NOW YOU KNOW

NORTH AMERICAN FINALISTS

* JIM BOEHEIM, a native of Lyons, N.Y., has led the Syracuse Orangemen since 1976, amassing more than 650 wins, including a victory over Kansas in the 2003 NCAA championship game, eight Big East regular-season championships, three Big East tournament titles, 23 NCAA tournament appearances, four NIT invitations and three Final Four appearances (1987, 1996, 2003).

* HUBIE BROWN, born in Hazleton, Pa., is known for his coaching and broadcasting. He served as an NBA head coach for Atlanta (1976-81), New York (1982-87) and Memphis (2002-04).

* JIM CALHOUN, a native of Braintree, Mass., has coached 33 seasons at the college level. He is one of only two coaches (Mike Krzyzewski, Duke) to win multiple NCAA championships since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, defeating Duke to win the 1999 crown and Georgia Tech to win the NCAA championship in 2004.

* MAURICE CHEEKS, a native of Chicago, enjoyed a steady 15-year professional career, 11 of those spent with the Philadelphia 76ers. Cheeks was known for his court awareness and speed, especially on the defensive side.

* ADRIAN DANTLEY, a native of Washington, D.C., was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. He played 15 years in the NBA with seven teams, the majority of the time spent with the Utah Jazz (1979-86).

* JOE DUMARS, a native of Shreveport, La., played his entire pro career for the Detroit Pistons, becoming a key component of the squad that won consecutive NBA championships (1989 and 1990).

* DENNIS JOHNSON, a native of San Pedro, logged 14 NBA seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics (1976-80), Phoenix Suns (1980-83) and the Boston Celtics (1983-90). He was a member of two NBA championship teams in Boston (1984 and 1986) and a third in Seattle (1979), the year he was named the NBA Finals most valuable player.

* BERNARD KING, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., starred at the University of Tennessee before embarking on a 14-year NBA career, where he would become one of the league’s highest scorers (19,655 points).

* CHET WALKER, a native of Benton Harbor, Mich., was a Sporting News first-team All-American at Bradley University and led the Braves to a 69-14 record, a mark that included two trips to the NIT and the 1960 NIT title.

* DOMINIQUE WILKINS was born in Paris before coming to the United States and becoming a Parade High School All-American, collegiate star at the University of Georgia and an NBA All-Star known for his amazing offensive power and high-flying, above-the-rim game.

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WOMEN’S FINALISTS

* VAN CHANCELLOR, a native of Louisville, Miss., led the Houston Comets to four consecutive WNBA championships (1997-2000) and won 439 games as the head women’s coach at Mississippi (1978-1997).

* SUE GUNTER, a Walnut Grove, Miss., native, coached Louisiana State University for 22 seasons (1982-2004) and spent 16 seasons at Stephen F. Austin (1964-1980) after beginning her coaching career at Middle Tennessee State (1962-1964).

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INTERNATIONAL FINALISTS

* SANDRO GAMBA, a native of Milan, Italy, has coached in Europe for more than 30 years, including Italian Division I professional league teams Simmenthal (1965-73), Ignis (1973-77), Turin (1977-1980) and the Italian national team (1979-1992).

* HORTENCIA MARCARI, a native of Potirendaba, Spain, is widely regarded as one of the finest women’s players in international basketball history. As a member of the Brazilian national team, she led the team to the 1994 gold medal at the world championships.

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VETERAN FINALISTS

* JOHN ISSACS, a high school standout from New York City, was a pioneer in professional basketball, playing with many touring teams, including the New York Rens (1936-41), leading the Rens to a 112-7 record and the World Professional Basketball Tournament Championship in 1939.

* JOHNNY KERR, a native of Chicago, has contributed to basketball for more than 50 years as a player, coach, executive and broadcaster.

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Source: NBA.com