September 1959–present
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement (1959–present)
The Basketball Hall of Fame began in 1959 as a modest ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts. Over six decades it grew into a nationally televised event with celebrity presenters and thousands of attendees.
Then
Put Springfield on the map as a basketball pilgrimage site and drew growing crowds each year.
Now
Established the template for hall-of-fame ceremonies as public spectacles rather than private dinners.
Why this matters now
Shows the wide range of scale for hall ceremonies. Grand Rapids is staging its local version in a 12,000-seat arena, a step up from the typical banquet-hall format.