KFDM COOP Posted February 17, 2007 Report Posted February 17, 2007 Vitale, Mullin, Jackson lead Basketball Hall of Fame finalistsLAS VEGAS — Phil Jackson, Chris Mullin and Dick Vitale led the list of 15 finalists for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame announced during the NBA's All-Star weekend Friday.They were joined by former players Adrian Dantley and Richie Guerin; coaches Roy Williams, Eddie Sutton and Bob Hurley, Sr.; owner Bill Davidson; and the 1966 Texas Western NCAA championship team.Referee Mendy Rudolph, Yugoslavian coach Mirko Novosel, Spanish coach Pedro Ferrandiz and former U.S. women's basketball coaches Van Chancellor and Harley Redin also were selected by the four screening committees that nominate finalists.A 24-person committee will vote on the final selection, with the potential enshrinees needing 18 votes to enter the Hall of Fame. The 2007 class will be announced April 2 at the Final Four in Atlanta, with the induction ceremonies in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 7.Mullin, a former St. John's star, was a five-time All-Star during 16 NBA seasons with Golden State and Indiana, scoring 17,911 points while emerging as one of the league's best shooters. Now the Warriors' head of basketball operations, he also played in two Olympics.Jackson is the most successful coach of his generation, winning nine NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. A former forward with the New York Knicks, he is in his second stint with the Lakers after winning six titles with the Michael Jordan-led Bulls.Earl Monroe, David Thompson, Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone were among the Hall of Famers in attendance at a Las Vegas casino to announce the finalists.
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