How Many Hall of Famers can the San Antonio Spurs Claim?

You've head of a black tie event? Well, the Class of 2023 for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame turned into a black-and-silver gala as it was full of people associated with the San Antonio Spurs.

It centered around one person in particular, though, the man at the top. NBA.com reported that the selection committee had tried numerous times to have Gregg Popovich agree to be enshrined and had always been rejected. Instead, Tim Duncan was inducted in 2021, and Manu Ginobili 2022.

“He wanted to make sure his guys were in first,” said Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the Hall. “He didn’t want to jump the gun. That’s totally unselfish on his part, but I’m glad he decided this was going to be it.”

Consequently, Popovich went in with Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and former assistant coach Becky Hammon. With Parker alone, it was the first time that a head coach and one of his players were inducted together.

Perhaps that's why the coach called his selection “unimaginable, and that’s not an attempt to be humble. It’s not something you think about while growing up. It’s hard to describe.” Meanwhile, there was no writeup about Popovich in the Hall of Fame section in the Spurs' media guide, just core players.

So while Parker was mentioned, Gasol (who only played three seasons in San Antonio) and Hammon, who's primarily known as being a WNBA legend, were not. It would be like the Boston Red Sox claiming that Babe Ruth should represent the organization in the National Baseball Hall of Fame when the bulk of his career and success came with the New York Yankees.

Here's who the Spurs claim in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (capsules courtesy of the San Antonio Spurs):

So who else in the Hall of Fame has spent some time on the Spurs, like Gasol and Hammon?

See Also: Did a Rule Change Cost Victor Wembanyama an All-NBA Selection as a Rookie?