NEW ORLEANS -- David Stern is going from the commissioner's office to the Hall of Fame.

David Stern will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in early August. Glenn James/NBAE/Getty Images

The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the Class of 2014 on Aug. 8 in Springfield, Mass.

Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Kevin Johnson and Spencer Haywood are hoping to be part of the class. They were chosen as finalists, with the full class to be unveiled April 7 during the NCAA men's Final Four.

Stern retired on Feb. 1 after exactly 30 years as the NBA's commissioner, during which time he brought the league to its greatest successes. Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the Hall of Fame board, said the Hall hopes to have a special spot to display a tribute to Stern.

"He deserves to be recognized in a huge way," Colangelo said.

Stern was elected by the contributors committee. Also directly elected to the Hall: Lithuania star Sarunas Marciulionis (by the international committee), former Pacers coach Bob "Slick" Leonard (ABA committee), former Knicks player Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (early African-American pioneers committee) and former Temple star Guy Rodgers (veterans committee).

College coaches Eddie Sutton, Nolan Richardson and Gary Williams were also finalists, as were former women's coach Harley Redin and the women's team from Immaculata College in Pennsylvania, which won three straight national championships in the early 1970s.