Page 45 - BusinessWest February 17, 2025

renovate the shrine, he said it’s been about building relationships — with the NBA, the NCAA, high- school basketball, other bodies, and especially the hall of famers themselves.
“When I first came to the Hall, we’d have enshrinement, and we’d invite existing hall of famers back, but we wouldn’t pay for their flights, we wouldn’t pay for their hotel, we wouldn’t pay for their ticket to enshrinement,” he explained. “And the return was very low; I remember one year we had five hall of famers return and a class of three. It wasn’t a very crowded room.
“The first thing I said when I took
over — and this is when we had all
that debt and no money — is that
‘we have got to offer to pay for
hall of famers to come back, with a
guest; we’re going to pay for their
airfare, we’re going to pay for their hotel and their ground transportation ... we’re going to treat them like hall of famers. And we’re going to bet that this will pay off in the future because they will get more involved.’”
And they have, with 58 hall of famers coming to Springfield for enshrinement ceremonies last fall, joining the 13 being inducted. Meanwhile, these inductees have become foot soldiers, as Doleva called them, acting as ambassadors for the Hall and taking part in its many events around the country.
Nothing but Net
This brings Doleva back to something he said earlier about seeing the Hall reposition itself over the years “from a place
John Doleva congratulates C. Vivian Stringer, former coach at Rutgers, at her induction ceremony in 2009.
that had a lack of knowledge and lack of respect from the basketball community to something that was meaningful and respected and, in fact, revered.
“We’ve changed the minds of a lot of people in basketball about what the Hall is, what it represents, and what kind of quality image it has in the game,” he went on, adding that this work never stops.
While repositioning the Hall, Doleva has also become quite involved in the Western Mass. community. He’s active with the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, and
“The first thing I said when I took over — and this is when we had all that debt and no money — is that ‘we have got to offer to pay for hall of famers to come back, with a guest; we’re going to pay for their airfare, we’re going to pay for their hotel and their ground transportation ... we’re going to treat them like” hall of famers.
Photograph by Simple Truth Imaging
Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does.
Though they work in different industries, Andrea Bordenca and John Doleva have one thing in common: a steadfast commitment to coach, lead, and inspire.
Thanks for making a difference, Andrea and John. Today. Tomorrow. Always.
—William James
American Philosopher
John Doleva
President & CEO Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Andrea Bordenca
CEO
DESCO Service
Member FDIC | Member DIF
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