Former OKC Thunder Star, Head Coach Among First-Time Hall of Fame Nominees

A couple of candidates with ties to Oklahoma City could be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.

Dec 22, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan (L) speaks to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony (7) in a break in action against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images / Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images

A couple of basketball icons with Thunder ties could soon be in the Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of candidates for the 2025 class. Among a star-studded list of first-time nominees, former Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony and former Thunder coach Billy Donovan made the cut.

Anthony’s professional career spanned nearly two decades after winning a national championship at Syracuse in college. Also known for his impressive international career, Anthony is one of the locks to make the Hall of Fame next year.

After notable stints with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks throughout the first 14 seasons of his career, Oklahoma City traded for Anthony in the 2017 offseason to pair him with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. He averaged 16.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in his only season with the Thunder in 2017-18.

While the Thunder’s championship hopes never materialized that year, and Anthony had a rather unremarkable year by his standards, he still eclipsed a milestone with the Thunder. In late January 2018, Anthony hit the 25,000-point mark, an important mark on his journey to becoming one of the top 10 scorers in league history later in his career.

In his one season with the Thunder, he was coached by Donovan, another strong candidate to make it to Springfield. Donovan’s Hall of Fame credentials come from his days as a college coach, where he was among the best in the country and won back-to-back national championships at Florida in 2006-07. 

After spending two decades at the college level, Donovan made the jump to the NBA with the Thunder and coached the team to five consecutive playoff appearances before heading to Chicago. His first season in 2015-16 marked his most successful, helping a 55-win Thunder team to the Western Conference Finals.

While the bulk of Anthony’s and Donovan’s Hall of Fame resumes came from the earlier portions of their careers, it is impossible to tell their basketball stories without mentioning their time in Oklahoma City.

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