The finalists list for the 2023 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was announced during the NBA All-Star Weekend on Friday. Three of the shiniest names on it were Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and Gregg Popovic.

"I love the class," Jerry Colangelo, chairman for the Hall of Fame, said. "I think this is a loaded class. ... I think this is unique in that we have a lot of first-time people and it's unusual when somebody makes it on the first ballot. But this is going to be that unique of class. Because there could be four or five first-timers. So, I'm very excited about it."

Nowitzki has played 21 seasons all in the Dallas Mavericks alone as a 14-time All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA Team member. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2007 and led the team to win their first and only NBA championship in 2011 as the NBA Finals MVP. Nowitzki is the undoubted greatest player in the Mavericks' history and one of the greatest foreign players in league history.

Wade has contributed his best time and most of his 16-year-long career to the Miami Heat, where he ended his career as well. He is a 13-time All-Star, an eight-time All-NBA Team member and a three-time All-Defensive Second Team selection. In 2006, Wade made one of the most epic performances in the NBA Finals as he averaged 39.25 points in the final four games, leading the Heat to win the series 4-2. Wade was named the Finals MVP that year and won another two titles with LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2012 and 2013.

Gregg Popovich has been coaching the same team, the San Antonio Spurs, since 1996 and achieved 1,358 wins, the most among all coaches in NBA history. He was a three-time Coach of the Year, four-time All-Star head coach and, most importantly, helped the Spurs win five NBA championships between 1999 and 2014.

"A young Dwyane Wade never thought this moment would be here," Wade said. "Sometimes when you're young and you have a dream, a lot of people don't believe in your dream because it seems so far-fetched. But I've always been a dreamer."

Others on the list are the Spurs' legendary point guard, four-time NBA champion Tony Parker, two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol, six-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon, collegiate national champion Jennifer Azzi, college all-time wins leader Gene Bess, David Hixon, Gene Keady, Gary Blair and Marian Washington.