My son Joshua and I are headed to Springfield, Massachusetts in August of 2020 to witness the induction of the greatest Hall of Fame class in basketball history. At least we hope that we are. This coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainty in so many areas of our lives, and this planned trip is no exception.
My passionate collecting of autographed Hall of Fame basketball cards led me to begin learning about the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. I knew that this was a place that I wanted to visit. I wanted to learn more about the players and the history of my favorite sport, basketball.
A few years ago, Joshua and I started planning for our trip. We wanted to visit during Hall of Fame induction weekend. We knew that this class, featuring Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Tamika Catchings, would go down in history as one of the best ever and we wanted the thrill of being part of it.
No disrespect to the others being inducted, but this website focuses on the PLAYERS that are inducted each year, and these four have all had amazing, long-lasting careers on the hardwood. Just click the links in the paragraph above for all of the details.
What Players Will Attend?
Joshua and I imagine being in Springfield and attending events surrounded by the legends of the game. It is exciting to think about who will be there and who might attend. Will we see Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Oscar Robertson?
Is it possible that Bill Russell, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, Scottie Pippen, Julius Erving, or Charles Barkley might show up? And what about some of those who are recently retired or still playing like Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or Luka Doncic? This promises to be a historic event! Who knows who might want to be a part of it or what connections different players have to the inductees?
It’s fun just to dream! What a highlight to our journey as basketball fans it will be to be in the same room with players that we have admired and watched on television for generations (in my case at least, not Joshua’s).
We’ve Got Gold VIP Tickets!
Joshua and I did our research and found out exactly when the VIP tickets for the Hall of Fame weekend would go on sale. I was willing to spend more that usual to secure tickets that would give us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for better seats and more access to the Hall of Fame induction events.
Within seconds after the tickets went on sale at 6:00 pm EST on Friday, February 14, 2020, we had the tickets, and just in time. The tickets didn’t last long (we checked), but our sense of relief and joy did and we expressed these with shouts of celebration!
Our tickets include the following:
- (2) Grand Tier or Loge Level Seats to the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Saturday evening)
- (2) Tickets to the Hall of Fame Ceremony Reception (Saturday afternoon/evening)
- (2) Reserved Seats to the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Tip Off Celebration and Awards Gala at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort (Friday evening)
- (1) Hotel Room for (1) Night at the Mohegan Sun (Friday night)
- (1) Hotel Room for (1) Night in Springfield (Saturday night)
- Ground Transportation to/from the Airport, to/from the Mohegan Sun and locally within Springfield
- (2) Hall of Fame Enshrinement Programs
Needless to say, Joshua and I are beyond excited to have the opportunity to meet players and to be present in three separate events during the Hall of Fame weekend. The anticipation, even of an event still over three months away, brings excitement to us each time we think about it.
Scouting the Hall
I’m a middle school math teacher. Last summer, in preparation for our upcoming trip, I made my first pilgrimage to the Basketball Hall of Fame. It was a great time for me to relax and recharge for a few days at the end of the 2018-19 school year.
I stayed across the parking lot from the Hall of Fame at the Hilton Garden Inn and didn’t even rent a car. I Ubered in, Ubered out, and in between spent four days discovering the Hall of Fame.
I’ll save all of the details of my visit for another time and future posts, but I had a wonderful time shooting baskets on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams, trying out the interactive activities at the Hall, talking with the staff, and looking at all of the memorabilia and basketball history exhibits.
I was also fortunate to be able to meet with Paul Lambert, the Vice President of Enshrinement Services and Community Relations and with Donald Senecal, the Vice President of Finance and CFO. They spent about an hour with me as I shared this website with them and my desire to promote the Hall of Fame and the stories of the greatest basketball players in history.
At the end of our meeting, Mr. Senecal offered to show me a behind-the-scenes look at a few areas of the Hall of Fame that were in the process of being redone. It was truly a treat for me!
Currently, the Hall of Fame website indicates that the newly renovated Hall of Fame will be re-opening on June 1, 2020. I can’t wait to see all of the new exhibits and features of the Hall!
Stay Tuned…
Stay tuned as I continue to document our Quest to Springfield 2020. I plan to both before and after Enshrinement Weekend and to share our experiences at this great event.