Dennis Rodman, Tex Winter Among 10 Elected To Basketball Hall Of Fame

Here are the other players and coaches elected to the Hall:

Chris Mullin has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Hall announced on Monday. Mullin starred for the Golden State Warriors for 12 seasons after an illustrious collegiate career at St. John’s. Mullin currently ranks No. 63 on the NBA’s career scoring list, and made five All-NBA teams and five All-Star Games with Golden State.

Mullin finished his career No. 4 on the Warriors’ all-time scoring list, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Paul Arizin -- all of whom are in the Hall of Fame, as is No. 5 Nate Thurmond. But given that Mullin was more or less a scorer only, and one not as prolific as a player like Barry, Mullin’s induction to the Hall was never a given, and he likely wouldn’t have made it without his great St. John’s career.

Dennis Rodman, the greatest rebounder in NBA history and one of the league’s best defenders for a decade, will enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall, which recognizes players, coaches and executives for their contributions to collegiate, professional and international basketball, announced its 2011 class on Monday at the Final Four in Houston. Rodman, who spent 14 seasons in the NBA (most with the Detroit Pistons), led the class.

Rodman won five NBA championships, two with the Pistons and three with the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan’s first retirement and comeback. Rodman was an incredible rebounder -- the best ever -- and a post defender of great repute. Rodman won seven rebounding titles -- notable during the era of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson -- and currently has the No. 1 total rebounding percentage of all-time.

Tex Winter, the architect of the Triangle offense and a longtime assistant coach and consultant for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Hall announced on Monday. Winter joins Dennis Rodman, Chris Mullin and others in the Hall’s 2011 class.

Winter was a head coach for several college programs, and spent two seasons at the head coach of the Houston Rockets. But his biggest mark in basketball came as an assistant with the Bulls, where he taught Michael Jordan and eventually Phil Jackson the Triangle. The Bulls went on to win six NBA championships using the offense; Winter joined Jackson in L.A. as an assistant for the Lakers’ three-peat, giving the coach nine championships on the bench. Winter was a consultant for the Lakers’ 2008-09 title. The Lakers used the Triangle in their repeat championship last season, and head into the 2011 NBA Playoffs a top title favorite again.

Dennis Rodman has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to reports. Rodman had his jersey retired by the Detroit Pistons on Friday, and Rodman told the assembled media that he’d been told to be in Houston on Monday for the announcement of the Hall of Fame’s 2011 class ahead of the NCAA Div. 1 National Championship Game.

To be inducted, finalists must receive votes from 18 of the 24 members of the induction committee. The membership of the voting body is kept secret to avoid lobbying; the system has come under a fair amount of scrutiny over the years, especially as the NBA ranks are relatively thin compared to college and international admissions. Reggie Miller, for example, was eligible but not voted as finalist for this class, drawing the ire of many NBA personalities and writers.