SAN ANTONIO — Nuggets assistant coach Adrian Dantley was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame this morning.
Dantley joined six others in the Class of 2008, which will be inducted Sept. 5 in Springfield, Mass. The others are Detroit Pistons owner Bob Davidson, former New York Knicks all-star Patrick Ewing, former Houston Rockets all-star Hakeem Olajuwon, Miami Heat coach Pat Riley, former Immaculate College coach Cathy Rush and ESPN color commentator Dick Vitale.
It was Dantley’s fourth year of eligibility.
“It means a lot,” Dantley told CBS announcer Jim Nantz on the dais after the announcement. “You and I go way back. I remember you at Utah. I mentioned that I’d make the Hall of Fame one day. And it happened. It took a long time, but it happened.”
Dantley was a six-time NBA all-star and led the league in scoring in 1981 and ’84. He was a two-time All-American at Notre Dame and also won an Olympic gold medal in 1976.
Dantley found out Thursday after practice. He received a message on his phone but was afraid to listen to it until he got home.
“I got a little watery-eyed,” he said. “It’s quite an accomplishment.”
