The 90-year-old Dorothy was in attendance, but Carl passed away last September. He thanked his parents, Carl and Dororthy, for being his first mentors. Izzo has become the face of the blue-collar Michigan State team while leading it to seven Final Fours and the NCAA championship in 2000. “I am Texan and Houston Rocket for life.” “I will always consider you my family,” Yao said. He also singled is former NBA coaches, including Rudy Tomjonavich and Jeff Van Gundy.
Yao also thanked his early mentors in China, former NBA Commissioner David Stern for his vision in wanting Yao to play in the league, as well his first teammates on the Houston Rockets. “You know why? Because I need more practice than him,” Yao said to applause from the crowd and a laugh from Iverson. He was Friday’s first inductee, an honor which he joked that should have gone to Iverson.
The 7-foot-6 Yao’s arrival from China to the NBA in 2002 instantly helped bring the game to a broader international audience. That was the essence of Swoopes’ speech, who was thankful of her path from tiny Brownsfield, Texas, and that her cancer-stricken mother, Louise, was able to see it. Two of the themes on the night were family and journeys. “I want you to walk around and be proud of yourself that you are a Hall of Famer.” Iverson saved his final thank you for wife Tawanna. “But once I started to listen to Larry Brown and take constructive criticism, I learned how much of a great, great coach that he really is. He said he later left Georgetown only as “an OK basketball player.” “My mom went to Georgetown and begged him to give me a chance. ″(After) the incident happened in high school and all that was taken away.no other schools would recruit me anymore,” Iverson recalled. A man that my family loves, my teammates love and my fans love.”įighting tears throughout, Iverson thanked former Georgetown coach John Thompson “for saving my life.”
“Thank God for loving me and blessing me,” Iverson said, “to be the man that I am and having no regrets for the man that I am. He thanked former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant for helping him win three NBA titles, “but also for getting me pushed off the team and traded to Miami.”īefore host Ahmad Rashad could even introduce Iverson, the first mention of his name started a roar of cheers throughout the assembled audience.ĭressed in all black, former MVP known as “A.I.,” blew kisses has tears began to form in his eyes. His speech had serious moments like thanking his parents, Phil Harrison and Lucille O’Neal, for giving him the discipline and drive that drove his NBA dream.īut he also tossed in light moments. He had the final speech of the night, a humorous dissertation that spanned his long journey in the sport. But he also exhibited a personality that was as playful was it was engaging. Shaq was an instant box office draw during his career because of his mammoth frame and rim-shaking dunks.
Yao ming and shaq professional#
Posthumous honorees were: 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson John McLendon, the first African-American coach in a professional league Zelmo Beaty, the former NBA and ABA star who led Prairie View to an NAIA title in 1962 and Cumberland Posey, who is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. “If I know my father, he’s up there arguing with Wilt (Chamberlain) that his son is the best big man in the game,” Shaq said.
0 kommentar(er)
