February 14, 201511 yr Congrats Cal!!! http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12324504/john-calipari-dikembe-mutombo-basketball-hall-fame-finalists NEW YORK -- Kentucky coach John Calipari and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo are among a group of 12 finalists for the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame Class. The Hall of Fame announced its 2015 nominees Saturday at Madison Square Garden, the site of the NBA All-Star Game. The Class of 2015 will be announced April 6. Calipari and Mutombo are joined by longtime NBA referee Dick Bavetta, five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, three-time All-Star Kevin Johnson, three-time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, seven-time All-Star Jo Jo White, four-time All-Star Spencer Haywood, former NBA coach Bill Fitch and high school coaches Robert Hughes and Leta Andrews as finalists. Calipari, who also had successful coaching stints at UMass and Memphis, guided Kentucky to the NCAA championship in 2012. His teams have reached the Final Four five times. "I'm at a loss for words," Calipari said. "I want to thank the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame committee for even considering me. The process is by no means over -- I'm just a finalist at this point -- but to even be mentioned as a finalist among these worthy candidates is an unbelievable honor. I am absolutely humbled by this. "I want to thank the people at UMass, Memphis and Kentucky for giving Ellen and I an opportunity to coach at three great institutions. I want to thank all the assistants and staff who have worked for us over the years, as well as the people in the community who have added value to our lives. Most importantly, I want to thank all of the players who have let us coach them and all of the parents who entrusted us with their son. Thank you."
February 14, 201511 yr Congrats!! Feel like everyone has a chip on their shoulder when you try to mention Cal among basketball royalty.
February 14, 201511 yr I'm hoping he would have been there without the nomination haha! Very happy for him!
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