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Maurice Cheeks, Dawn Staley named Basketball Hall of Fame finalists

Maurice Cheeks (10) puts up a shot as Milwaukee's Marques Johnson, right, watches during an NBA basketball playoff game in Milwaukee. Cheeks is one of 12 finalists up for election into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the hall of fame announced Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. The 2013 class will be announced at the Final Four in April. (SJP/AP File)
Maurice Cheeks (10) puts up a shot as Milwaukee's Marques Johnson, right, watches during an NBA basketball playoff game in Milwaukee. Cheeks is one of 12 finalists up for election into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the hall of fame announced Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. The 2013 class will be announced at the Final Four in April. (SJP/AP File)Read more
    by By Justin Klugh, For Philly.com, External or Unknown
    Published 

The Basketball Hall of Fame unveiled their class of 2013 finalists this afternoon, and the list featured two Philadelphia representatives.

Former Sixers coach and current Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks and former WNBA player and Olympian Dawn Staley are among those honored by the Hall.

Cheeks retired from the NBA in 1993, and at the time was the all-time leader in steals and recorded the fifth-highest number of assists (He is now fifth in steals and 10th in assists). By the end of his career, Cheeks was averaging over two steals per game, as well as 11.7 points.

He was the head coach of the 76ers from 2005 to 2008, amassing a record of 122-146.

Staley coached at Temple University from 2000 to 2008 and went 172-90 eight seasons, reaching the NCAA tournament six times.

An Olympic champion, Staley won gold for the U.S. in the 1996 games in Atlanta.

In 2008, she was named the head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of South Carolina. Last year, Staley was voted one of the 15 most popular WNBA players of all time.

She graduated from Dobbins Tech High School in Philadelphia and was chosen as national high school player of the year in 1988 as a senior.

With the University of Virginia, Staley led her team to three NCAA Final Four appearances, and one National Championship game in 1991, after which she was named Most Outstanding Player. That year was also one of her National Player of the Year awards, the other coming in 1992.

Other 2013 Hall of Fame finalists are Gary Payton, Sylvia Hatchell, Tom Heinsohn, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Spencer Haywood, Bernard King, Guy Lewis, Rick Pitino and Jerry Tarkanian.