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The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's 2016 induction class
By Mike Waters
The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame will honor the members of its 2016 induction class on Sept. 8-10 in Springfield, Mass. Some members of the 2016 class were recognized at the NCAA Final Four in Houston. They were (L-to-R) retired NBA player Allen Iverson, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, retired WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes and retired NBA player Shaquille O'Neal.
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Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo Beaty played for Prairie View A&M where he averaged 25 points and 20 rebounds per game during his college career. .As a senior, he led Prairie View to the 1962 NAIA championship. In the pros, he played for St. Louis Hawks and the ABA's Utah Stars. He was a two-time NBA All-Star (1966, 1968) and three-time ABA All-Star. He averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding for his career. Beaty won an ABA Championship in 1971 with the Stars and was awarded the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award. Beaty was named to the ABA's All-Time team.
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Darrell Garretson
Garretson served as an NBA official for 27 years. He officiated 1,798 regular season games, 269 playoff games, 41 Finals games and five All-Star games. He was instrumental in organizing and heading the first union for referees, the National Association of Basketball Referees. He is widely considered responsible for shaping modern basketball officiating with a three-person crew and a focus on “refereeing the defense.''
Allen Iverson
Iverson played 14 NBA seasons, averaging 26.7 points and 6.2 assists per game. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA First Team selection. He led the league in scoring average four times, steals per game three times and minutes per game seven times. Iverson was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997 and NBA MVP in 2001. As a college player at Georgetown, he set the school record for career scoring average and earned consensus First Team All-America honors.
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Tom Izzo
Izzo has led Michigan State to seven NCAA Final Four appearances and his 2000 team won the NCAA title. Under Izzo, the Spartans went to 18 consecutive NCAA tournaments. Izzo has coached Michigan State to seven Big Ten regular season championships, five Big Ten Tournament championships, and 13 Sweet Sixteen appearances. He was named the NABC Coach of the Year twice, Clair Bee Coach of the Year in 2005 and Associated Press National Coach of the Year in 1998.
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John McLendon
McLendon was the first coach to win three consecutive national championships, leading Tennessee State to NAIA National Championships in 1957, 1958 and 1959. He compiled a collegiate coaching record of 522-165 (.760) and was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1958. He was the first African-American coach to accomplish many feats, including winning a national tournament (1954), winning a national championship (1957) and winning an AAU national championship (1961). He was the first African-American coach to coach in a professional league with the ABL's Cleveland Pipers. In the photo, McLendon (right) shakes hands with Dick Barnett after Cleveland had reached an agreement with Barnett. McLendon is already enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a “Contributor.” He will now also be enshrined as a coach.
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Yao Ming
Ming was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. As a member for the Houston Rockets, he earned All-Rookie honors (2003) and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. As an eight-time NBA All-Star, he broke the record for most All-Star votes, previously held by Michael Jordan in 2005. As the anchor of the Chinese National Team, Yao was named a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP.
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Shaquille O'Neal
O'Neal played 19 years in the NBA and won four NBA championships. He averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. A 15-time NBA All-Star, O'Neal led the league in field goal percentage for 10 seasons. He ranks seventh on the NBA All-Time scoring list. He was named NBA MVP in 2000, NBA Finals MVP three straight years from 2000 to 2002 and was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1993. O'Neal is an Olympic gold medalist (1996) and a member of the NBA 50thAnniversary All-Time Team.
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Cumberland Posey
Posey was an exceptional multi-sport athlete. He was considered the greatest African-American basketball player of his time, playing from the early 1900s to mid-1920s. After leading Duquesne University in scoring for three seasons, he created, managed and played for the legendary “Loendi Big Five.” His team was the most dominant of the Black Fives era, winning four straight Colored Basketball World Championships. Upon retirement from basketball, Posey switched his focus to baseball where he excelled for 35 years as a player and businessman. Posey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Mark Elias
Jerry Reinsdorf
Reinsdorf, shown here with former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, was the owner of the Bulls during the team's six NBA championships. Reinsdorf is also the owner of the Chicago White Sox.
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Sheryl Swoopes
Swoopes played 12 WNBA seasons and was asix-time All-Star. She averaged 15 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists during his career. A five-time All-WNBA First Team selection, she was also named Defensive Player of the Year three times. She earned the WNBA MVP award in 2000, 2002 and 2005. As a member of the Houston Comets, Swoopes won four WNBA Championships. In 1993, Swoopes led Texas Tech to the 1993 NCAA title. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
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As an expert and enthusiast, I can provide information on the concepts mentioned in the article you provided. Let's go through each concept one by one:
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an institution that honors and celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport of basketball. It is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Hall of Fame inducts players, coaches, referees, and other influential figures in the basketball community. The 2016 induction class included notable individuals such as Allen Iverson, Tom Izzo, Jerry Reinsdorf, Sheryl Swoopes, and Shaquille O'Neal .
Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo Beaty was a basketball player who played for Prairie View A&M in college and later played for the St. Louis Hawks in the NBA and the Utah Stars in the ABA. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and a three-time ABA All-Star. Beaty won an ABA Championship in 1971 with the Utah Stars and was named the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player. He was also named to the ABA's All-Time team.
Darrell Garretson
Darrell Garretson was an NBA official who served for 27 years. He officiated numerous regular season games, playoff games, Finals games, and All-Star games. Garretson was instrumental in organizing and heading the first union for referees, the National Association of Basketball Referees. He is widely considered responsible for shaping modern basketball officiating with a focus on "refereeing the defense" and the use of three-person officiating crews.
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson is a retired professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the NBA. He was known for his scoring ability and quickness on the court. Iverson was an 11-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA First Team selection. He led the league in scoring average four times, steals per game three times, and minutes per game seven times. Iverson was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997 and NBA MVP in 2001. He played college basketball at Georgetown University, where he set the school record for career scoring average and earned consensus First Team All-America honors.
Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo is the head coach of the Michigan State University men's basketball team. He has led the team to seven NCAA Final Four appearances and won the NCAA title in 2000. Under Izzo's leadership, the Spartans have consistently been successful, making 18 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. He has also won multiple Big Ten regular season championships and Big Ten Tournament championships. Izzo has been recognized with several coaching awards, including NABC Coach of the Year and Associated Press National Coach of the Year.
John McLendon
John McLendon was a basketball coach known for his achievements in the early days of the sport. He was the first coach to win three consecutive national championships, leading Tennessee State to NAIA National Championships in 1957, 1958, and 1959. McLendon was also the first African-American coach to accomplish many feats, including winning a national tournament, winning a national championship, and winning an AAU national championship. He was a pioneer in breaking racial barriers in basketball. McLendon is already enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a "Contributor" and will now also be enshrined as a coach.
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired professional basketball player who was the number one pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. He played for the Houston Rockets and was known for his dominant presence on the court. Yao earned All-Rookie honors in 2003 and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. He was an eight-time NBA All-Star and broke the record for most All-Star votes in 2005. Yao also represented the Chinese National Team and was named a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP.
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is a retired professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the NBA. He is known for his size, strength, and dominance in the paint. O'Neal won four NBA championships and was a 15-time NBA All-Star. He led the league in field goal percentage for ten seasons and ranks seventh on the NBA All-Time scoring list. O'Neal was named NBA MVP in 2000, NBA Finals MVP three straight years from 2000 to 2002, and was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1993. He is also an Olympic gold medalist and a member of the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey was an exceptional multi-sport athlete who played basketball in the early 1900s to mid-1920s. He was considered the greatest African-American basketball player of his time. Posey played for Duquesne University and later created, managed, and played for the legendary "Loendi Big Five" team. His team was the most dominant of the Black Fives era, winning four straight Colored Basketball World Championships. After retiring from basketball, Posey focused on baseball and excelled as a player and businessman. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf is the owner of the Chicago Bulls, a professional basketball team in the NBA. He was the owner during the team's six NBA championships. Reinsdorf is also the owner of the Chicago White Sox, a Major League Baseball team.
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes is a retired professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the WNBA. She was a six-time All-Star and a five-time All-WNBA First Team selection. Swoopes won four WNBA Championships as a member of the Houston Comets. She was named the WNBA MVP three times and also won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times. Swoopes had a successful college career at Texas Tech, leading the team to the 1993 NCAA title. She is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
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