Sidney Moncrief And Vlade Divac Headline 2019 Inductees For The Basketball Hall Of Fame

While the Final Four takes top billing in Minneapolis on Saturday, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame made its mark with its annual announcement of inductees. 12 new additions made the cut for the Class of 2019 and the group is headlined by Sidney Moncrief, Vlade Divac, Bill Fitch and Teresa Weatherspoon.

Moncrief was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and, in recent years, many have lamented his lack of inclusion in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Beyond that, Divac was a selection of the International Committee, making his mark in FIBA competition and providing high-level play, most notably for the Sacramento Kings, at the NBA level.

Fitch sits in the top ten in career wins (944) among NBA head coaches and he is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year. Fitch also captained the Boston Celtics to a championship in 1981 and he retired as the longest tenured coach in league history, appearing on the bench for more than 2,000 games. Weatherspoon was a five-time WNBA All-Star with the New York Liberty and, prior to her arrival at the professional level, the talented guard helped to lead Louisiana Tech to the 1988 National Championship.

The rest of class includes Paul Westphal, Bobby Jones, Jack Sikma, Chuck Cooper, Al Attles and Carl Braun as individual inductees, in addition to the 1957-59 Tennessee A+T team and the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens.

Westphal was a five-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA first team selection, with a championship as a player in 1974 with the Boston Celtics and more than 300 victories as an NBA head coach. Jones was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team on eight occasions and he was a key cog on the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers championship team.

The 2019 class is also notable for players that did not make the cut. Chris Webber and Ben Wallace were not inducted after reaching the finalist stage, and Marques Johnson also did not reach the threshold necessary for inclusion this year. Webber is perhaps the most controversial, with five NBA All-Star selections and wildly impressive career statistics. In addition, he was pivotal in the construction of the “Fab Five” at Michigan, though it should be noted that his college performance comes under controversy due to NCAA sanctions.

The 2019 Enshrinement Ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 6 in Springfield, MA.