NBA’s 2016 Hall of Fame Is Inducted
Last Friday the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted the class of 2016. Among the 10 new inductees is an assortment of NBA and WNBA players, coaches and referees. NBA players Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson headlined a class brimming with star power. While undeniably talented, the two No.1 overall picks faced their share of difficulties on their way to Springfield.
From the moment he stepped on the court, the 7’1”, 300-pound O’Neal dominated the game. By his third year in the league the Rookie of the Year, had led his team to a finals berth and refused to slow down, winning the MVP award in 2000 and the NBA championship from 2000 to 2002, and 2006. As brilliant as his career was, however, it was still surrounded by what-ifs. What if his feud with teammate Kobe Bryant had not driven him from the Lakers? What if he had stayed in shape towards the end of his career? What if he had learned how to shoot a free-throw? Nevertheless O’Neal left his mark in the game, cementing himself as one of the NBA’s best centers.
Controversy seemed to dog Iverson from the moment he picked up a basketball. Adolescent legal trouble resulted in a brief stint in jail while players and analysts alike assessed the point guard as selfish on the court and hard to coach. Despite his faults, Iverson dazzled NBA fans night in and night out with his scoring prowess. Playing bigger than his 6’1”, 196-pound frame would suggest, Iverson led the league in scoring four times and took home the 2001 MVP as dragged his team of role players to the NBA finals where he lost to O’Neal’s Lakers. While comparably diminutive in stature, Iverson’s influence on the league was monumental. He brought the hip-hop culture to professional basketball.
Other notable inductees include Yao Ming, 8-time all-star and international icon, Sheryl Swoopes, three-time MVP, three-time olympic gold medalist, and four-time WNBA champion, often heralded as one of the greatest female basketball players of all time and Tom Izzo, revered Michigan State head coach and 2000 NCAA champion.