Tag: basketball hall of fame

Former Rockets coach Rick Adelman named to 2021 Hall of Fame class

Adelman is the fourth-winningest coach in Rockets history, going 193-135 (.588) over four seasons from 2007-08 through 2010-11.

Former Rockets head coach Rick Adelman is being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the new 2021 class. Adelman joins legendary Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who was inducted Saturday as part of the delayed Class of 2020.

Adelman began his NBA career as a player from 1968 until 1975, including a stint with the San Diego Rockets in his first two seasons. Adelman played for five teams, averaging 7.7 points and 3.5 assists per game.

Adelman’s Hall of Fame candidacy, however, is based on his success as a head coach — where he was known as an innovator with free-flowing, motion offenses. As a coach, Adelman had the lead gig in Portland (1989-1994); Golden State (1995-1997); Sacramento (1999-2006); Houston (2007-2011); and Minnesota (2011-2014). While he never won an NBA title, he got deep into the playoffs on many occasions — including the 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals with the Trail Blazers and the 2002 Western Conference Finals with the Kings, which might have resulted in a championship if not for questionable officiating.

With the Rockets, Adelman went 193-135 (.588) over four seasons, giving him the fourth-most wins of any head coach in franchise history. (The top three are Tomjanovich, Mike D’Antoni, and Bill Fitch.) His .588 winning percentage ranks third, trailing only D’Antoni and Kevin McHale.

Under Adelman’s watch, the Rockets had a historic 22-game winning streak in the 2007-08 season, and they won their first-round playoff series versus Portland in the 2008-09 season. That represented the franchise’s first series victory in the NBA playoffs in 12 years.

While the Rockets never seriously contended for a championship in either of those years, it was largely for reasons out of Adelman’s control — with All-Star center Yao Ming having both seasons cut short due to serious foot injuries. Those injuries eventually forced Yao to retire much earlier than expected and pushed the Rockets into something of a rebuilding cycle, for which a veteran coach like Adelman wasn’t an ideal fit.

Nonetheless, his tenure with the Rockets should be remembered fondly, and now he’ll be recognized alongside Tomjanovich at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. With a 1,042-749 career record (.582), Adelman currently ranks at No. 9 all-time in NBA coaching wins.

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Former Warriors star Chris Webber voted into Basketball Hall of Fame

Former Golden State Warriors star Chris Webber has been elected to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021, it was announced Sunday.

Former Golden State Warriors forward Chris Webber, the No. 1 overall selection in the 1993 NBA draft, has been voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The announcement was revealed in a televised special on ESPN. Joining Webber in the Class of 2021 are longtime Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce, former Detroit Pistons defensive great Ben Wallace and former Chicago Bulls sharpshooter Toni Kukoc.

Webber originally was drafted by the Orlando Magic but acquired by the Warriors in a trade involving Anfernee Hardaway, the No. 3 pick in the 1993 draft, on draft day. Webber spent the first year of his career with the Warriors, averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors. However, he was traded before the start of the next season to the Washington Bullets amid friction with Warriors coach Don Nelson.

Webber returned to the Warriors to conclude his playing career, appearing in nine games in the 2007-08 season. In addition to the Warriors and Bullets, he also played for the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons over the course of his 15-year NBA career. He averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for his career and earned five All-Star selections.

Paul Pierce elected to Basketball Hall of Fame on first ballot

The Truth was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday, becoming the 49th person with Celtics ties to be so honored.

Longtime Boston Celtics star swingman and fan favorite Paul Pierce has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The announcement was revealed in a televised special on ESPN, a day after reports began to trickle out about Pierce’s inclusion. Joining Pierce in the Class of 2021 are Chris Bosh, Toni Kukoc, Ben Wallace and Chris Webber.

Pierce came to the Celtics as the No. 10 overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft out of Kansas. He played 15 seasons with the Celtics, earning All-Star status 10 times and All-NBA recognition four times. Pierce was named MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals, when Boston defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Pierce becomes the 49th Hall of Famer with ties to the Celtics franchise. He averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 1,102 regular-season games with Boston. In the postseason for the Celtics, Pierce averaged 20.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 136 games.

Pierce ranks second in Celtics franchise history in points scored (24,021), third in games played (1,102) and seventh in rebounds (6,651).

After his Celtics tenure, Pierce played one season each with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. He concluded his NBA career by playing two seasons with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers.

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NBA world reacts to Kobe Bryant’s Hall of Fame enshrinement

The NBA and sporting world shared their reactions to Kobe Bryant’s Hall of Fame enshrinement Saturday evening.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is officially a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as his long-awaited enshrinement ceremony came to fruition Saturday evening.

Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, delivered an extremely powerful speech in honor of Kobe, with basketball legend Michael Jordan also in attendance as he presented the Laker great.

Fans from all across the sporting spectrum have anticipated this moment for a long time, but the coronavirus pandemic caused the ceremony to postpone for several months.

Nonetheless, Bryant is now certified in the books as one of the greatest ever to play the game of basketball.

Here are some of the best reactions to the ceremony:

WATCH: Vanessa Bryant’s powerful Hall of Fame speech honoring Kobe Bryant

Vanessa Bryant delivered a heartfelt enshrinement speech for Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

After a lengthy postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class was officially enshrined in an emotional day for all involved.

In a class packed with some of the most elite players and coaches in basketball history, the event concluded with Vanessa Bryant delivering Kobe Bryant’s enshrinement speech, with Michael Jordan presenting the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

Vanessa embodied strength in her heartfelt speech, encapsulating some of Bryant’s best anecdotes as a Laker both on and off the court, including stories about how he wouldn’t want to miss games for the fans even though he was injured and much more.

Check out Vanessa’s full speech from the ceremony above, courtesy of the NBA’s YouTube channel.

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Kevin Garnett said Kobe Bryant ‘was like a little brother to me’

Kevin Garnett has fond memories of him and Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are all going into the Hall of Fame this weekend.

They spent years and years competing in the game of basketball at a level higher than the highest level. That’s exactly why their names will be forever etched in the Hoop Hall of Fame.

The kicker is that they competed against each other at that hall of fame level. A lot. All three of them were in a grueling Western Conference in the prime of their careers. Some of their playoff battles against one another are absolute classics.

Because we saw that competitive side between them all so much, we never really got to see the other side of things. The cordial side. The friendly side. What they were like with one another outside of the lines.

Kevin Garnett was asked about that that off the court relationship between him and Kobe Bryant, specifically, during his Hall of Fame press conference. They’d competed against each other for years with the pinnacle of that competition coming in the NBA Finals — twice.

Still, Garnett said he looked at Kobe like a “little brother.”

“Kobe Bryant was like a little brother to me, man. I got to see Kob when he was very young and not as polished as everybody got to see him. He was very vulnerable, we were both vulnerable and very young. And we used to always interact with each other with that youthfulness, with that kid persona. We’d always talk the game.”

They also had jokes for each other.

“We’d crack a lot of jokes with each other, but at the end we was two very fierce competitors. As much as he wanted to win, I wanted to win. As much as he thought he was the best, I thought I was the best. I’d always crack on him and tell him he was too small to play. He’d always crack on me and tell me I was too small to guard. It was great conversation, great back and forth and great competition. I don’t think I’m the only one in here that thinks Kobe Bryant is fairly missed. I miss him every day. Not only what he brought to the game of basketball, but to sports period.” 

Well said, KG. Well said.

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WATCH: Kevin Garnett on what winning a championship in Boston meant to him

Kevin Garnett on winning a championship in Boston

During today’s Hall of Fame press conference, 2020 NBA Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Garnett was asked about winning the 2008 NBA championship with Boston. The Celtic legend showered Boston with praise, from the fans to the franchise itself.

Garnett also touched on his only regret about his time in green: That he didn’t get to Boston sooner.

In his own words, here is what winning as a Celtic meant to the Hall of Fame power forward:

PHOTOS: Boston Celtics in the Basketball Hall of Fame

Celtics Wire celebrates the 48 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with ties to the Boston Celtics franchise.

The Boston Celtics are one of the bedrock franchises in professional sports.

Legends such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett dazzled fans with their athletic exploits and won the NBA championship in Boston.

A couple hours down the Mass Pike in Springfield, no fewer than four dozen players, coaches and contributors with ties to the Celtics franchise have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Below, Celtics Wire celebrates the 48 members of the Hall of Fame with Celtics connections in a photo gallery.

Also see:

• All-time Boston Celtics leaderboard — triple-doubles

• Who was the Celtics’ highest-paid player in each of the past 30 seasons?

Hakeem Olajuwon, Calvin Murphy to present ‘Rudy T’ at Hall of Fame induction

Murphy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993, while Olajuwon joined him in 2008. On May 15, 2021, Tomjanovich joins both of them.

Former Houston Rockets player and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich will have franchise icons Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon formally present him into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to the Hall’s official announcement. Tomjanovich is a part of the Class of 2020, which will have its enshrinement ceremony on May 15, 2021.

Tomjanovich played with Murphy throughout his 11-year career from 1970 through 1981. Olajuwon was the star player during his two NBA championships as a coach, 1994 and 1995. The full list of players to be inducted, along with their presenters, is available here.

In his 11-plus seasons as head coach, Tomjanovich led the Rockets to a 503-397 (.559) regular-season record and a 51-39 (.567) mark in the NBA playoffs, headlined by Houston’s two championships in 1994 and 1995. He is by far the winningest coach in franchise history.

Besides his extensive accomplishments as a coach, “Rudy T” was also a dynamic player ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward.

Others being inducted in the Class of 2020 include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant.

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Paul Pierce, Bill Russell among Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Finalists

On Tuesday, Celtics legends Paul Pierce, Bill Russell (as coach) were announced as finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

On Tuesday, The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced 14 finalists for the 2021 Hoop Class, including two Boston Celtics legends, Paul Pierce and Bill Russell (as head coach). A 10-time All-Star, NBA champion, and Finals MVP, Paul Pierce bled Celtics green during his 15-year stint in Boston, helping end a 22-year Finals drought for Boston back in 2007-08. For Pierce, this marks his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame.

When looking at the Celtics record books, Pierce’s name is all over the place: second all-time in points, third all-time in games played, and first all-time in 3-point field goals, just to name a few. Pierce had his No. 34 jersey retired by the Celtics in 2018, becoming the 22nd Celtic in history to receive the honor.

 

Russell, inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1975, also had a successful career as a head coach, winning back-to-back championships with the Celtics in 1968 and 1969. Russell also became the first African American head coach in the NBA in 1966.

Following his stint with the Celtics as head coach, Russell went on to coach the Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings.

Pierce and Russell are joined by seven other first-time finalists including, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA champion and five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Michael Cooper, ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith, seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Lauren Jackson, and NCAA national champion and WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley.

The five previous finalists include the all-time winningest high school coach Leta Andrews, five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, five-time NBA All-Star and NCAA Champion Marques Johnson, five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber, and four-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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