Beginning on Tuesday, the network honored Iverson, O’Neal and Yao by giving them each a day with a marathon of their best performances and also special interviews, even documenting their jacket presentation ceremony on Thursday. I set out to be the most dominant player ever, but stats don’t validate my career, the respect of my peers and love from the fans are my biggest validation. “I just want to thank everyone”. I want so much for the people that stuck with me through everything, I want them to feel good about it. “I wanted my fans and my family and my friends to be proud of me”.
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“I was a puppy”, he said.
“When I walked into the hall, I felt so small”, Yao said. “I don’t think people expect me to give a serious speech with a lot of big words that I don’t know what the pronunciation is”.
This year’s class includes 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson, 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, two-time NABC Coach of the Year Tom Izzo, the first African-American coach in a professional league John McLendon, three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal and four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes. Family members received jackets for those entering the Hall posthumously.
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Presented with the first orange jacket after an unveiling, Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo quipped, “We’ll certainly be seen wherever we are”.
