The finalists for the 2013 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class will be announced Friday at noon ET, and a list of 31 names will be whittled down based on a vote by a nine-member panel. Players Gary Payton and Kevin Johnson lead the original list of nominees.
Basketball Hall of Fame 2013: Candidates and announcement preview
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will announce the finalists who could be inducted as members of the 2013 class.
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Member of the select group must receive at least seven votes to reach the finalist stage, and a group of 24 judges will issue support toward a final class. The class inductees will be announced during the NCAA Final Four event in March.
Payton, well known as "The Glove" from the Seattle Supersonics, is a one-time NBA champion with nine NBA All-Star appearances and nine All-NBA Defensive First-Team honors. Johnson, the current mayor of Sacramento, played for the Phoenix Suns and is currently leading the charge to keep the Kings from leaving for Seattle.
The list of nominees on the North American committee includes former players Maurice Cheeks, Tim Hardaway, Spencer Haywood and Mitch Richmond. Coaches on the list of nominees include Rudy Tomjanovich, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Paul Silas and Paul Westphal.
Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and former NBA executive Russ Granik are part of a separate category of basketball contributors. Coach Del Harris and Indiana executive Donnie Walsh are also on the list.
Time: Noon ET
TV: NBATV
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