(GENEVA) The inauguration and grand-opening of the FIBA
Hall of Fame, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the foundation of
FIBA, took place in Alcobendas (Madrid, Spain). The FIBA
Hall of Fame, a five-floor building of over 2,000 square meters, is an
extension of the FIBA Pedro Ferrándiz Foundation, a museum with the
objective to preserve the heritage of international basketball. Canadian Dr. James Naismith, the acknowledged inventor of the game, was
among the 43 original inductee’s into the Hall.
The official inauguration of the FIBA Hall of Fame was chaired by the Mayor of Alcobendas, Mr. José Caballero, and in presence of the Spanish Secretary of State for Sports, Mr. Jaime Lissavetzky, the President of the Spanish Basketball Federation, FIBA's President, Mr. Bob Elphinston, Secretary General, Mr. Patrick Baumann, and the complete FIBA Central Board.
For this initial enshrinement ceremony, the International Basketball Federation posthumously paid tribute to a selection of internationally-renowned figures, including Dr. James Naismith, who made outstanding contributions to the sport of basketball.
Inductees into the FIBA Hall of Fame are divided into four categories: PLAYERS (retired from international competition for five years), COACHES, TECHNICAL OFFICIALS (REFEREES AND COMMISSIONERS) and CONTRIBUTORS.
“There are a number of basketball hall of fames in many countries throughout the world and all of them deserve our utmost respect,” commented FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann. “The culture and history of basketball goes beyond the borders of one country and the FIBA Hall of Fame has been created to honour all those who greatly contributed to our game in all corners of the planet and made basketball one of the most popular sports in the world."
This summer, FIBA will announce the first “non-founding” calls of inductee’s (composed of a maximum of 20 people). Moving forward, enshrinement ceremonies into the FIBA Hall of Fame will take place every two years and will be limited to a maximum of six inductees per year.
“Dr. Naismith’s induction into the new Hall of Fame is a great honour for his family and for our country,” stated Canada Basketball Executive Director and CEO Fred Nykamp. “He is at the forefront a strong Canadian basketball heritage that includes the famed World Champion Edmonton Grads team, Jack Donohue, and continues to this day with the accomplishments of Steve Nash.”
The following page contains a complete list of the initial inductees into the FIBA Hall of Fame as well as a biography of Dr. Naismith. Naismith was also an original inductee into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
Canada Basketball is a private, not-for-profit corporation that is committed to the growth of the sport in Canada. Just as important, Canada Basketball is focused on the development and preparation of Canada’s national teams for the Olympic; Pan American and FISU Games as well as the World Championships. The aspiration of Canada Basketball is to instill the pride, commitment, passion and respect that Canadians personify into the development of basketball across the country and internationally.
INITIAL FIBA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
PLAYERS:
Alexander BELOV - RUS
Krešimir COSIC - CRO
Teófilo CRUZ - PUR
Mirza DELIBAŠIC - BIH
Radivoj KORAC - SRB
Fernando MARTÍN - ESP
DraΕΎen PETROVIC - CRO
Liliana RONCHETTI - ITA
Vanya VOYNOVA - BUL
COACHES:
Antonio DÍAZ-MIGUEL - ESP
Alexander GOMELSKY - RUS
Henry "Hank" IBA - USA
Vladimir KONDRASHIN - RUS
Aleksandar NIKOLIC - SRB
Giancarlo PRIMO - ITA
REFEREES:
Obrad BELOŠEVIC - SRB
Vladimir KOSTIN - RUS
Pietro REVERBERI - ITA
Renato RIGHETTO - BRA
CONTRIBUTORS "GOLD":
Léon BOUFFARD - SUI
R. William JONES - GBR
James NAISMITH - CAN
8 FOUNDING FEDERATIONS OF FIBA ARG, CZE, GRE, ITA, LAT, POR, ROM, SUI
CONTRIBUTORS:
Eduardo AIRALDI RIVAROLA - PER
Abdel Azim ASHRY - EGY
Turgut ATAKOL - TUR
Robert BUSNEL - FRA
Dionisio CALVO - PHI
Antonio dos Reis CARNEIRO - BRA
José Claudio DOS REIS - BRA
Yoon DUK-JOO - KOR
Willard N. GREIM - USA
Ferenc HEPP - HUN
Marian KOZLOWSKI - POL
Anselmo LÓPEZ - ESP
August PITZL - AUT
Nebojša POPOVIC - SRB
Raimundo SAPORTA - ESP
Decio SCURI - ITA
Nikolai SEMASHKO - RUS
Radomir SHAPER - SRB
Edward S. STEITZ - USA
Yoshimi UEDA - JPN
Abdel Moneim WAHBY – EGY
Dr. James Naimsith Bio
Born November, 6th, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada
Died November, 28th , 1939, in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.
Nationality: Canadian and U.S. Citizen
Attended Almonte High School in Ontario, Canada: 1875-1877 and 1881-1883
Attended and earned a Degree in Physical Education at McGill University: 1983-1987
Played football, rugby, lacrosse and ground gymnastics while iattending McGill University
Earned a Degree in Religion at the Presbyterian College of Theology in Montreal: 1987-1990
Becomes a physical education professor at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts: 1891
Invented the game of basketball in December 1891 after Dr. Luther Gulick, head of Physical Education at the Springfield School for Christian Workers, entrusted James Naismith the task to create an interesting indoor game that would occupy the students during the winter months. On 21st December 1891, the first game of basketball is played between Dr. Naismith's students
Published the original set of Basketball Rules in January 1892 in the magazine "Triangle"
Became the Physical Education Director in the YMCA in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.: 1895-1898
Earned a Degree in Medicine in the Gross Medical College of the University of Colorado (U.S.A.): 1895-1898
Physical education professor, chapel director and basketball coach at the University of Kansas (U.S.A.): 1898-1937
YMCA Secretary in France: 1917-1919
Distinctions/Recognitions
Honorary Master in Physical Education: 1910
Tossed the ball in the first Olympic basketball game at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games
Professor Emeritus of the University of Kansas (after having retired at age 76): 1937
Legum Doctorate Degree of the McGill University: 1938
Honorary Doctor of Divinity at the Presbyterian College in Montreal: 1939
Life Member of the National Association of Physical Education, in the U.S.A.: 1941
Honorary President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in the U.S.A.: 1941
Hall of Fame, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the foundation of
FIBA, took place in Alcobendas (Madrid, Spain). The FIBA
Hall of Fame, a five-floor building of over 2,000 square meters, is an
extension of the FIBA Pedro Ferrándiz Foundation, a museum with the
objective to preserve the heritage of international basketball. Canadian Dr. James Naismith, the acknowledged inventor of the game, was
among the 43 original inductee’s into the Hall.
The official inauguration of the FIBA Hall of Fame was chaired by the Mayor of Alcobendas, Mr. José Caballero, and in presence of the Spanish Secretary of State for Sports, Mr. Jaime Lissavetzky, the President of the Spanish Basketball Federation, FIBA's President, Mr. Bob Elphinston, Secretary General, Mr. Patrick Baumann, and the complete FIBA Central Board.
For this initial enshrinement ceremony, the International Basketball Federation posthumously paid tribute to a selection of internationally-renowned figures, including Dr. James Naismith, who made outstanding contributions to the sport of basketball.
Inductees into the FIBA Hall of Fame are divided into four categories: PLAYERS (retired from international competition for five years), COACHES, TECHNICAL OFFICIALS (REFEREES AND COMMISSIONERS) and CONTRIBUTORS.
“There are a number of basketball hall of fames in many countries throughout the world and all of them deserve our utmost respect,” commented FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann. “The culture and history of basketball goes beyond the borders of one country and the FIBA Hall of Fame has been created to honour all those who greatly contributed to our game in all corners of the planet and made basketball one of the most popular sports in the world."
This summer, FIBA will announce the first “non-founding” calls of inductee’s (composed of a maximum of 20 people). Moving forward, enshrinement ceremonies into the FIBA Hall of Fame will take place every two years and will be limited to a maximum of six inductees per year.
“Dr. Naismith’s induction into the new Hall of Fame is a great honour for his family and for our country,” stated Canada Basketball Executive Director and CEO Fred Nykamp. “He is at the forefront a strong Canadian basketball heritage that includes the famed World Champion Edmonton Grads team, Jack Donohue, and continues to this day with the accomplishments of Steve Nash.”
The following page contains a complete list of the initial inductees into the FIBA Hall of Fame as well as a biography of Dr. Naismith. Naismith was also an original inductee into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
Canada Basketball is a private, not-for-profit corporation that is committed to the growth of the sport in Canada. Just as important, Canada Basketball is focused on the development and preparation of Canada’s national teams for the Olympic; Pan American and FISU Games as well as the World Championships. The aspiration of Canada Basketball is to instill the pride, commitment, passion and respect that Canadians personify into the development of basketball across the country and internationally.
INITIAL FIBA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
PLAYERS:
Alexander BELOV - RUS
Krešimir COSIC - CRO
Teófilo CRUZ - PUR
Mirza DELIBAŠIC - BIH
Radivoj KORAC - SRB
Fernando MARTÍN - ESP
DraΕΎen PETROVIC - CRO
Liliana RONCHETTI - ITA
Vanya VOYNOVA - BUL
COACHES:
Antonio DÍAZ-MIGUEL - ESP
Alexander GOMELSKY - RUS
Henry "Hank" IBA - USA
Vladimir KONDRASHIN - RUS
Aleksandar NIKOLIC - SRB
Giancarlo PRIMO - ITA
REFEREES:
Obrad BELOŠEVIC - SRB
Vladimir KOSTIN - RUS
Pietro REVERBERI - ITA
Renato RIGHETTO - BRA
CONTRIBUTORS "GOLD":
Léon BOUFFARD - SUI
R. William JONES - GBR
James NAISMITH - CAN
8 FOUNDING FEDERATIONS OF FIBA ARG, CZE, GRE, ITA, LAT, POR, ROM, SUI
CONTRIBUTORS:
Eduardo AIRALDI RIVAROLA - PER
Abdel Azim ASHRY - EGY
Turgut ATAKOL - TUR
Robert BUSNEL - FRA
Dionisio CALVO - PHI
Antonio dos Reis CARNEIRO - BRA
José Claudio DOS REIS - BRA
Yoon DUK-JOO - KOR
Willard N. GREIM - USA
Ferenc HEPP - HUN
Marian KOZLOWSKI - POL
Anselmo LÓPEZ - ESP
August PITZL - AUT
Nebojša POPOVIC - SRB
Raimundo SAPORTA - ESP
Decio SCURI - ITA
Nikolai SEMASHKO - RUS
Radomir SHAPER - SRB
Edward S. STEITZ - USA
Yoshimi UEDA - JPN
Abdel Moneim WAHBY – EGY
Dr. James Naimsith Bio
Born November, 6th, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada
Died November, 28th , 1939, in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.
Nationality: Canadian and U.S. Citizen
Attended Almonte High School in Ontario, Canada: 1875-1877 and 1881-1883
Attended and earned a Degree in Physical Education at McGill University: 1983-1987
Played football, rugby, lacrosse and ground gymnastics while iattending McGill University
Earned a Degree in Religion at the Presbyterian College of Theology in Montreal: 1987-1990
Becomes a physical education professor at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts: 1891
Invented the game of basketball in December 1891 after Dr. Luther Gulick, head of Physical Education at the Springfield School for Christian Workers, entrusted James Naismith the task to create an interesting indoor game that would occupy the students during the winter months. On 21st December 1891, the first game of basketball is played between Dr. Naismith's students
Published the original set of Basketball Rules in January 1892 in the magazine "Triangle"
Became the Physical Education Director in the YMCA in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.: 1895-1898
Earned a Degree in Medicine in the Gross Medical College of the University of Colorado (U.S.A.): 1895-1898
Physical education professor, chapel director and basketball coach at the University of Kansas (U.S.A.): 1898-1937
YMCA Secretary in France: 1917-1919
Distinctions/Recognitions
Honorary Master in Physical Education: 1910
Tossed the ball in the first Olympic basketball game at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games
Professor Emeritus of the University of Kansas (after having retired at age 76): 1937
Legum Doctorate Degree of the McGill University: 1938
Honorary Doctor of Divinity at the Presbyterian College in Montreal: 1939
Life Member of the National Association of Physical Education, in the U.S.A.: 1941
Honorary President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in the U.S.A.: 1941