BASKETBALL: Australian basketball legend Lindsay Gaze, who was part of seven Olympic campaigns as a player and coach, has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gaze, whose son Andrew played for the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL and won an NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs, was one of five people named as a new inductee on Saturday.

Gaze, 78, of Adelaide, played for Australia at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and was part of the team that tried to qualify via the Olympic qualification tournament in 1960 and 1968. At the Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 Olympics he was the Australian coach. He later guided the Melbourne Tigers to Australian crowns in 1993 and 1997.

He will be joined in the Hall of Fame by former American Basketball Association star Louis Dampier, former NBA coach Tom Heinsohn, 1940s star John Issacs and former college coach George Raveling.

In addition, the Hall named 12 finalists from modern-era North America basketball, a select few of whom will be enshrined in the Hall in September in Springfield, Massachusetts.

That finalist group includes African-born big man Dikembe Mutombo, an eight-time NBA All-Star; seven-time NBA All-Star Jo Jo White and returning prior finalists and NBA All-Stars Tim Hardaway, Kevin Johnson and Spencer Haywood.

Other finalists are three-time Women's NBA Most Valuable Player Lisa Leslie, 39-year NBA referee Dick Bavetta, US college coaches John Calipari, Bill Fitch and Bo Ryan plus the high school coaches Robert Hughes and Leta Andrews.

Finalists need 18 of 24 votes from the selection committee to enter the Hall of Fame. Results of the voting will be announced on April 6.

AFP