SAN FRANCISCO — Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and a team they were part of — the gold medal-winning 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team — headline the group of finalists for this year’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class announced Friday.
Women’s basketball legends Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles are also among the nominees. And coaches Billy Donovan and Mark Few were nominated.
Anthony, a 10-time All-Star, is 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 28,289 points. He also led Syracuse to a national championship in 2003.
Howard was the preeminent defensive presence of his era, winning three straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009 to 2011). He made eight All-NBA teams, led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals and won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
The 2008 Olympic men’s team returned Team USA to the top spot internationally after it earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Games and no medals at the…
