“He’s got so many qualities, ” Brown said.
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When it was his turn to speak Friday night, Iverson had a chance to tell his three Hall of Fame presenters how much they meant to him. They raised me, trained me and helped me to be ready for the next challenges in my life.
Swoopes was a six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time league MVP who averaged 15 points over 12 seasons.
Another pivotal figure in Iverson’s career, despite that crossover, was none other than Michael Jordan.
I want to mention Mr. Mou Zouyun. “But I didn’t want to talk like him”. Thank you to Les Alexander, Michael Goldberg, Carroll Dawson, Tad Brown, Daryl Morey and Keith Jones for making me feel at home in Houston.
Amusing at times and emotional at others, Iverson acknowledged that he made mistakes, attributing many of them to entering the league as a 21-year-old with the expectations of a historic franchise on his shoulders.
Iverson discussed his early days in Newport News, Va., where in high school he thought he was “the best football player in the world”.
Despite their battles, Brown says, “There were things that he did that drove me insane, off of the court”. You taught me how to think, how to make decisions. I was poor all my life.
Until then, enjoy the following video to hold you over. “I never had a problem with him – well I did one time when he skipped a class”.
For the past week, there has been an outpouring of former and current National Basketball Association players sending out heartfelt congratulations to O’Neal. “I’m still finding my way”.
O’Neal is set to be inducted later in the night.
Also being enshrined are former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, Zelmo Beaty (bolted National Basketball Association to become ABA superstar), Darell Garretson (referee), John McLendon (first African-American coach in a pro league), Cumberland Posey (early African-American pioneer) and Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf (contributor). It was a classic move for the iconic, 6-foot guard who was known for putting his hand behind his ear to taunt opposing crowds, “I can’t hear you”.
“It’s been a great life”, he said.
Isiah Thomas was the little guy with heart and Iverson picked up right where Thomas left off.
2016 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Allen Iverson settles into his seat at Symphony Hall before the induction ceremony, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, in Springfield, Mass. Each member of the class brought a previous inductee to present them to the rest of their peers.
Players were ushered upstairs to a function room to answer reporters’ questions shortly after 3 p.m., and O’Neal soon launched into an imitation of Iverson’s notorious “Practice?” speech.
This is the third-straight year a former Hoya has been enshrined into the Hall Fame, following in the footsteps of Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo (C’91).
“I always felt like, ‘Why isn’t it cool being you?” I was only going to do it my way.
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“And obviously Shaq, dominant, big man, controlled the paint, which really emphasised the importance of having a big man”, Mourning said.
