The John Bunn Award—in full, the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award—is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sport of basketball. Named after John Bunn, the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee from 1949 to 1969, the award is the highest and the most prestigious honor presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame outside of enshrinement.

John W. Bunn (September 26, 1898 – August 13, 1979) was an American basketball coach and key contributor to the game of basketball. The Wellston, Ohio native played three seasons under coach Phog Allen at University of Kansas while earning his bachelors degree (1917–21). He later became an assistant to Allen for nine seasons (1921–30). In 1930 he became men's basketball head coach at Stanford University, where he coached college all-time great Hank Luisetti. After he left Stanford, Bunn went on to coach Springfield College (1946–56) and Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado) (1956–63).

Bunn served as Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame form 1949 to 1963. On October 1, 1964, Bunn was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. For his contribution, the Basketball Hall of Fame annually presents an award in his name.

Terius Youngdell Nash (Born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing chart topping hits such as "Baby" for Justin Bieber, "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs. Money, and Love King.

Terius Nash was born in Rockingham, North Carolina and moved with his mother, Reva Nash, to Atlanta at the age of 3. He played trumpet, drums, and guitar as a child. His mother died in 1992 when Nash was fifteen years old, an event which would inspire him to write songs. He states that the death of his mother gave him a "soft spot" for women, which he credits to his desire to write songs about female empowerment such as Rihanna's "Umbrella". He moved in with his grandfather, a concrete mason who instilled a strong work ethic in young Nash. Of his grandfather, Nash recalls "He came out of a bad time for blacks in the South, but even though we lived in the hood, we had a boat, some cars and a house that was paid for. So I’ve always had a different outlook on life. There’s nothing I can’t do."

George Raveling (born June 27, 1937) is a former college men's basketball coach and FOX Sports Net color commentator. He was the head coach at Washington State University (1972–1983), the University of Iowa (1983–1986), and the University of Southern California (1987–1994). The Washington, D.C. native attended St. Michael's High School in Hoban Heights, Pennsylvania, and was an assistant coach at his alma mater Villanova, and at Maryland.

On August 28, 1963, as Dr. Martin Luther King waved goodbye to an audience of over 200,000 "March on Washington" participants, he handed Raveling the original typewritten "I Have a Dream" speech.

Raveling guided the Washington State men's basketball team from 1972-1983 with two NCAA tournament appearances during his 11 years. The first appearance was in 1980 and marked the first time WSU was included in the NCAA bracket since finishing second in 1941. Three years later Raveling returned WSU to the NCAA tournament. Raveling was one of the winningest coaches in Washington State basketball history, finishing his WSU career with 167 wins, 136 losses, and seven winning seasons, including five straight from the 1975-76 campaign through the 1980 season.

Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell (born December 25, 1931) is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA Tournament and earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter. He is the only coach to win 100 games at four different colleges.

He was born on December 25, 1931 in Norfolk, Virginia to Frank Driesell, a jeweler who had emigrated from Germany. In the fourth grade, Driesell received the nickname "Lefty" for his handedness. He attended Granby High School in Norfolk and was selected to the All-State basketball team. After graduating high school in 1950, Driesell attended college at Duke University from 1950 to 1954. He played on the basketball team there as a center under head coach Harold Bradley. Driesell graduated from Duke with a bachelor's degree in 1954.

After college in 1954, he took an office job which paid a $6,200 salary ($53,657 adjusted for inflation), but soon quit to return to Granby High School as its junior varsity basketball coach for $3,200 per year ($27,694 adjusted for inflation). Driesell was promoted to varsity coach the following year. In 1957, he became the head coach at Newport News High School, where he compiled a 57-game winning streak.