Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Sue Bird moved one step closer towards basketball immortality.
The trio are among the big names included in the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists, who were announced earlier at the NBA All-Star weekend.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Announces 17 finalists for Class of 2025 Election.
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) February 15, 2025
🔗: https://t.co/X1s49XsuJd #25HoopClass
Anthony and Howard could be appearing twice on the list, as they were also part of the gold-medal winning 2008 USA men’s basketball squad in the Olympics.
The squad that put USA Basketball back on top, a Class of 2025 Finalist, ‘The Redeem Team.’ #25HoopClass
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) February 14, 2025
Two of the most notable stars that came into the league in early 2000s, both players boast a stacked resume that made them sure shoo-ins to compose the 2025 enshrinement class--which will be revealed on April 5.
Anthony played 19 seasons in the league and was a 10-time All-Star as well as a six-time All-NBA Team member.
He played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
A former NCAA champion with Syracuse in 2003, Melo is currently in the 10th spot in the all-time scoring list with 28,289 points on top of being a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Meanwhile, Howard, the no. 1 overall pick in 2004 Draft by the Orlando Magic, emerged as a defensive monster in his heyday and is just one of the four players ever to win the Defensive Player of the Year award on three or more occasions.
He made eight All-NBA Team selections and led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals and won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Although they were playing against each other most of their time in league, Anthony and Howard are part of the star-studded 2008 USMNBT that reclaimed Olympic gold in Beijing after a disappointing bronze medal finish at the 2004 edition in Athens.
That squad--nicknamed the ‘‘Redeem Team"--was composed of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Anthony, Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, and Carlos Boozer.
There’s also no shortage of big names on the WNBA side.
Regarded one of the greatest women point guards to ever grace the floor, Bird boasted a career that saw her become a four-time WNBA champion, 13-time All-Star, and a five-time Olympic gold medalist. She retired in 2022 after spending her entire 20-year career as a member of the Seattle Storm.
Maya Moore also made the cut as her eight-year pro career netted four titles with the Minnesota Lynx on top of winning the 2014 MVP and earning six All-Star nods.
More’s former teammate in Sylvia Fowles, is also a finalist. A two-time champ and Finals MVP, Fowles is a four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year winner and got selected to eight All-Stars.
“You look at the accomplishments for each of them in terms of championships, in terms of winning gold, in terms of being the players they were for as long as they were, it’s a real tribute to the game of basketball and women’s basketball in particular,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a press release.
Here’s the full list of the 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame finalists:
- Carmelo Anthony
- Dwight Howard
- Sue Bird
- Maya Moore
- Sylvia Fowles
- Micky Arison
- Billy Donovan
- Jerry Welsh
- Tal Brody
- Mark Few
- Jennifer Azzi
- Buck Williams
- Molly Bolin
- Marques Johnson
- Dusan Ivkovic
- Danny Crawford
- Dusan Ivkovic
- 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team
