*Original article found on Overtime Heroics
Feel the Roar! Sacramento Basketball and the 2021 Naismith Hall of Fame class MAY become synonymous. Yolanda Griffth, Rick Adelman, and Chris Webber, three Sacramento basketball legends, are part of a group of 14 up for the 2021 nomination into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
2021 Naismith Hall of Fame Nominees
From the Naismith Hall of Fame, “The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2021, including first-time nominees Doug Collins, Michael Cooper, Howard Garfinkel, Lou Henson, Paul Pierce, Val Ackerman, Yolanda Griffith, and Lauren Jackson.
Returning to the ballot are fan-favorite nominees Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Richard Hamilton, Bob Huggins, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber, Jay Wright, Swin Cash and Becky Hammon among others.“
Yolanda Griffith
In my opinion, Sacramento Monarch Yolanda Griffith is the best professional basketball player to ever play in Sacramento.
The former WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, Griffith was an integral part of the Sacramento Monarchs build-up to, and during, their WNBA championship WIN in 2005.
That 2005 Monarchs WNBA championship triumph is the ONLY professional basketball championship, yet, to come to the city of Sacramento, CA.
During her 11 year WNBA career, “Yo” appeared in 311 contests. The 7-time WNBA All-Star Griffith holds career averages of 13.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
The former Florida Atlantic Owl was a member of the United States Women’s Basketball Team, where she won Gold Medals during the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
Griffith was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
From 1999-2008 the Sacramento Monarchs went on a historic run –
- Sacramento made the playoffs 9/10 seasons from 1999-2008
- 2005 and 2006– The Monarchs earned back to back WNBA western conference championships
- ‘Crowning’ Achievement – winning the WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP in 2005!
Griffith and Lauren Jackson are the only two former WNBA players, out of 14 total people, nominated for the 2021 Naismith Hall of Fame class.
Rick Adelman
Adelman is the greatest head coach in Sacramento Kings basketball history. The Sacramento Kings have had 8 winning seasons during their 36-year history in Sacramento. ALL 8 of those seasons were coached by Adelman.
Coach Adelman is the 9th most winningest coach of all time. He started his NBA coaching career in 1989 with the Portland Trailblazers.
After a brief stint with the Golden State Warriors, Adelman was hired on September 17th, 1998 as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. Adelman was the head coach for many of the greatest Sacramento Kings of all time … from the flashy Jason Williams, the sharp-shooting Peja Stojakovic, and even the high-flyer, Gerald Wallace.
Adelman is a beloved figure in Sactown, one of the only former ‘Greatest Show On Court’ members to not have any real … resentment … from Sacramento Kings fans.
Regardless of if Adelman gets into the Naismith Hall of Fame this year, he deserves MORE recognition in Sacramento. How should the Kings honor the greatest coach in franchise history?
Adelman Avenue adjacent to David J. Stern Walk next to the Golden1 Center in downtown Sacramento, ‘DOCO’, would be pretty cool!
Chris Webber
C-Webb is one of the most beloved and sometimes … saddening … figures in Sacramento Kings basketball history.
The acquisition of Webber was one of the most POSITIVE franchise-changing moves ever made by the Sacramento Kings. Bringing in Webber, along with the team that molded around him, became known as ‘The Greatest Show on Court’. An exciting, high-energy, NBA team that was decades ahead of their ‘time’ in the NBA.
During his NBA career, Webber appeared in 831 NBA games, where he held career per-game averages of – 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
Webber has been ‘snubbed’ from the Naismith Hall of Fame for the last five years. Will this be the year C-Webb finally gets his HOF bid?
Sacramento Basketball and the 2021 Naismith Hall of Fame
There is an opportunity for one, two, or three Sacramento basketball legends to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Sacramento Basketball and the 2021 Naismith Hall of Fame class MAY become synonymous.
This is a great opportunity for the Sacramento media community, Sacramento Kings, and Monarchs fans, to bring some POSITIVE notoriety to the area.
The Sacramento Kings are sometimes talked down upon, sometimes not even talked about at ALL by the national media.
This is an exciting time in Sacramento sports history! Best of fortunes to all in the HOF journey!
Go Kings and Monarchs!
-Tom Witt
Let’s continue the conversation on TWITTER @sactowncrown
Tom Witt Writes 
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