Australian basketball fans are excited by the nomination of three Australian legends - Andrew Gaze, Penny Taylor and Michele Timms - to be inducted into the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2024 Hall of Fame. This marks a momentous occasion for Australian basketball, with the potential addition of three more celebrities to the two currently inducted into the Hall of Fame (Lindsay Gaze and Lauren Jackson).
Recognized as the greatest NBL player of all time, Gaze's illustrious career included seven NBL MVP awards, two NBL championships and one NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. He also earned an impressive list of international honors, ranking second and third in Olympic and World Cup scoring, respectively.
Taylor was a superstar in the WNBA with three All-Star selections, three WNBA championships and two All-WNBL awards in 15 seasons, and was a deserving World Cup MVP when Australia won its first and only World Cup under her leadership in 2006. she also won two Olympic silver medals and two World Cup bronzes, further contributing to the success of the Australian team. further contributed to Australia's success.
Timms was a pioneer of basketball in Australia, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations when she was the first Australian to compete in international professional basketball in 1989. Her star-studded career included being named to the Phoenix Mercury's WNBA All-Star Game and winning an Olympic silver medal and a World Cup bronze.
With only two Australians currently on the list, the addition of Gaz, Taylor and Timms will enhance the representation of Australian basketball on the world stage, recognizing their immense contribution to the sport.
The final 2024 inductees will be announced on April 6, with the official induction ceremony taking place on August 16 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the "Birthplace of Basketball". Australian basketball fans await the final decision with baited breath to see their sporting heroes immortalized in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
