It’s enshrinement weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts, as the Basketball Hall of Fame inducts a new class of basketball stars. It’s also opening weekend for the local hockey team – so expect a crowded downtown, officials say.
“We have another big weekend here in the City of Springfield, with national and worldwide events,” Mayor Domenic Sarno said Wednesday.
Joined by police and DPW director Chris Cignoli, Sarno detailed what to expect this weekend as thousands of people flock downtown, starting Saturday as the Springfield Thunderbirds hold their home-opener at the MassMutual Center.
Last year’s first home game ended up reaching sellout capacity – nearly 6,800 fans, according to the team.
Bringing thousands to the city’s Metro Center, officials say fans and locals will be contending with road closures, put in place ahead of at least another thousand people attending the class of 2024 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
While Saturday night will mostly be a hockey affair, Cignoli says by nightfall, the first road closures will go into effect, ahead of the Hall of Fame festivities starting at Symphony Hall Sunday.
“The main activities will happen at midnight, Saturday into Sunday, where Court Square will be closed, City Hall Place, Pynchon Street,” he said. “Development will happen [for] the ancillary work that needs to be done by the Hall of Fame and NBA security along East Columbus Avenue.”
With the Thunderbirds playing again Sunday afternoon, officials anticipate fans exiting while the enshrinement ceremony is getting underway just a couple thousand feet away.
Potential complications, Springfield Police Captain David Martin says, include drivers heading out of the MGM parking lot.
“One of the biggest issues that we're going to be facing is down on State and East Columbus,” he said. “When the MGM garage lets out, there's a lot of traffic flow that goes into that intersection, while at the same time, the northbound on East Columbus is going to be closed off, so we're going to have officers at that intersection, along over on West Columbus to make sure we can get everybody in and out of there as safely as possible.”
Also at Wednesday’s announcement was John Doleva, President of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Some 70 Hall of Famers are expected to be in Springfield, including 58 returning inductees. Doleva says the yearly enshrinement brings more than just basketball royalty downtown.
“We have 1,600 guests that will be coming, descending upon Symphony Hall on that Sunday afternoon,” Doleva said. “We've got millions more viewing around the world… on NBA TV, and we have an economic impact - our direct spending, along with our partners that are producing this in the city of Springfield, basically draw about a 500 foot circle around this spot right here, $2.6 million.”
Inductees include eight-time all-star Vince Carter – the only player in NBA history to notch 22 seasons in his career and play across four decades, starting with his Rookie of the Year-winning 1998-99 season and final year in 2020.
Also being inducted this year are Chauncey Billups – part of the 2004 Detroit Pistons championship team and current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers – and Seimone Augustus, a four-time WNBA champion with the Minnesota Lynx and eight-time All-Star.
More information on the Basketball Hall of Fame’s of 2024 can be found here.
