(L to R top): Kim Mulkey, head coach of the Baylor Lady Bears, Barbara Stevens, head coach of the Bentley Falcons, Eddie Sutton, head coach of the San Francisco Dons, Tamika Catchings of Team USA and Rudy Tomjanovich are among the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class 2020 Finalists. /CGTN Photo by Gao Hongmei
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday announced the eight finalists for the 2020 Class: Four exceptional players – Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings – and four exceptional coaches – Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich.
"We congratulate our finalists and those who have supported them on their journeys, and we look forward to revealing the Class of 2020 at the Final Four in Atlanta," said Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the Hall of Fame.
We know more than enough about Bryant, Duncan and Garnett and their chances of being selected are simply much better than the rest. So, let's talk about the other five candidates and their glorious careers.
Tamika Catchings of Team USA handles the ball in the game against Senegal in the women's basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 7, 2016. /VCG Photo
Catchings spent all 14 years of her WNBA career on one team, the Indiana Fever, where she was named 10-time WNBA All-Star. In 2012, Catchings led the Fever to win the WNBA Championship while she herself earned both the WNBA MVP and the Finals MVP awards. Catchings also played four Olympics on behalf of Team USA from 2004 to 2016 and pocketed four gold medals.
Rudy Tomjanovich, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, gives instructions to his players in a game against the Houston Rockets at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, November 21, 2004. /VCG Photo
Tomjanovich has served one single team, the Houston Rockets, for 34 straight years, both as player and as coach. He's the only person in NBA history to have scored 10,000+points as a player, won 500+games as a coach and earned two NBA championships. In 1994 and 1995, Tomjanovich helped Hakeem Olajuwon win two NBA Championships in a row and made the well-known remark after the 1995 NBA Finals: "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion."
Eddie Sutton, head coach of the San Francisco Dons, gives instructions to his players during a game against the Pepperdine Waves in Malibu, California, February 2, 2008. /AP Photo
Sutton comes from the NCAA. As a four-time national coach of the year and eight-time conference coach of the year, Sutton is the first coach in history that has led four different teams to make the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (March Madness). He has worked as a coach for 37 years, claimed 804 wins, the 10th-most in history, and only missed March Madness for one season.
Kim Mulkey, head coach of the Baylor Lady Bears, questions a referee call in the game against the Texas Christian in Fort Worth, Texas, January 22, 2020. /AP Photo
Mulkey has been coaching Baylor University for 20 years and helped the team win three NCAA Division I women's championships. When she earned her second title in 2012, she was named AP College Basketball Coach of the Year, USBWA National Coach of the Year and WBCA National Coach of the Year. Under Mulkey's coaching, the Baylor Lady Bears made the Division I Tournament for 17 times.
Barbara Stevens (L), head coach of the Bentley Falcons, celebrates her 900th win with Lauren Battista, January 25, 2014. /AP Photo
Stevens served as a college basketball coach for over 40 years. Having worked with three different teams – the Clark Cougars, the Massachusetts Minutewomen and the Bentley Falcons – Stevens is the fifth coach in NCAA history who has dropped more than 1,000 wins. She was also named WBCA National Coaches of the Year (Division II) five times.
The announcement of the final inductees will be made from the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta on April 4 before they are enshrined in Springfield from August 28 to 30.