Spike Lee, Billy Crystal, and Jack Nicholson Inducted Into Basketball Hall Of Fame

Zachary Draves | Oct 6, 2024

May 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Filmmaker and actor Spike Lee during game two of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday the induction of super fans Spike Lee, Billy Crystal, Jack Nicholson, and real estate developer Alan Horwitz into its class of 2024.

Each of whom will be featured in the Superfan Gallery on the second floor of the Hall of Fame in a special ceremony set for Oct. 13. This will occur prior to the official induction of players and coaches including Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Seimone Augustus, and Doug Collins.

Lee, the film director known for movies such as Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, and He Got Game, is a long time New York Knicks fan. He is a courtside regular at Madison Square Garden. Over the years, he was notorious for having squabbles with prominent players such as Reggie Miller during the 1994 and 1995 NBA Playoffs.

Nicholson, known for films such as The Shining, is a Los Angeles Lakers fan going back to the 1970s. He was a notable presence at the Great Western Forum at the height of the Magic Johnson led showtime era in the 1980s when celebrities started frequented Lakers games.

Nicholson is known for rearranging his movie schedule so he could attend games.

Crystal, the comedic actor known for When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers, is a native New Yorker but a long time Los Angeles Clippers fan.

Horwitz, the founder of the student housing company Campus Apartments, is a long time Philadelphia 76ers since the 1960s. In January, he constructed a $38 million youth basketball facility in Philadelphia.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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