Carlos, San Juan, PR Subj: Salon de La Fama
Why is the International Basketball Hall of Fame in Alcobendas, Spain, and not in America, the birthplace of the sport?
America does in fact have its own hoops shrine known as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, this highly interactive museum has been honoring the sport’s greatest players, coaches, referees and other major contributors since 1968. However, although the Hall has inducted several international members over the years it does have a remarkably American bias. That’s why Spanish basketball coach Pedro Ferrándiz González undertook an ambitious campaign in 1990 to establish a FIBA Hall of Fame in his native country. Opened in 1991, the Hall was created with the lofty intention of preserving the heritage of international basketball. Recent inductees include Serbian center Vlade Divac, Lithuanian guard Sarunas Marciulionis, German forward Detlef Schrempf and American legends Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. To find out more visit: www.halloffame.fiba.com
