Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Sue Bird top eligible candidates for Hall of Fame 2025 class

This is going to be a stacked class.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame just released the list of eligible candidates for its class of 2025, and it is deep with a few clear first ballot, “Why do we even need to vote on this, just wave them in” candidates at the top. Among the list of people eligible to enter the Hall this year are:

Carmelo Anthony

After leading Syracuse to the NCAA Championship in 2003, Anthony was the No. 3 pick in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, etc.). In the NBA, he was as great as bucket getter as the league has ever seen and was a six-time All-NBA player, a 10-time All-Star, he averaged 22.5 points a game for his career and he led the league in scoring in 2013, the same season he led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference semi-finals (the farthest they had been in the playoffs since 2000, and the farthest they would go until the Jalen Brunson era).

Dwight Howard

This seems to surprise younger NBA fans who only remember him from the Lakers and later in his career, but Howard is a no-brainer first-ballot Hall of Famer. He was one of the best defenders of his generation, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year (and five times made All-Defensive teams), an eight-time All-NBA player, and an eight-time All-Star. Also, he won an NBA ring in the bubble with the Lakers.

Sue Bird

One of the greatest ever in the women’s game, her resume can stack up against anyone: Two-time NCAA champion at UConn (2000, 2002), five-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time WNBA champion, eight-time All-WNBA, 13-time All-Star, and that just stretches the surface.

Maya Moore

Another legend of the game who is an unquestioned first-ballot Hall of Famer. Moore won two NCAA titles at UConn (2009, 2010), a four-time WNBA champion, WNBA MVP (2014), seven-time All-NBA, six-time WNBA All-Star, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.

Other names of note who are eligible for the Hall of Fame this year:

• Doc Rivers (NBA player, coach)
• Billy Donovan (two-time NCAA champion as coach, now coach of Chicago Bulls)
• Sylvia Fowles (WNBA player)
• Chamique Holdsclaw (WNBA player)
• Mark Few (Gonzaga coach)
• Lisa Bluder (Iowa Hawkeyes coach)
• Marc Gasol (Spanish basketball icon, NBA champion, DPOY)
• Micky Arison (owner, Miami Heat)

“The nominees on the official ballot for the Class of 2025 represent a broad cross-section of our game,” said John L. Doleva, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame President and CEO. “From Olympic Gold Medals to NBA and WNBA titles to collegiate championships, these nominees epitomize the career of a Hall of Famer.”

The list of eligible names will be used to select the Hall’s finalists. The shorter list will be announced on Feb. 14 during NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. Voters will then step up and do their job, and the official class of 2025 will be announced on April 5 during the NCAA Final Four.