FIBA Announces 2010 Hall of Fame Class

August 20, 2010

U.S. basketball great Cheryl Miller, who was a member of five gold-medal winning USA teams including the 1984 Olympics and 1986 FIBA World Championship, lists among 17 outstanding basketball personalities from 12 different countries who will be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame on September 12 during the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men in Istanbul, FIBA today announced.

Two of the best female players of all times, Miller and Natalia Zassoulskaya from Russia, are joined by national icons Oscar Schmidt from Brazil, Arvydas Sabonis from Lithuania, Dino Meneghin from Italy, Vlade Divac and Dragan Kicanovic from Serbia among the inductees for the 2010 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Also entering the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010 is the USA's George Killian, who among his other accomplishments was the ABAUSA president from 1976-80 and the FIBA president from 1990-1998, and Jim Bain, who officiated in many international tournaments, including the 1972 Olympics and the 1974 FIBA World Championship.

A combined 14 Olympic medals and 15 FIBA World Championship medals underline the prominence of the seven players and three coaches inducted. The selected referees and contributors were at the top of the game for decades and belong to the most decorated in their field.

"The 2010 Class has stardom, character and countless merits for the promotion of our game," said FIBA President Bob Elphinston.

"The inductees were and still are brilliant on and off the court. We are very proud to host the 2010 ceremony in the presence of all these great women and men during the FIBA World Championship and give them the public platform they deserve."

The complete profiles of the 2010 inductees into the FIBA Hall of Fame can be found on www.halloffame.fiba.com.

The enshrinement ceremony for the 2010 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame will take place on September 12 at the Swissôtel in Istanbul and during an on-court presentation at the Final of the FIBA World Championship on the same day. All inductees will be personally present. A media availibility session will be organized in the afternoon of September 12.

About the FIBA Hall of Fame

The primary goal of the FIBA Hall of Fame is to reflect the history of the sport and its protagonists. The key criterion for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame is outstanding achievement, at the international level, to the development and status of the sport of basketball.

The FIBA Hall of Fame was officially inaugurated on March 1st 2007. The FIBA Hall of Fame, built with the help of the city of Alcobendas (Madrid, Spain) and upon initiative of Mr. Pedro Ferrándiz, legendary coach of Real Madrid, founder and president of the Foundation that carries his name and member of the 2009 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame, is a five-floor building that covers 2.000 square meters.

On September 12th 2007, the first class was inducted and included such famous names as Mr. Bill Russell (USA), Mr. Nikos Galis (Greece), Ms. Hortência Marcari (Brazil) and Ms. Uljana Semjonova (Latvia).

On September 22nd 2009, the second class was inducted and included basketball celebrities such as 1960 Olympic Gold medal winners Oscar Robertson and coach Pete Newell from the USA, and the captain of the first FIBA World Champion, Mr. Ricardo Gonzalez from Argentina.

For the complete list of posthumous inductees into the FIBA Hall of Fame, please visit: www.halloffame.fiba.com.