Hoops in the Sun Hall of Fame honors exceptional streetball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the Hoops in the Sun league since the leagues' inception in 2000. The first Hall of Fame induction was held in 2006 and candidates are honored during All-Star and Championship Sunday.
Individuals
| 2006 | John Strickland, Darren Phillip, Will Cadiz, Rasaun Young | Strickland (One-Time Champion, Four-Time All-Star, appeared in six championship games, 2005 Co-MVP, named to HITS 10th Anniversary Team) Phillip (One-Time Champion, Seven-Time All-Star, Two-Time All-Star MVP, named to HITS 10th Anniversary Team) Cadiz (One-Time Champion, HITS All-Time Scorer Leader, Two-Time Scoring Champion, Two-Time MVP, Seven-Time All-Star, named to HITS 10th Anniversary Team) Young (Three-Time Champion, 2006 Championship Game MVP, Six-Time All-Star, appeared in five championship games, named to HITS 10th Anniversary Team) |
| 2007 | Ray Rivera, Obadiah Toppin, Bobby Cey, Ileana Jones | Rivera (Two-Time Champion, Three-Time All-Star, 2001 Championship Game MVP, named to HITS 10th Anniversary Team) Toppin (Two-Time Champion, HITS' first ever MVP in 2000, Six-Time All-Star, named to HITS 10th Anniversary Team) Cey (HITS Announcer since June, 2001, has called some of the greatest games in HITS history) Jones (HITS' number one fan, has attended the league since 2000 and is a great supporter of the league and its tradition) |
| 2008 | Tony Brown, Jared Leake, Cheike Fall, Arturo Andino |
Brown (Posthumous inductee, coached the Bronx Dawgz team for five years, great friend and supporter of HITS) Leake (became the leagues' Marketing Strategist in June, 2001 after his company, D.M.E., sponsored the league in 2000. Along with Cruz, Sr., Leake secured sponsorships from companies such as SLAM Magazine, Hewlett Packard, Mountain Dew and adidas for the 2001 season. His intellectual mindset of building relationships with such companies early on is the sole reason why HITS continues to build relationships with sponsors who continually supoort the program year in and year out. Fall (Two-Time Champion, Four-Time All-Star, known as one of the best big men to play in the league.) Andino (One of the greatest referees in New York City, was the very first referee assigner in league history - appointed by Cruz, Sr., continues to contribute and support the league every summer.) |
| 2009 | Mike Patrick (aka DJ Uneeq), Sean Oliver | Patrick (Two-Time Champion, DJ of the league since 2002) Oliver (Coached his team to five championship games - winning three championships in 2005, 2006 and 2009. Oliver is the only head coach with three HITS championships.) |
| 2010 | Craig Taylor, Alex Torres | Taylor (member Tony Brown's Bronx Dawgz team from 2001-2005, 2004 All-Star MVP, Four-Time All-Star, known as one of the craftiest big men to play in the league) Torres (Long time worker and supporter of HITS - appointed by Cruz, Sr., Torres was HITS' Site Director for a number of years, long time friend of the Cruz family outside of basketball.) |
| 2011 | Sid Jones, Kendric Flowers, Gerald Longworth, Start N' 5/Pops 5 | Jones (Posthumous inductee, long time coach of United Brooklyn, father figure and mentor to many of the streetball players - past and present- in NYC streetball history and one of the great Ambassador's in streetball history) Flowers (HITS staff member since 2001, former coach of Pops 5, took the team to four championship games and has become the Men's Commissioner) Longworth (long time friend of Pops Cruz and his sons, Joe & Randy, member of HITS staff since 2004 and longtime supporter of the league since its inception), Start N' 5/Pops 5 (winners of the first two HITS championships, first team to win back to back championships, has participated in six championship games, has produced several HITS Hall of Famers, named to Pops 5 after the passing of Pops Cruz back in 2004, the team has been synonomously known as one of the greatest teams to ever play in the league) |
