Former OKC Thunder head coach Billy Donovan was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2025 class on Saturday.
Donovan, who's now the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, spent five seasons with OKC from 2015-20. He's joined in the 2025 class by former Thunder player Carmelo Anthony.
“He deserves it and has earned it,” said OKC head coach Mark Daigneault, who was an assistant under Donovan at Florida from 2010-14. “I think the thing about him that I have the most respect for is who he is outside the lines. He's a pleasure to work for. He gives you a lot of freedom, and he gives you a lot of responsibilities. ... He's a great coach.
"He's had great success over a long period of time, so I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to work with him. I'm very grateful for everything he's done for my career, and I'm very happy for him with this honor."
Donovan won two national championships as the head coach at Florida before he began his NBA coaching career with OKC.
Donovan went 243-157 during his time with the Thunder, and he led it to the playoffs in each of his five seasons. That included a 2016 Western Conference Finals run.
Here's a full list of the 2025 class for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2025 class
- 2008 men's U.S. Olympic basketball team: Also known as the "Redeem Team," the 2008 men's U.S. Olympic basketball team went undefeated in the Beijing Summer Olympics to win gold.
- Carmelo Anthony: Anthony spent 19 seasons in the NBA with six teams, including the OKC Thunder (2017-18). He earned 10 All-Star selections and six All-NBA selections throughout his career.
- Micky Arison: Arison purchased the Miami Heat in 1995 and helped the franchise win three championships (2006, 2012 and 2013).
- Sue Bird: Bird spent her entire 21-year WNBA career with the Seattle Storm. The 13-time All-Star led the franchise to four championships (2004, 2010, 2018 and ...
