PHOENIX (Arizona), Feb 14: National Basketball Association (NBA) icon Michael Jordan, arguably the league’s greatest player of all-time, headlined the list of 16 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday.

Two-time NBA champion David Robinson and all-time assists leader John Stockton were among the other finalists.

The Hall of Fame class will be announced on April 6 at the NCAA collegiate Final Four in Detroit, Michigan.

Finalists need a minimum of 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Jordan might well garner all 24 votes, and for good reason.

A six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, the Chicago Bulls star dominated the sport, becoming a global icon in the process.

He led the league in scoring an NBA record-tying seven straight seasons and 10 times overall.

“His Airness” retired with the NBA’s highest scoring average (30.1 points per game).

Jordan led the Bulls to three straight NBA titles, then retired following the death of his father in 1993. He made a brief foray into minor league baseball before returning to Chicago in 1995.

In 1996, Jordan led the Bulls to an NBA-record 72 wins and the first of three straight championships (1996-98).

A two-time Olympic gold medal winner and member of the original “Dream Team” in 1992, Jordan retired again in 1999.

He made a second comeback two years later with the Washington Wizards - a team in which he had part ownership.

Jordan, who also was named to the All-NBA first-team defense nine times, averaged 21.2 points in two seasons with the Wizards before hanging it up for good.

Jordan has career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He is currently the general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats.—AFP