The New York City Basketball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class was inducted in an All-Star ceremony in NYC in May 1990.

The Hall’s first class included All-Time Basketball superstars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Billy Cunningham, Red Auerbach, Coach Claire Bee, Bob Cousy, William “Pop” Gates, Connie Hawkins, Coach Dick McGuire, Holcombe Rucker, Dolph Schayes and Ms. Zelda Spoelstra.

The second class was no less stunning: Dolly King, Fuzzy Levane, Ned Irish, Tiny Archibald, Bobby Wanzer, Bob Douglas and Coaches Red Sarachek, Lenny Wilkins, Nat Holman and Red Holtzman. A similar level of greatness has continued throughout the years.

A total of twenty-seven classes of inductees were enshrined between 1990-2017 when two of the legendary founders Robert A. “Bob” Williams and Howard “Garf” Garfinkel passed away, followed closely by the passing of founding board members Cecil Watkins and Tom Konchalski. Founder Howie Evans died in May 2025 after a long debilitating illness.