History

The hall of fame, founded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, opened modestly in October, 1949, in a two-room office on the campus of Springfield College in Massachusetts, where James Naismith invented basketball in 1891.

Edward J. Hickox, a former coach at the college, was the hall's unpaid secretary, nurturing the idea and collecting memorabilia.

The first members were inducted in 1959 and construction of a building for the hall of fame began two years later.

However, construction was halted for lack of money and a new fund-raising drive began. The building finally opened on Feb. 17, 1968. Over a 17-year period, it attracted 630,179 visitors.

An $11 million building in a more easily accessible Springfield location was opened to the public on June 30, 1985.

In 2002, the Hall of Fame moved into its third building, a $45 million, 80,000-square-foot facility that includes a 136-foot spire supporting a 13-foot illuminated basketball, a full-size basketball court, retail spaces, and a pedestrian bridge to Springfield's Riverfront Park.

Nominees for the hall of fame are voted upon by a 24-member committee comprising trustees, media representatives, and inducted inductees.

If not elected within five years after nomination, a candidate can be considered by a special veterans committe after another wait of five years.

Players and referees must have been retired for five years to be nominated. Coaches can be nominated after retirement or, if still active, after spending at least 25 years in the professions. Contributors are considered after completing their service to the sport.

Only two men have been inducted into the Hall of Fame as both players and coaches: Lenny Wilkens and John Wooden.

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