SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- James Worthy and Robert Parish squared off in the classic Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals of the 1980s. Now they could enter the Basketball Hall of Fame side by side.

Worthy and Parish were among 21 finalists announced Monday, the largest group ever by the North American screening committee, which considers the men's college and pro game. At least 18 votes from the 24-member honors committee are needed to be a finalist.

This September's inductees will be announced April 7 during the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans.

Worthy, one of the game's great fast-break finishers, led North Carolina to the NCAA title in 1982 and helped boost Los Angeles to three NBA championships (1985, '87, '88). He is one of seven Lakers to have his number retired.

Parish holds the NBA record for most seasons (21) and most games (1,611) and helped lead Boston to NBA titles in 1981, '84 and '86. He holds the NBA record for defensive rebounds (10,117) and scored 23,334 points during a career that included stints with the Golden State, Charlotte and Chicago as well as 14 seasons with the Celtics.

Parish's Celtics and Worthy's Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, '85 and '87. The Lakers won in '85 and '87.

Also proposed as players were the late Gus Johnson, a crashing rebounder for the Baltimore Bullets, who averaged 17.1 points and 12.7 rebounds; Philadelphia 76rs guard Maurice Cheeks; Celtics defensive specialist Dennis Johnson; scoring star Adrian Dantley; North Carolina defensive ace Bobby Jones; seven-time All-Star Chet Walker; and Phoenix scoring star Walter Davis.

Five coaches were named as finalists: Guy Lewis, who compiled a 592-279 record during his 30 years at Houston; Norm Stewart, with a 634-333 record in 32 years at Missouri; Eddie Sutton, who amassed a 702-278 record in 32 years of coaching at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and in his current job at Oklahoma State; Lefty Driesell, who compiled a 786-394 record during a 41-year career at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State; and Bill Sharman, who was enshrined as a player in 1976.

Sharman is the only coach to win a championship and be named coach of the year in three pro leagues, including an NBA championship with the Lakers in 1972.

Proposed as contributors were Harlem Globetrotters star Meadowlark Lemon; Phoenix Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo, instrumental in creating the WNBA; former Duke coach Vic Bubas, who pushed expanding the NCAA Tournament field to 64 teams; Tex Winter, now with the Lakers, who is in his 54th season of coaching at the major college or professional level; the late Junius Kellogg, who founded the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, and the late Chick Hearn, who broadcast 3,338 consecutive games for the Lakers.

College official Hank Nichols was proposed as a referee.

First-time finalists are Parish, Stewart, Lewis, Bubas, Davis, Hearn, Lemon, and Nichols. The rest have been considered previously.

Also being considered by the honors committee are nine finalists chosen by the women's, international and veterans screening committees: veterans Forrest Anderson, Grady Lewis and Earl Lloyd; international stars Drazen Dalipagic, Pedro Ferrandiz and Dino Meneghin; and women's coaches Leon Barmore, Harley Redin and Cathy Rush.

The honors committee can elect any number of finalists. In the past decade, the number of inductees has ranged from three to eight. A player must be retired for five years before being considered.