By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
There was no European legend who was part of this night, but still the class of 2016 of the basketball hall of fame will be remembered for being one of the best and producing a ceremony for the ages.
With Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson stealing the show, 10 new members entered the hall of fame. Yao Ming was among them and also Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Sheryl Swoopes, the “female Michael Jordan”. Videos were shown as part of the ceremony for the four new Hall members elected posthumously: Zelmo Beaty, Darell Garretson, John McLendon and Cumberland Posey. And last but not least Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf entered also the hall of fame.
Shaq and AI took the mic for 30 minutes each and delivered some of the best acceptance speeches ever, cementing their status as all time greats in every aspect. While Yao Ming had a joke or two and described what meant to him to start from China and turn to be a basketball icon, the two first big stars after the Jordan generation proved once again to be larger than life. And after all, that’s what sports are all about.
Here are the speaches of Shaq, Iverson and Yao Ming.