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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Nowitzki, Bird lead parade of legends into FIBA Hall of Fame

Nowitzki, Bird lead parade of legends into FIBA Hall of Fame

Published Dec 22, 2025 04:10 pm

At A Glance

  • A total of seven players and one coach are being recognized for their stellar individual contributions to the sport.
Members of the Class of 2026 will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony on April 21 in Berlin.

The FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2026 to be inducted on April 21 in Berlin is unveiled. (FIBA.com)
The FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2026 to be inducted on April 21 in Berlin is unveiled. (FIBA.com)
MIES, Switzerland (FIBA) – On World Basketball Day, FIBA is proud to announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, paying tribute to legendary figures whose contributions have shaped the global game.
A total of seven players and one coach are being recognized for their stellar individual contributions to the sport.
Members of the Class of 2026 will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony on April 21 in Berlin.
Hoops icons Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Sue Bird of USA headline the group of new inductees.
Nowitzki, the MVP of both the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002 in Indianapolis and EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade, represented his country in FIBA competitions for two decades.
He started with the youth teams in 1995, before leading the senior team at numerous tournaments until 2015.
With the Dallas Mavericks, the 7-foot- power forward won an NBA title, competed in numerous playoffs, and claimed the NBA MVP award. He was a perennial All-Star.
Bird, a 1.75m point guard, was the heart and soul of the USA women's team that dominated international basketball from 2002 until her international retirement at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
She spearheaded the USA runs to four FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup titles and also played an integral role in five consecutive Olympic gold medal-winning teams, when the Americans won every game they played.
Nowitzki and Bird are joined in the 2026 class by Céline Dumerc, Hedo Türkoğlu, Clarisse Machanguana, Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz, Wang Zhizhi, and Ismenia Pauchard.
Dumerc, France's point guard when they won the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2009, claimed runners-up spots on three other occasions in the competition and a third-place finish.
The lightning quick playmaker had a reputation for hitting shots in the clutch for her national team, including at the 2012 Olympics when she sparked the team on a run that finished with a silver medal.
Türkoğlu is a legend of Türkiye who shot to prominence when his team reached the FIBA EuroBasket 2001 Final in Istanbul. In 2009, the long-time NBA star led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals.
A year later, when the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup was hosted in his country, he took the 12 Giant Men to the Final and was named to the All-Star Five.
Clarisse Machanguana was a celebrated center of Mozambique.
One of the most revered players in African basketball, Clarisse led her country to third place at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket in 1993 and second place in 2013.
The second achievement resulted in a historical first qualification of Mozambique to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.
Wang Zhizhi of China claimed two FIBA Asia Cup titles, in 2001 and 2011. The explosive scorer also competed in four Olympics (1996, 2000, 2008, 2012) and two FIBA Basketball World Cups (2006, 2010).
He was the first-ever Chinese to be drafted and play in the NBA.
Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz of Poland was the coach of the Wisla Kraków women's team and led it to 14 domestic titles, the first in 1963 and the last in 1981.
Miętta-Mikołajewicz also had the honor of coaching Poland's women's national team. He guided them to two runners-up finishes at the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket in 1980 and 1981, and led the team to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 1983.
Ismenia Pauchard is a legend of the Chile women's national team and is being inducted posthumously. Pauchard was the third leading scorer at both FIBA Women's Basketball Cups in 1957 and 1964.
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