CHICAGO – Two Chicago basketball fixtures entered the basketball hall of fame on Saturday afternoon.
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Chicago Sky star Sylvia Fowles were both officially elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the Class of 2025, the hall of fame announced on Saturday.
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Donovan enters the hall with a career coaching in college and the NBA that spans more than three decades. Fowles enters the hall following a career that earned her some of the most notable accolades in the WNBA.
Donovan, who turns 60 next month, is best known for his time coaching at the University of Florida, where he led the Gators to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.
His teams also appeared in the Final Four on four occasions. Between his tenures at Marshall (1994-1996) and Florida (1996-2015), he recorded more than 500 total victories as a collegiate coach.
Donovan has coached the Bulls since 2020.
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“Billy’s enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame is a testament to a lifetime spent giving everything to the game,” Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “It goes beyond his incredible success as a coach—it’s about the relationships he’s built, the players he’s mentored, and the countless lives he’s touched along the way. Billy has a remarkable basketball mind, but what truly sets him apart is who he is as a person. He leads with humility, heart, and a genuine care for everyone around him. Whether it’s his players, his staff, or our community, he always puts others first. We’re incredibly proud to have him as part of the Bulls family, and on behalf of the entire organization, I want to congratulate him on this well-earned and well-deserved honor.”
Fowles was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft following a sellar career at LSU. In 186 games with the Sky, Fowles averaged 9.8 rebounds per game and 15.7 points per game.
Fowles won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and was the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2021 seasons. She led the Lynx to WNBA Championships in 2015 and 2017, and helped the Sky reach the WNBA Finals in 2014.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more details.
