Tag: Hall of Fame

Upon the announcement that Kevin …

Upon the announcement that Kevin Garnett will be entering the Basketball Hall of Fame, Glen Taylor put out a statement released by the team praising Garnett. “This is an honor so well deserved,” said Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune. “We congratulate Kevin on being selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. From the day we drafted him in 1995, we knew there was something special about him that Minnesota had never experienced before. I’ve watched Kevin grow on and off the court and will forever be grateful for his contributions to the Timberwolves organization.”

Troy Polamalu’s official HOF presenter announcement

It will be announced on Sunday who former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will choose to induct him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Legendary Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will announce on Sunday who will have the honor of presenting him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.

In February, it was announced that Polamalu was elected into the Hall of Fame. It marks the first time since 1986 that a safety will be inducted in his first year of eligibility.

Without hesitation, my guess is that it will be former Steelers defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau. I’m not really going out a limb there.

Who do you think Polamalu will choose as his presenter?

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‘Complete jubilation’: Rudy T high-fives dogs after Hall of Fame news

Rudy Tomjanovich explained his “jubilant” reaction to making the Basketball Hall of Fame and high-fived his dogs in celebration.

In today’s era of social distancing amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, former Rockets player and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich wasn’t able to celebrate Saturday’s Basketball Hall of Fame announcement with his former Houston players and teammates.

He was, however, able to enjoy it at home with canine companions.

After Saturday’s reveal of the Class of 2020, Tomjanovich appeared on ESPN’s televised special for a brief interview. His comments:

It was a very suspenseful day because I’ve been in this position before. And I’ve got the ‘Sorry, not this year’ response.

So I was hanging on every word that John spoke. And when he said, ‘You’re in,’ the first thing that happened was an unbelievable sigh of relief.

And then, slowly but very powerfully, complete jubilation! We’re going to Springfield!

After that, Tomjanovich high-fived both of his dogs — who, appropriately, were coached by ‘Rudy T’ on how to do it — in celebration.

Now 71 years old, Tomjanovich played for the Rockets from 1970 through 1981, and was head coach from 1992 through 2003. That run included Houston’s only two NBA titles in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.

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.

Tomjanovich had been the only coach in history with multiple NBA titles and an Olympic gold medal who was not in the Hall of Fame. After a long wait and narrowly missing out in 2017 and 2018, he further elaborated on his feelings in an interview with Fox 26 Houston’s Mark Berman.

Besides his extensive accomplishments as a head coach, Tomjanovich was also a dynamic player for the Rockets ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game over 11 seasons from 1970 through 1981. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward.

Tomjanovich and other members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 are scheduled to be enshrined on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Former NBA players to be inducted will include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant.

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