Scottie Pippen

Enshrined 2010
Hamburg, AR
Born: September 25, 1965

Biography

Scottie Pippen graced the NBA hardwood for seventeen seasons, establishing himself as an elite player and the quintessential small forward. The multidimensional Pippen ran the court like a point guard, attacked the boards like a power forward, and swished the nets like a shooting guard. A seven-time All Star, Pippen went to the basket equally well with either hand and his effortless release on his jump shot meant defenders were at his mercy no matter what the situation Pippen was a key factor in the Chicago Bull’s six NBA Championships in the 1990’s. As testimony to his remarkable talents, Pippen was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996. The multidimensional Pippen was also recognized for his defensive talents, named eight times to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Pippen won gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, the first coming as a member of the original Dream Team.

Career Highlights

	All-NBA First Team, 1994, 1995, 1996
	All-NBA Second Team, 1992, 1997
	NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1992-1999
	NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996

Maciel “Ubiratan” Pereira

Enshrined 2010
Sao Paulo, Brazil
JANUARY 18, 1944 - JULY 17, 2002

Biography

Maciel “Ubiratan” Pereira was a winner plain and simple. Blessed with great size and exceptional speed, Ubiratan won 16 medals in major competitions during his illustrious career. He represented his native Brazil in four Olympic Games including the 1964 Tokyo Games where he won the bronze medal leading his countrymen to a 5-2 overall record. The year before that Ubiratan led host Brazil to a gold medal at the World Championships beating such stalwarts as the United States, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. Brazil was a nation of soccer enthusiasts during Ubiratan’s time and basketball barely registered in the national conscience. Still the crafty left-hander rallied his troops at every battle, anchoring the defense and inspiring a winning attitude in his teammates. He instilled fear in the opposition and was one of those rare players who gave his team whatever it needed on that particular night. Also known as “O Rey,” meaning the King, Ubiratan inspired an entire country and ruled Brazilian basketball for more than 20 years.

Career Highlights

Gold Medal, World Championships, 1963
Olympic Bronze Medal, 1964
Gold Medals, South American Championships, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1977
Gold Medal, Pan-American Games, 1971

Karl Malone

Enshrined 2010
Summerfield, LA
Born: July 24, 1963

Biography

Nicknamed “The Mailman” in college because he always delivered, Karl Malone was not only one of the game’s great finishers in the open floor but also a polished offensive weapon in the half-court sets the Utah Jazz ran to perfection. John Stockton ran the point as the rugged Malone filled the lane or rolled to the basket. In fact, “Stockton to Malone” became the feared calling card of a devastating duo that produced nearly 1,000 wins with the same franchise and two trips to the NBA Finals. The 14-time All Star was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player twice in his career and also earned All-NBA First Team honors for an astounding eleven consecutive seasons starting in 1989. Malone scored 36,374 career points, second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the time of his enshrinement and scored 2,000 or more points a record twelve seasons, including eleven in a row. Malone won gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, the first coming as a member of the original Dream Team.

Career Highlights

	NBA All Star Game MVP, 1989
	Co-MVP, NBA All-Star Game along with teammate John Stockton, 1993
	NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1997, 1998, 1999
	NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996

Gus Johnson

Enshrined 2010
Akron, OH
Born: December 13, 1938
Died: April 29, 1987

Biography

Gus “Honeycomb” Johnson’s style of play – a unique blend of grace, speed, strength, and creativity rarely seen during his era – became the model for future athletic power forwards. He scored, played defense, and leaped so high in traffic that other players claimed to hear him jump. Johnson was one of the first players to fly above the rim on both offense and defense making an immediate impact on the NBA after being drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1963. Johnson averaged a double-double in points and rebounds (17.1ppg; 12.7rpg) for all ten of his NBA seasons, scoring 1,000 points and grabbing 1,000 rebounds in the same season three times. He was a five-time NBA All Star and made the All-NBA Second Team four times in his career (1965, 1966, 1970, 1971). A key component of the Baltimore Bullets of the mid-1960s and early 1970s, he led the Bullets to five playoff appearances in nine seasons including the 1971 NBA Finals and finally won a championship in 1973 with the ABA Indiana Pacers.

Career Highlights

	NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1970, 1971
	Five-time NBA All Star, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
	NBA All-Rookie Team, 1964
	ABA Championship with the Indiana Pacers, 1973

Dennis Johnson

Enshrined 2010
San Pedro, CA
Born: September 18, 1954
Died: February 22, 2007

Biography

In the final moments and closing seconds of the games that mattered most, Dennis Johnson always rose to the occasion. During his 14-year NBA career, the defensive-minded point guard played for the Seattle Supersonics, the Phoenix Suns, and the Boston Celtics. Drafted by Seattle in 1976, Johnson helped the Sonics secure the franchise’s only NBA championship in 1979 when he scored 32 points in a Game 4 overtime victory and was named Finals MVP in only his third year in the league. His quick hands and sure feet made him a constant threat to steal the ball and lead the fast break, creating instant offense for his teammates. In Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals he cemented his Celtic legacy when he displayed his uncanny court sense and cut to the basket, taking the pass from Larry Bird and putting up a twisting layup at the buzzer to defeat the Pistons. Johnson bonded with teammates Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish to win two NBA championships in 1984 and 1986. When Johnson retired in 1990 he was the 11th player in NBA history to record more than 15,000 points and 5,000 assists.

Career Highlights

	Five-time NBA All Star, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985
	All-NBA First Team, 1981
	NBA Finals MVP, 1979
	NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1979-83, 1987

Robert "Bob" Hurley, Sr.

Enshrined 2010
Jersey City, NJ
Born: July 3, 1947

Biography

Bob Hurley has coached basketball at St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, New Jersey since 1972 building a local program into a national powerhouse in a community where hard times are a constant reminder of a world that is both uncertain and unsympathetic. Hurley, known as a coach with an uncompromising passion for basketball, has taken kids from the streets of New Jersey and elsewhere and transformed young boys into young men who just happen to play winning basketball. Presiding over what he calls a “benevolent dictatorship,” Hurley has been more than a coach to his players; he has been a teacher, a father figure, advisor, mentor, and friend. Known to some as the “Patron Saint of St. Anthony’s,” Hurley is a strict disciplinarian who demands total commitment, self-control, and sacrifice both on and off the court. Hurley has become an icon and a legend across the nation. He has spent a lifetime on the hardwood, unwavering in his pursuit of elevating the mind, body, and spirit of the young men he coaches. The victories and championships are there to count, but the true measure of the man is the scores of young lives he has permanently touched.

Career Highlights

	USA Today National Championships at St. Anthony’s High School, 1989, 1996, 2008
	USA Today National Coach of the Year, 1989, 1996, 2008
	High school record 25 state championships
	Five undefeated seasons, 1974, 1989, 1996, 2003, 2008

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke

Enshrined 2010
Chicago, IL
Born: April 14, 1963

Biography

The arc of Cynthia Cooper-Dyke’s remarkable career originated on the mean streets of Watts and ended in Houston, with stops in Spain, Italy, and seemingly all points in between. Wherever Cooper played she left her mark as one of the greatest female players of all time, from high school to the University of Southern California to Europe to the WNBA Houston Comets. At USC, Cooper teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller to win back-to-back national championships. When she graduated in 1986, opportunities for women to play professional basketball in the US were limited so Cooper played overseas honing her skills against the best players in the world. Then in 1997 a new league formed and Cooper returned stateside to cement her place in women’s basketball. The two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player led the Houston Comets to four consecutive WNBA championships and was named Finals MVP each time. A four-time All-WNBA First Team honoree, Cooper led the league in scoring three times and retired as one of the most decorated players in league history.

Career Highlights

	National Championships at USC, 1983, 1984
	Three-time WNBA All Star, 1999, 2000, 2003
	WNBA Championships with the Houston Comets, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
	Olympic Gold Medal, 1988

Jerry Buss

Enshrined 2010
Kemmerer, WY
Born: January 27,1933

Biography

Through education, perseverance, and a lot of hard work, Jerry Buss put himself in a position in 1979 to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers and establish a stronghold on West Coast basketball. In doing so, Buss has left his mark on the City of Angels and the game of basketball. Exercising leadership that brought together some of the greatest players in history, matching them with brilliant coaches, innovative management, and groundbreaking marketing, Buss helped set the ownership standard for NBA franchises. Under Buss, the Lakers have featured legendary players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant as well as Hall of Fame coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. The Lakers became a mainstay in the NBA Finals in the 1980s appearing in eight championship series and winning five titles. The Los Angeles Sparks captured two WNBA titles under the Laker boss as well. Buss served two terms as President of the NBA Board of Governors and helped launch the groundbreaking Prime Ticket Network, a cable system that televised all Lakers home games.

Career Highlights

	Los Angeles Lakers owner, 1979-present
	Five NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s
	Back-to-back-to-back NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, 2000, 2001, 2002
	WNBA Championships with the Los Angeles Sparks, 2001, 2002

1960 United States Olympic Team

Enshrined 2010

Biography

The 1960 United States Olympic basketball team is widely considered the greatest amateur basketball team ever assembled. Led by head coach Pete Newell, and fortified by the stellar play of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry Lucas, the US squad cruised to the gold medal in Rome going 8-0 against the rest of the world. The Americans dominated like never before topping the 100-point mark on five occasions while holding their opponents to under 60 in four games. Five players averaged double figures in points, paced by Robertson and Lucas at 17 per game. That all added up to an average margin of victory of better than 40 points per contest, extending America’s winning streak to 36 straight games in Olympic competition. The gold medal round saw the US dominate Brazil, 90-63, and signified the fifth gold medal for the Americans since basketball was added to the Olympic slate in 1936. The 1960 roster featured ten future NBA players including four consecutive Rookie of the Year honorees and three members of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time.

Career Highlights

	Roster included Jay Arnette, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger, Burdette Haldorson, Darrall Imhoff, Allen Kelley, Lester Lane, Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson, Adrian Smith, and Jerry West
	Coaching staff included Pete Newell, Warren Womble, and Dutch Lonborg
	Went undefeated through Olympic Games, 8-0

1992 United States Olympic Team

Enshrined 2010

Biography

In April of 1989, FIBA, the international governing body of basketball, passed a landmark agreement that called for the inclusion of America’s professional basketball players in the Olympic Games. While hardly earth-shattering news at the time of the announcement, FIBA’s mandate paved the way for USA Basketball to assemble the Dream Team, the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet. When the Dream Team arrived in Barcelona, Spain, the entire world watched as the Americans crushed the opposition. One by one, foreign states crumbled under the weight of a lineup that included names like Michael, Magic, Bird, and Charles. Games were blowouts early as opponents seemed content just to share the court with basketball’s royal family. The Dream Team cruised to the gold medal, winning games by an average margin of almost 44 points. Reaching the century mark every game, Chuck Daly never even called a timeout. Once past the adulation, the international world responded with a commitment to elevate its game to another level and a new era was born.

Career Highlights

	Roster included Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and John Stockton
	Coaching staff included Chuck Daly, Lenny Wilkens, Mike Krzyzewski, and P.J. Carlesimo
	Went undefeated through Olympic Games, 8-0
	Enshrined in the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, 2009