Basketball Hall of Famers Gather in Scottsdale for Colangelo Golf Classic

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo hosted his 14th annual golf event at the Arizona Biltmore, drawing NBA legends past and present.

Basketball royalty assembled in Scottsdale, Arizona, last week for the 14th annual Jerry Colangelo Golf Classic, held at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The two-day gathering featured a welcome reception and silent auction on Thursday evening, followed by a round of golf Friday morning.

Colangelo, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Arizona Diamondbacks, serves as chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also managing director of USA Basketball from 2005 until his retirement in 2021.

Attendees included former Suns Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Eddie Johnson and Mark West, along with ex-coaches Mike D'Antoni and P.J. Carlesimo. WNBA great Diana Taurasi played in Friday's golf round, while Julius Erving, Paul Pierce, Gary Payton and Ralph Sampson were also on hand.

Ralph Sampson told Heavy the event feels like a family reunion, giving stars a chance to reconnect once a year. Carlesimo called it one of the highlights of his calendar, alongside the Hall of Fame enshrinement, and praised Colangelo as a genuine legend of the sport.