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There should be an NBA Hall of Fame
I realized something during the Basketball Hall of Fame inductions last Friday night - other than the fact that Michael Jordan had a Mike Tyson/Rickey Henderson moment during his entire speech.
The NBA, the league I have loved since I knew what it meant to dribble, needs to establish its own Hall of Fame.
The NFL has its own, in Canton, Ohio. The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducts only individuals who played professionally (There's a College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, TX). The College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006.
So why on the night where the Greatest Player of All Time and one of the hardest working coaches of all time (Jerry Sloan), along with David Robinson and John Stockton, are being enshrined, do they have to share that moment with a women's basketball coach?
Nothing against C. Vivian Stringer, but she did not belong in that Hall Class.
I understand the impact she has had on the women's game. She's in the top 3 in all-time wins. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. She even has an award named after her - The C. Vivian Stringer Medallion Award of Sport for Women's Coaching, handed out for the first time in 2002. But I'm not sure if 20 percent of those in attendance at last Friday's ceremonies know who Stringer is. That number would probably smaller if not for Don Imus and the events of spring 2007, where the radio host used some colorful language to describe some of the players on Stringer's Rutgers squad.
I'm not trying to downplay Stringer's accomplishments, because there are some males who don't deserve to be in the Basketball Hall, either. There are 13 referees in the Hall, along with the likes of Mirko Novosel, who coached Yugoslavia to medals in the 1976 and 84 Summer Olympics.
Sure, those people should be recognized, but to have them share busts with the likes on Jerry West and Magic Johnson seems absurd. Honor them through TV coverage during the enshrinement ceremonies. Educate people on their impact and accomplishments, but having Bob Houbregs (University of Washington star and All-American in the 50s who played a whopping FIVE YEARS and 9.7 minutes/game in the NBA) enshrined with Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird is like giving Vin Diesel a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and putting it between Marlon Brando and Sidney Poitier.
Get this right, Commissioner Stern I don't wanna see LeBron James and Dwayne Wade inducted alongside John Tesh...even though he composed the best theme music for anything EVER (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_h7Lm7C9Nk).
The NBA, the league I have loved since I knew what it meant to dribble, needs to establish its own Hall of Fame.
The NFL has its own, in Canton, Ohio. The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducts only individuals who played professionally (There's a College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, TX). The College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006.
So why on the night where the Greatest Player of All Time and one of the hardest working coaches of all time (Jerry Sloan), along with David Robinson and John Stockton, are being enshrined, do they have to share that moment with a women's basketball coach?
Nothing against C. Vivian Stringer, but she did not belong in that Hall Class.
I understand the impact she has had on the women's game. She's in the top 3 in all-time wins. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. She even has an award named after her - The C. Vivian Stringer Medallion Award of Sport for Women's Coaching, handed out for the first time in 2002. But I'm not sure if 20 percent of those in attendance at last Friday's ceremonies know who Stringer is. That number would probably smaller if not for Don Imus and the events of spring 2007, where the radio host used some colorful language to describe some of the players on Stringer's Rutgers squad.
I'm not trying to downplay Stringer's accomplishments, because there are some males who don't deserve to be in the Basketball Hall, either. There are 13 referees in the Hall, along with the likes of Mirko Novosel, who coached Yugoslavia to medals in the 1976 and 84 Summer Olympics.
Sure, those people should be recognized, but to have them share busts with the likes on Jerry West and Magic Johnson seems absurd. Honor them through TV coverage during the enshrinement ceremonies. Educate people on their impact and accomplishments, but having Bob Houbregs (University of Washington star and All-American in the 50s who played a whopping FIVE YEARS and 9.7 minutes/game in the NBA) enshrined with Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird is like giving Vin Diesel a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and putting it between Marlon Brando and Sidney Poitier.
Get this right, Commissioner Stern I don't wanna see LeBron James and Dwayne Wade inducted alongside John Tesh...even though he composed the best theme music for anything EVER (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_h7Lm7C9Nk).
Labels: Basketball, Basketbll Hall of Fame, Michael Jordan, NBA
posted by Jason Carmel Davis at
4:52 PM
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