There’s an entire display devoted to NBA superfans.
Jimmy Goldstein greeting Chris Paul.
The late Hollywood director, Penny Marshall, is honored in the SuperFans’ exhibit.
Marshall’s HoF ring.
The jerseys of some NBA innovators.
Glad to see Dr. Jack Ramsay with some recognition.
JuJu Watkins’ USC jersey is showcased.
A special exhibit honors the late Kobe Bryant.
Some Kobe artifacts.
Sheer jubilation.
Several famed coaches lend their insights via a video recording on kiosks. Larry Brown is one.
Larry Brown’s 1,000th win is also commemorated.
Not a bad squad if could be assembled from these jerseys.
One of Fran’s former players was a 4-year member at Notre Dame for Coach Muffet McGraw.
Some photo booth silliness.
The wall of HoF inductees.
Unlike the other Halls, there is no special gallery but rather kiosks to call up each inductee.
George Gervin and I attended the same college: Eastern Michigan University.
Isiah Thomas’s HoF credentials.
Coach Chuck Daly’s HoF credentials.
The view of The Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams from above.
And another perspective.
Fran showed off his skill from the elbow.
And the free throw line.
It’s always nice to see the work of a former Conversations with Sports Fans guest, Nat Butler, in the gift shop.
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Video
I was able to sit in with Kenny, Charles, Ernie, and Shaq on the set of “Inside the NBA.”
Fun Facts
Traveling Party – Me and my friend Fran
Last Time Visited – I previously visited the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame during a Hall of a Trip with my father back in 2007. The Hoop Hall as the fourth of the five we saw during that journey. Fran had never visited before.
Don’t Skip the Film – I’ve found many halls of fame these days feature some sort of short, introductory film to set the mood for your impending visit. Naismith was no different, and, like the others, my sincere recommendation is that for any future visits you plan to make to a hall of fame or museum, you should not skip the film. If pressed for time, it seems an easy thing to excise from your touring plan, but I’ve found the quality of such films continues to increase as the years clip by, the archival footage is dang cool to see, and, yes, it does get one primed to experience the halls you’re about to tour. Unless you’ve recently visited, there’s a better-than-decent chance that the content is updated (especially at the major halls).
Bring Your A Game – As noted in the images and the written word, there is a full court on the premises and plenty of basketballs to use. I wanted to make a basket in each of the period baskets (I did), and while there was an urge to get my ankles taped and D-up Fran in a game of 1-on-1, we chose instead to just casually shoot. I could very easily see some fathers and sons – or pairs of brothers – getting after it following their tour of the hall.
Running List of States Traveled To/Through (30 total) – Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, & Wyoming
Running List of Countries Traveled To/Through (8 total) – Argentina, Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, & Quebec), England, Japan, Korea, Scotland, United States, & Wales
Distance Traveled – Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT, to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, 48 miles, to Boston’s Logan Airport 93 miles, to DTW 633 miles, and from DTW to my home, 53 miles, for a total of 827 miles.
Cumulative Distance Traveled After 40 Events – 74,841 miles
Up Next – The Rivalry: Calvin University at Hope University men’s basketball in Holland, MI
