Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Yao Ming have been elected to the Naismith Basketball of Fame Class 2016.They are also joined by Tom Izzo, Jerry Reinsdorf, and Sheryl Swoopes.
Shaquille O’Neal was chosen to be in the NBA All-Star team for 14 times during his entire carrer. He was even awarded as the Rookie of the Year while playing for the Orlando Magic being the No. 1 pick in the 1992 draft.
O’Neal also won four NBA championships and had 3 MVP awards. He also ranks 7th all-time in scoring and number 6 all-time for shots made. Shaq was also rank 14 in rebounds and lists number 8 in total blocks in NBA.
The 7-feet-1, 325 pound Shaq has been one of the most dominant big men during his time.
Allen Iverson on the other hand, was one of the most dominant guards during his era. He is known to be fearless in scoring. A.I normally drives down the basket and takes contact with other bigger players. He is also known for speed and stunning crossovers that leaves his guards on the floor.
Being drafted as the No. 1 pick of the 1996 NBA draft, he whas also won the Rookie of the year award. In 2001, he became the MVP. Iverson finished his career having the seventh highest scoring average. He also ranked 12th all-time in steals and rank 23 in points.
The 7-feet-6 Yao Ming is the tallest player in the league before. In 2002, Yao became the No. 1 overall pick which made eight All-Star teams during his career. He played with the Houston Rockets from 2002 to ’11. Because of the injuries that he had, Yao Ming had to end his career. He is number 2 in the Rockets’ all-time blocks list and number 6 for total points and rebounds.
On the other hand, Tom Izzo is considered as one of the best NCAA tournament coaches in history. Izzo lead the Michigan State Spartans to seven Final Four appearances including 524 wins. In 2000, he led the team in winning the championship against Florida.
Jerrry Reinsdorf is the owner of one of the NBA’s most successful franchises, the Chicago Bulls. The team has won six NBA titles during the 90’s. It is currently the third-most valuable NBA franchises according to Forbes.
Sheryl Swoopes was signed in the WNBA after leading the Texas Tech in the 1993 NCAA championship. She also won three MVP trophies from 2000 to 2005. Swoopes also won three WNBA championships including the six selections as WNBA All-Star team.
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Sources: Yahoo Sports, SI, USAToday