The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will be welcoming the living members of the Class of 2012 into its hallowed halls this week for an induction ceremony.

It’s an honor that many basketball players, coaches, referees and contributors to the sport dream about and an extraordinary few actually achieve.

Keep reading to find out exactly where and when this exciting event will take place and which iconic figures in basketball will be honored in 2012.

Where: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, Mass.

When: Friday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Class of 2012 Inductees

Mel Daniels (ABA/Player)

This ABA great earned two MVP awards, made seven All-Star games, won Rookie of the Year honor and is the all-time leading rebounder in the league’s short history, all as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He spent some time in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets.

Don Barksdale (Early African-American Pioneer/Player/Contributor)

Barksdale was the first African-American to make the NCAA All-Star team, U.S. Olympic squad and NBA All-Star roster.

Lidia Alexeeva (International/Women’s coach)

Alexeeva led the Soviet Union to women’s basketball gold in the 1976 and 1980. She also earned four FIBA World Championship victories, 10 European Championships and 17 USSR National Championships.

Chet Walker (Veterans/Player)

Walker earned seven All-Star nods and was part of the famous 1967 Philadelphia 76ers squad that squashed the Boston Celtics' incredible run of eight straight NBA championships. He scored 18,831 points and pulled down 7,314 rebounds during his 13-year run in the league.

Phil Knight (Contributor)

It’s impossible to imagine the NBA without Nike, the company that has its iconic Swoosh all over the league’s shoes and other products.

By recognizing the co-founder of the company, who helped turn the brand into the juggernaut that it has become, the Hall of Fame is honoring all of the players that have been partnered with the brand.

Reggie Miller (Player)

Miller is easily the most famous name to be enshrined in 2012. During his 17-year career—all with the Indiana Pacers—the sweet-shooting 2-guard racked up 25,279 points.

The most impressive part about that is that 7,680 of those came from beyond the arc, as Miller is the second-leading three-point shooter in NBA history and still leads the league with 320 of them made in the postseason.

His playoff heroics, notably his 1995 performance against the Knicks, have become the stuff of legends—although the Pacers were never able to break through and win a title during Miller’s tenure.

Don Nelson (Coach)

Nelson has more wins than any other coach in NBA history and was a heck of a player to boot.

The Michigan native played 14 years in the Association, becoming a five-time champion as a contributor to the Boston Celtics and having his number retired by the prestigious franchise.

However, he’s more known for his coaching prowess and distinct style of run-and-gun play.

From 1976 through 2010, Nelson won 1,335 games as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.

He earned Coach of the Year honors on three separate occasions (1983, ’85 and ’92), but his teams never made it past the Conference Finals.

Nelson will always be remembered as one of the most unique and innovative coaches in the history of the game.

Hank Nichols (Referee)

Nichols was an elite college referee that became the coordinator of the NCAA officials for over 20 years after he left the hardwood. He oversaw six national championship games, 10 final fours, three NIT finals and 13 ACC Championships during his career.

Ralph Sampson (Player)

Sampson may be more known for his college career at University of Virginia than his tenure in the NBA. He won the National College Player of the Year and Naismith Awards three times, while also earning two Wooden Awards during his four-year tenure with the Cavaliers.

He led the team to an NIT title in 1980 and a Final Four in 1981 before turning pro and becoming the No. 1 pick in 1984.

Sampson went on to make four NBA All-Star teams during his 12-year career.

Jamaal Wilkes (Player)

Wilkes helped lead John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins to two-consecutive NCAA titles in 1972 and ’73, which was a part of the program's unprecedented and still unmatched 88 wins in a row.

He became the 11th overall pick in the 1974 draft and went on to win a championship in 1975 (as the Rookie of the Year) with the Golden State Warriors.

As a member of the Lakers later in his career, Wilkes would help the franchise win three more Finals in 1980, 1982 and 1985.

All-American Red Heads (Team)

The Red Heads were the female equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters.

They barnstormed from 1936 through 1986 and often played over 200 games a season all across the globe.

This was the first organized professional women’s basketball team.

Katrina McClain (Player)

McClain won two Olympic gold medals (’88 and ’96), an Olympic bronze (’92) and two FIBA World Championships (’86 and ’90) as a part of Team USA.

She earned USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year awards in 1988 and 1992 and was a standout collegiate player at the University of Georgia.