Detroit — Chris Webber, arguably the second-best basketball player to come from Michigan, will headline a star-studded class for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
Webber, who starred at Detroit Country Day and led Michigan’s fabled Fab Five before going on to a Hall-of-Fame professional career, is one of eight inductees for the Class of 2022. Webber will be joined by by fellow amateur inductees Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and Jennie Ritter; Antonio Gates from the professional category; John Beilein in the coach’s category; and Mickey Redmond in the media category.
Longtime Western Michigan athletic director Kathy Beauregard, who retired late in 2021, also will be enshrined in the contributor category,
The Class of 2022 will be joined by two holdovers who were unable to attend last year’s ceremony — former Piston Chauncey Billups and another former Country Day standout, Shane Battier.
“This year’s class represents the excellence, diversity and depth of the best of Michigan sports history,” Scott Leshler, Hall of Fame chairman, said in announcing the class Thursday night.
The class was publicly announced on Bally Sports Detroit during the Tigers’ pregame show.
The class was finalized in a multi-platform vote — a small task force comprised of journalists, sports executives and other local dignitaries compiled the ballot and its vote was weighted most; weighted second was a statewide election committee comprised of journalists; and weighted third was the public vote, which drew nearly 4,000 votes. The task force vote made up 70% of the final tally, the statewide task force contributed 25%, and the fan vote made up 5%.
The 2022 Michigan Sports Hall of Fame ceremony will be Saturday, Sept. 10, at MotorCity Casino Hotel’s Sound Board Theater. Tickets will start at $25, and are available at michigansportshof.org.
All inductees are expected to attend the ceremony, though their availability is subject to change.
“We thank the nearly 4,000 Michigan sports fans who went online to vote and be part of this year’s election process,” said Jordan Field, Hall of Fame president and director of player relations and authentics for the Tigers. “This class includes all-time greats who are also fan favorites.”
Here’s a look at the Class of 2022:
Professionals
►Chauncey Billups, 45: Point guard for the “Goin’ To Work” Pistons who won the 2004 NBA title; he was MVP of that year’s finals. Billups played for Detroit from 2002-08 and from 2013-14. He’s currently head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
►Antonio Gates, 41: Detroit native who attended Central High School and starred in basketball, he became one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Gates played 15 years in the NFL, all with the Charges, and made the Pro Bowl eight times.
Amateurs
►Shane Battier, 43: Starred at Detroit Country Day and won Michigan’s Mr. Basketball honors before going on to star and win a national championship at Duke. He also won two championships in a 14-year NBA career, which spanned from 2001-14.
►Meryl Davis, 35, and Charlie White, 34: Royal Oak natives and Michigan alums, they made a big mark in ice-dancing, including on the Olympic stage, where they won medals in 2014 (gold) and 2010 (silver), along with other international accomplishments.
►Jennie Ritter, 38: A native of Dexter, Ritter starred in softball as a dominant pitcher at Michigan, leading the Wolverines to the 2005 NCAA championship. Michigan became the first school east of the Mississippi RIver to win the softball championship.
►Chris Webber, 49: Webber led Detroit Country Day to three straight state titles, and was national player of the year and Michigan’s Mr. Basketball in 1991. At Michigan, he made two title-game appearances, though records were later stripped by a famous booster scandal (the banners remain in storage). In a 16-year NBA career, he was a five-time All-Star and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September.
Coach
►John Beilein, 69: Revived Michigan men’s basketball, becoming the program’s winningest coach in his 12 seasons, which included nine NCAA Tournament berths and two title-game appearances before leaving to coach in the NBA. He now is a Pistons adviser.
Media
►Mickey Redmond, 74: Played six seasons with the Red Wings, scoring a then-franchise-record 52 goals in 1972-73 (passing Gordie Howe’s 49). He retired in 1976 and joined Red Wings broadcasts in 1985, becoming a favorite among fans.
Contributor
►Kathy Beauregard, 65: This is the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and she was a pioneer in women’s sports administration, being named Western Michigan’s athletic director in 1997 and retiring late in 2021. A Hope and WMU alum, Beauregard coached gymnastics before entering administration.
Editor’s note: This story’s author, Tony Paul, is co-chair of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame selection committee.
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tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tonypaul1984