Parker, Gasol and the other stars of the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class
It's that time of year when some of basketball's greatest players and coaches are enshrined in Naismith's Hall of Fame.
The finalists for enshrinement were announced at the NBA All-Star game in Salt Lake City which holds some of the most incredible players since the turn of the century.
45 other Hall of Famers are expected to be in attendance either as spectators or as presenters/speakers for the new members.
The main event is on Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Massachusetts, the place James Naismith founded basketball.
12 people from the NBA, WNBA, and NCAA will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, but five of them are notable stars for people across the world.
Here are the five most notable stars to be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend!
French point guard and San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker spent 18 seasons in the NBA and was an integral part of the Spurs dynasty that dominated the 2000s.
Parker sacrificed a lot of individual accolades for the good of the team, but it worked, winning four NBA Championships, six all-star selections, and four All-NBA selections.
Despite the fact he is still the San Antonio Spurs head coach and has the opportunity to work with wonderkid Victor Wembanyama, it's the right time to add three-time NBA Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich to the Hall of Fame.
Popovich is the NBA's all-time winningest coach, with more than 1,360 wins. The Spurs coach also has five NBA Championships and will be inducted by David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker.
An NBA player from 2001-2019, Pau Gasol enjoyed an 18-year career in the league playing for Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls.
It was The Lakers where Pau enjoyed most of his success, forming an unstoppable duo with fellow Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, winning two NBA Championships back-to-back and having six all-star selections.
German superstar Dirk Nowitzki spent his 21-year NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, winning one of the toughest NBA Championships in history, beating LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat team in 2011.
Nowitzki stayed true to the Dallas Mavericks, staying through the good and bad times. The German was a 14-time all-star, 12-time All-NBA, 2007 NBA MVP, and 2011 Finals MVP.
Miami Heat legend Dwayne Wade burst onto the scene after being selected fifth in the 2003 NBA Draft, winning his first title in 2006 and securing his only Finals MVP award.
Wade won another two championships with Miami's 'Big Three,' LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Wade is a 13-time all-star and has eight All-NBA selections. He will be inducted by Allen Iverson.