Miller, Nelson top 2012 Hall of Fame finalists

[Andrew]

Story @ Yahoo! NBA

Reggie Miller has a chance to nail his legacy, just as he did so many 3-point shots.

The Indiana Pacers great with the smoothest of strokes was announced Friday as a first-time finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of 12 finalists for the class of 2012.

“When you’re in the backyard and you’re trying to play the 3-2-1 game, and you’re trying to be the Iceman (George Gervin) and do the figure roll. … Now to be on the same stage with these guys. It’s just a great honor,” Miller said.

Miller, a five-time All-Star, was joined as a first-time finalist by five-time NCAA Final Four coach Rick Pitino, former NBA coach Bill Fitch and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katrina McClain.

On the ballot again are Don Nelson, Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Dick Motta, Hank Nichols, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes and the All-American Red Heads, known as the female version of the Harlem Globetrotters and the first women’s professional basketball team.

I believe he deserves the nod, I'm expecting he'll make the cut. I'll pick Mo Cheeks, Bernard King, Don Nelson and Bill Fitch to go in this year as well.

Also, fan voting will apparently count for one vote in the HOF inductions, beginning next year.

[benji]

Motta v. Fitch is quite the battle between coaches who kept taking any job they could get in the 90's and thus coached a bunch of shitty teams.

[shadowgrin]

It's official. Reggie Miller and Don Nelson are in the HOF.

• Reggie Miller: 5-time All-Star; 1996 Olympic gold-medal winner
• Don Nelson: 5-time NBA champion as player and winningest coach in league history
• Ralph Sampson: 3-time NCAA player of year, 4-time NBA All-Star
• Jamaal Wilkes: 2-time NCAA champion, 4-time NBA champ, 3-time All-Star
• Katrina McClain: 2-time All-American, 1988, '96 gold-medal winner
• Hank Nichols: Refereed 10 Final Fours, six national title games; coordinated NCAA officials
• All-American Red Heads: Female version of Harlem Globetrotters

Five members of the class already had been announced: Nike co-founder Phil Knight, ABA star Mel Daniels, 7-time NBA All-Star Chet Walker, Olympian Don Barksdale and Lydija Alexeeva, who led Soviet Union to two Olympic gold medals.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose team was ousted by Kentucky in the Final Four on Saturday night, was among the finalists who were passed over by the committee.

Also missing out were four-time All-Star Maurice Cheeks, former Celtics and Rockets coach Bill Fitch, four-time All-Star Bernard King and longtime college and NBA coach Dick Motta.

[NovU]

Both well deserving. I used to love watching Reggie. The guy had one of a kind shooting motion. You don't see that these days.

Referee in the ballot? LoLz.

[Andrew]

Good to see Reggie and Nellie get the nod, a couple of other standouts there as well. A shame that Bernard King was passed over again though.

[Mavs4Life]

NELLY!!!! Very happy for him and Reggie, both changed the game in a way.