Frank T. Burns dedicated his life to the NWBA and its Hall of Fame, ensuring that the achievements of our sport’s greatest athletes and contributors would never be forgotten. Following his passing in 2020, the NWBA established the Frank T. Burns Heritage Fund to carry forward his vision.

Each year, this fund helps make our Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony possible, celebrating and honoring our Greats, who have shaped the history and spirit of wheelchair basketball.

Your donation helps preserve this legacy and ensures that future generations continue to honor those who paved the way.

Please consider contributing to the Frank T. Burns Heritage Fund today. 

The purpose of the NWBA Hall of Fame is to enshrine, in the form of a permanent record, the names of those individuals who have exerted a distinctive, positive influence of unique dimension on the sport of wheelchair basketball.

Two categories of individuals shall be clearly identified for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.

A. Competitors

This category includes all of those who, by virtue of their unique and singular achievements as players, are deserving of recognition in the Hall of Fame. No less than one (1) such competitor shall be elected into the Hall of Fame in each calendar year.

B. Contributors

This category includes all those, individuals with or without disabilities, who by virtue of their impact and long-term contributions to the growth, support and advancement of wheelchair basketball are deserving of nomination and induction into the Hall of Fame.

Criteria for Selection
The criteria for selecting individuals to the Hall of Fame in each class are as follows.

A. Competitors
1. Player must have competed for a minimum of 10 years in National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Adult Divsions.

2. Player is recognized as an elite player in high level competition at their functional classification level.

3. Player will have documented membership on International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) sanctioned USA Team(s) or on the National Team of another country or on NWBA National Championship Tournament Team(s) at the highest level of competition in the Women, Intercollegiate and/or Mens Division 1.

4. Player demonstrates sportsmanship, leadership, strong character, and respect for the game and the organizations.

5. Player has made documented contributions to the NWBA and the sport of wheelchair basketball beyond their on-court play.

B. Contributors

1. Individuals must have served a minimum of 10 years in service to the NWBA as Coach, Administrator, Board Member, Division or Committee Leader, Classifier, Team Leader/Manager or another leadership role.

2. Individual has made an impact on the development and success of the NWBA and the sport of wheelchair basketball through their contributions at a regional or national level.

3. Individual has significant tenure and has made strong contributions in their roles that have positively impacted the NWBA and its players.

4. Individual demonstrates sportsmanship, leadership, strong character, and respect for the game and the organization.

Voting Process

All nominations are reviewed and voted on by the NWBA Hall of Fame Committee.

During the review of a nominee’s qualifications for induction, should the Hall of Fame Committee determine that an individual has damaged the integrity of the game of wheelchair basketball, he or she shall be deemed not worthy of induction and removed from consideration. The nominee in question may appeal his or her removal to the NWBA Board of Directors.

A suitably engraved plaque bearing the monogram of the NWBA shall be awarded to the individual upon selection to the Hall of Fame. It shall be presented to him or her on an auspicious occasion such as the victory banquet following the annual National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.