San Antonio, TX -- (Sports Network) - Centers Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing, forever linked from battles in college and the NBA, as well as five-time NBA champion coach Pat Riley, headline the 2008 Basketball Hall of Fame class.

Former NBA star Adrian Dantley, Dick Vitale, best known as an ESPN analyst, Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson and Immaculata University women's coach Cathy Rush will also be inducted into the Naismith Memorial National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Olajuwon, Ewing and Riley were elected in their first year of consideration, while Dantley, Davidson, Rush and Vitale had been named finalists in prior years.

Enshrinement ceremonies for the Class of 2008 are scheduled to take place from September 4-6 in Springfield.

Olajuwon burst onto the basketball scene at the University of Houston, where he led the Cougars to three straight Final Four appearances from 1982-84. He continued his success at the pro level in the same town with the Houston Rockets, winning back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and '95.

"Growing up in Nigeria, I really didn't understand the magnitude of what it means to be in the Hall of Fame," said Olajuwon at Monday's news conference. "I still cannot believe I am in the same company with all these great legends. It's a great honor to be selected."

A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Olajuwon still holds the NBA record for blocked shots with 3,830 and is the only player to record more than 3,000 blocked shots and 2,000 steals in a career. He was also a five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, a six-time All-NBA First Team performer and the 1994 NBA MVP. He recorded 26,946 points and 13,748 rebounds in 18 NBA seasons, good for ninth and 14th respectively on the all-time NBA leader board.

Ewing took Georgetown to three Final Fours in his four collegiate seasons from 1982-85, and denied Olajuwon an NCAA title in the 1984 championship game. He was the 1986 NBA Rookie of the Year with the New York Knicks, won Olympic gold medals in 1984 and '92, and earned 11 All-Star Game nods.

"It means a lot," Ewing said of being selected to the Hall of Fame. "Being recognized for the blood sweat and tears I put into my 17-year [NBA] career. It's a dream, a dream come true."

A member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team, Ewing scored 24,815 points during his 17-year NBA career to go along with 11,607 rebounds. He was unable to secure an NBA title, however, as he and the Knicks lost to Olajuwon and the Rockets in 1994 NBA Finals and to the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 Finals.

Riley, meanwhile, won five NBA crowns as a head coach -- four with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. A three-time NBA Coach of the Year, he is still active as head coach of the Heat and currently ranks third on the all-time NBA wins list behind Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens and Don Nelson.

"It's unbelievable," Riley stated. "I've had 16 coaches in my life, my father being my first. It's all I know, what coaches have taught me."

Dantley was a finalist for the seventh time. He was a two-time All-America at Notre Dame and had a stellar 15-year NBA career with the Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks. A six-time NBA All-Star, his 23,177 career points still ranks 23rd all-time in league annals.

"It means a lot to me. It took a long time, but it happened," Dantley remarked. "I'm very happy to be inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Vitale, previously a finalist in 2004 and '06, is one of college basketball's great voices. He has been the top analyst for ESPN since its inception in 1979 and was a successful coach on the high school, college and pro levels.

"I can't run, I can't jump, I can't shoot. I just have a passion for the game," an emotional Vitale said.

Davidson, a finalist last year, has been an owner of the Detroit Pistons since 1974 and the WNBA's Detroit Shock since 1998. The Detroit native has served as Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and his Pistons have won three NBA crowns.

Rush, previously a finalist five times, led Immaculata University to three consecutive AIAW national championships from 1972 to 1974. Rush propelled Immaculata, and women's basketball, into the national spotlight when the Mighty Macs appeared on national television in 1975, a first for women's basketball. She won 149 games and lost only 15 in just seven seasons, good for a .908 winning percentage.

"I've waited for that phone call a few times. I had lost more nominations than I've lost games," Rush joked. "I'm just so excited."

A finalist needed 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Hall of Fame.

Former star players Chris Mullin and Dennis Johnson, as well as NBA coach Don Nelson, were among the finalists that didn't receive enough consideration.