Temple's Rodgers to be enshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame
Posted: Sunday, February 16, 2014, 3:01 AM
TEMPLE'S Guy Rodgers, the first great player of the Big 5 era when the City Series began for the 1955-56 season, will be part of the Class of 2014 for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was elected directly to the hall yesterday by the veterans committee, along with other individuals who were chosen directly. Ten finalists for general inclusion were also named, with inductees named on April 7 during the Final Four and enshrined in August.
The Northeast High grad was the classic Philadelphia point guard who saw the game like a chess master, led the Owls to a 74-16 record and two Final Fours in his three seasons playing for Hall of Fame coach Harry Litwack, went on to play 12 NBA seasons mostly for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors and play in four All-Star Games.
Rodgers teamed with Hal Lear for the 1955-56 season to form one of the great backcourts in college basketball history. They played together in the Final Four. Two years later, Rodgers was back in the Final Four as the Owls finished 27-3.
The night Wilt Chamberlain scored his 100 points for the Warriors in 1962, Rodgers dealt 20 assists. A wizard with the ball, Rodgers once had 28 assists in an NBA game.
He finished his college career with a then school-record 1,767 points. His No. 5 is one of only four retired Temple numbers.
Rodgers died of a heart attack on Feb. 19, 2001. He was 65.
Guy Rodgers, the player who really made the Big 5 era when it most needed an identity, now becomes the first Big 5 player elected to the Hall of Fame.
Other inductees and finalists
Recently retired NBA commissioner David Stern was also named to the Hall, by the contributors committee. Stern served 30 years as the NBA's top man. Also directly elected were Lithuania star Sarunas Marciulionis, by the international committee; former Indiana Pacers coach Bob 'Slick' Leonard, by the ABA committee; and former New York Knicks player Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton, by the early African-American pioneers committee.
Former player, coach and executive Alvin Attles, who once played for the Philadelphia Warriors will receive the Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. Sports writer Jim Gilmartin and broadcaster Jon Andariese won the Curt Gowdy media awards.
The famed women's team from Immaculata College that won three straight national championships from 1972-74 is among the finalists. The other finalist with Philly-area ties is former Maryland coach Gary Williams, a Collingswood, N.J., native who later coached at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden.
Other finalists are players Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Kevin Johnson and Spencer Haywood; college coaches Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson; and former women's coach Harley Redin.
The Honors Committe will vote on the finalists, which need 18 of 24 votes for enshrinement.
Daily News wire services contributed to this report.
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