards Dinner presented by SCP Auctions ($500)
Friday, September 11th
2:00 pm “Naismith Coaches Circle” Unveiling (open to the public)
4:30 pm Enshrinement Gala VIP Reception presented by the Boston Celtics (included in select ceremony ticket packages)
6:30 pm Enshrinement Red Carpet Walk
7:30 pm Class of 2015 Enshrinement Ceremony presented by NIKE ($99-$1000)
Saturday, September 12th
10:00 am Enshrinement Autograph Session presented by Panini ($150)
6:30 pm Induction Celebration presented by Mohegan Sun ($300)
For additional event details and ticket information, visit www.hoophall.com.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
For more information:
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BHOF
… on Twitter: @hoophall
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA