CLEVELAND — Manu Ginobili — the player Kobe Bryant said was one of the most challenging players for him to go against — was part of the core of four Spurs title teams (plus won Olympic gold with Argentina. He should be a lock. Tim Hardaway is the lone member of the Warriors’ TMC crew not in the Hall of Fame, and it’s time. Michael Cooper was the 3&D specialist of the Showtime Lakers before there really were 3&D players.
Those three and WNBA legend Swin Cash headline the 11 finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2022. The finalists were announced at an event Friday night during NBA All-Star Weekend. The formal class will be announced on April 2 in New Orleans at the NCAA Final Four.
The 11 finalists are:
• MANU GINOBILI. Four-time NBA champion, Sixth Man of the Year (2008), a two-time All-NBA player and two-time All-Star. He also led Argentina to its only basketball gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and the bronze at the 2008 games. He is only the second…