Report: Bobby Jones, Moncrief, Westphal, Divac selected to basketball Hall of Fame
Bobby Jones, Vlade Divac, Sidney Moncrief and Paul Westphal will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The news broke late Friday night, and a formal announcement will be made Saturday in Minneapolis, where the Final Four is scheduled to tip off.
However, Wojnarowski adds three notable finalist were not selected for honors.
Remember, Divac and Webber are finalists in different categories. Webber, North American group; Divac, International. Every year, there's one international inductee slotted into Springfield. Divac's international resume is Hall-worthy on its own -- even if he never came to NBA. https://t.co/AId38ikUr7
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 6, 2019
Jones gained notoriety in his 12-year career for being a defensive force. The Charlotte native was selected to an All-Defensive team (ABA and NBA) a total of 11 times. The now 67-year-old began his career with the Denver Nuggets in the ABA before playing for Denver and then the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. Jones won a championship with the 76ers in 1983.
ESPN reports Vlade Divac was selected by the International Committee. The Serbia native played 16 years in the association, and per ESPN is one of only seven players with 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocked shots. The 51-year-old currently serves as the vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Sacramento Kings.
Moncrief played four years at Arkansas, where he led the Razorbacks to a Final Four appearance in 1978. The following year, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him fifth overall, where he played for 10 years before spending his final season with the Atlanta Hawks. Moncrief was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time All-Defensive team choice.
Westphal spent three years at USC before going 10th overall to the Boston Celtics in 1972. The five-time NBA All Star was a part of the Celtics’ 1973-74 championship roster. Two years later, the guard helped the Phoenix Suns reach the 1976 NBA Finals. Following his retirement in 1984, Westphal coached the Suns, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Sacramento Kings, accruing a 318-279 regular-season record.
ESPN’s The Undefeated also reported Al Attles and the late Chuck Cooper will also be enshrined this year, the former being inducted as a contributor.
Basketball pioneer Chuck Cooper, the first African-American drafted in NBA history, will be named into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, a source told ESPN's The Undefeated.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) April 5, 2019
Attles spent the entirety of his 11-year playing career with the Warriors, back when the reigning NBA champions were based in Philadelphia. The 82-year-old followed them to California, playing 711 games with the storied franchise. He coached the Warriors for 14 season after he retired in 1971, including the 1974-1975 championship-winning season.
Chuck Cooper made history in 1950 by becoming the first African-American to be selected in the NBA draft. The Pittsburgh native was selected in the second round by the Boston Celtics.
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