Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal tried to let their play define their stature on the basketball court.
The former NBA MVPs headlined the 10-member Class of 2016 that was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night. One of the most star-packed classes, it also featured international star Yao Ming, WNBA great Sheryl Swoopes, coach Tom Izzo, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
Fighting tears throughout his extended speech, Iverson thanked former Georgetown coach John Thompson ”for saving my life.”
O’Neal is set to be inducted later in the night.
Posthumous honorees were: 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson; John McLendon, the first African-American coach in a professional league; Zelmo Beaty, who led Prairie View to an NAIA title in 1962 and starred in the NBA and ABA; and Cumberland Posey, who is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
