The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the additions of Penny Hardaway and Walter Davis to its list of nominees for the class of 2024, bringing the list of nominees to 38 in total.
Hardaway was a star at Memphis from 1991 to ’93, averaging 20 points and 5.9 assists per game in his two seasons. Hardaway was back-to-back Great Midwest Conference player of the year and earned a first-team All-American nod in 1992–93.
The guard parlayed his college career into becoming the third pick in the 1993 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. He had a strong start to his career, earning four All-Star nods in his first five seasons and averaging at least 20 points per game in three of his first four. However, injuries derailed his career, as he never fully recovered from a knee injury in his fifth season despite playing for 14 years.
Hardaway is currently Memphis’s coach, with a 121–54 record in six seasons leading the Tigers, including two straight men’s NCAA tournament appearances.
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Davis was a four-year player at North Carolina from 1973 to ’77, playing in 119 games and averaging 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. The Phoenix Suns drafted Davis as the fifth pick in the 1977 NBA draft, and Davis rewarded Phoenix by winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in his first season.
Davis had a 15-year NBA career with three different teams, primarily with Phoenix, and averaged 18.9 points per game in his career. Davis finished his career with six All-Star appearances and the Suns retired Davis’s number after he retired.
The Hall of Fame will announce its finalists on Feb. 16 at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, and the class of 2024 at the Final Four on April 6 in Arizona.
