Sue Bird, Mark Few among first-time Basketball HOF nominees

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Former Seattle Storm great Sue Bird and longtime Gonzaga Bulldogs men’s basketball coach Mark Few are getting their shot at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame released its list of candidates for the Class of 2025 on Thursday, with the list of first-time nominees including Carmelo Anthony and fellow retired NBA stars Dwight Howard and Marc Gasol.

WNBA greats Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Chamique Holdsclaw are all first-time candidates as well, along with Few, NBA coaches Doc Rivers and Billy Donovan, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, and former Iowa women’s coach Lisa Bluder.

Among the repeat nominees: the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, which included Anthony.

The Hall also unveiled an update to its eligibility requirements, reducing the waiting period for player candidates from three full seasons out of the game to two seasons. The change was unanimously approved by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors.

“To better recognize the distinguished careers of potential first-ballot nominees in a more timely manner, the board has appropriately shortened the waiting period,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “We are excited about this change and believe that honoring individuals while their contributions are still fresh in people’s minds is both meaningful and impactful.”

Thursday’s announcement is the first step of the process. Finalists will be selected on Feb. 14 in San Francisco at NBA All-Star weekend, and the enshrinement class will be revealed on April 5 in San Antonio at the men’s NCAA Final Four.

Enshrinement events take place on Sept. 5 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut and Sept. 6 at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

There are 189 candidates under consideration in an array of categories, the Hall said.

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