Kurt Busch, Tyson head 2015 class for Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame

Kurt Busch grew up in Las Vegas, so he appreciates the history of sports in the city.

Busch, a Durango High School graduate and world champion stock car racer, has become part of that history, and on June 19, Busch, boxer Mike Tyson, longtime local golf pro Joe Kelly, former NFL quarterback Glenn Carano and UNLV rodeo coach Ric Griffith will be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.

The ceremonies for the Class of 2015 will be at Orleans Arena.

Busch recently had been in the news because of a domestic violence issue with a former girlfriend. He had been suspended by NASCAR before the start of the season and missed the recent Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But the case against him was not pursued by the district attorney in Delaware, he was reinstated by NASCAR and finished fifth last week in Phoenix.

Now, he receives more good news.

“This is a great honor,” Busch, 36, said in a statement. “I looked up to so many of the current Hall of Famers while growing up in Las Vegas. I consider many of them to be heroes. To be recognized by my hometown and to join the other very deserving inductees in the Class of 2015 is very humbling.

“I’m really looking forward to June 19 and becoming a member of the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.”

Tyson grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. but he has spent most of his adult life in Las Vegas. The former world heavyweight champion has had his share of ups and downs. But he is a survivor, and at age 47, he has resurrected himself and his image with the public. He has appeared in movies, on Broadway and now through TV with his hit cartoon series “Mike Tyson Mysteries.”

A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, Tyson was the youngest person to win the heavyweight title when he captured the World Boxing Council belt at age 20 in 1986.

“It’s an honor to be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame,” said Tyson, who fought professionally from 1985 to 2005 and was 50-6 with 44 knockouts. “Joining sports icons like Andre Agassi, Marc Ratner, Dana White and Jerry Tarkanian is something to which every young athlete, coach or journalist in Nevada should aspire.”

Carano played seven years in the NFL as a backup quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys. The former UNLV star was part of two Super Bowl teams and five NFC championship game teams. After retiring from football, he joined his family business at the Eldorado Hotel-Casino in Reno. He also spent six years as a member of the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Carano, 59, currently serves as general manager of the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno.

Kelly, a 2010 inductee in the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, has been a leading proponent for junior golf in the Las Vegas valley.

His work with the First Tee of Southern Nevada has helped hundreds of young players discover the game and excel at golf. He helped found the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association in 1977 and has served as the professional host for the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events in Las Vegas.

Kelly, 63, currently serves as director of golf operations for Duncan Golf Management and oversees six courses in Reno and Lake Tahoe.

Griffith, 56, has been living in Las Vegas since 1962. He graduated from Western High School and has been involved with rodeo his entire life. He won numerous titles while competing as a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He also helped found and coach the UNLV rodeo team. Since 1993, Griffith’s teams have won 15 national titles and produced five national all-around champions.

“I’ve been so blessed to have the athletes we’ve had and the support of the sponsors over the years,” Griffith said. “This award is as much about them as it is for me.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.