News / Sports
Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes Phil Jackson, Roy Williams
Current Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is heading into the Basketball Hall of Fame. As part of the festivities surrounding the NCAA Final Four the Basketball Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2007 and Jackson will be one of the seven inducted into the Springfield, Mass. Institution in September.
Jackson was a key man off the bench for the Knicks championship team in 1973 but it was on the sideline that Phil earned his Hall of Fame credentials. After leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships during the 1990s Jackson plied his trade in Los Angeles and won another three titles with the Lakers. His nine NBA titles as a head coach ties him with the legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach for most all-time.
Joining Jackson in the Hall will be current North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams whose 524-131 record is the highest winning percentage among coaches with ten years or more of experience. Williams led the Tar Heels to the National Title in the 2004-05 season and has reached the Final Four five times as a head coach.
The men’s 1966 Texas Western team was inducted as well. Texas Western defeated Kentucky to win the NCAA championship, the first all-black team to accomplish that feat.
The late “Mendy” Rudolph earned his induction after working as an NBA referee for 25-years. He became the first official to work more than 2,000 games.
Pedro Ferrandiz, who led Real Madrid to 12 Spanish League titles, along with Mirko Novosel, a coach for the 1980 Olympic gold medal wining Yugoslavia team, were also welcomed into the Hall.
Rounding out the Class of 2007 is Van Chancellor. After spending 19 seasons as the University of Mississippi women’s head coach he went on to lead the Houston Comets to the WNBA championship four straight years. He also coached the women’s Olympic basketball team that won gold in 2004.
Induction ceremonies for the Class of 2007 will take place in Springfield, Mass. during the weekend of September 6-8.
