page_title: List of players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
section_title: Players
hierarchical_section_title: List of players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame / Players
caption_attribution_description: "Life in the old Cousy yet" / World Telegram &amp; Sun photo by Wm. C. Greene.
context_page_description: The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches, referees, and other major contributors to the sport. It is named after Dr. James Naismith, who conceived the sport in 1891; he was inducted into the Hall as a contributor in 1959. The Player category has existed since the beginning of the Hall of Fame. For a person to be eligible on the ballot for Hall of Fame honors as a player, he or she must be fully retired for three years. If a player retired for a short period, then "his/her case and eligibility is reviewed on an individual basis".
  As part of the inaugural class of 1959, four players were inducted; over 150 more individuals have been inducted as players since then. Four players have also been inducted as coaches: John Wooden in 1973, Lenny Wilkens in 1998, Bill Sharman in 2004, and Tom Heinsohn in 2015.
  Of the inducted players, 25 were also members of teams that have been inducted into the Hall as units.
  William "Pop" Gates and John Isaacs were members of the New York Renaissance.
caption: Bob Cousy, inducted in 1971
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