Shaq, Iverson among finalists for 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame class

 photo w768xh576_CbCQvtwW0AACY4Z 1_zpsbp2bo1ro.jpg

Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson were among the 14 names announced as finalists for the 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame class on Friday afternoon.

The finalists for basketball’s highest distinction include:

Shaquille O’Neal
Allen Iverson
Kevin Johnson
Sheryl Swoopes
Eddie Sutton (coach)
Bo Ryan (coach)
Tom Izzo (coach)
John McLendon (coach)
Muffett McGraw (coach)
Robert Hughes (coach)
Darrell Garretson (official)
Leta Andrews (coach)
Charles “Lefty” Driesell (coach)
1954-58 Wayland Baptist University

O’Neal spent 19 seasons in the league from 1992-2011, most notably with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat. He won four NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, made 15 All-Star teams, eight All-NBA First Teams, and is a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary team.

Iverson was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, leading the franchise to six postseason appearances and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2001. Revered as perhaps the most dominant little man in NBA history, Iverson won four scoring titles during his illustrious career, averaging 26.7 in 914 games.

“I’m a product of Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley … all the guys that paved the way for us,” Iverson said at the announcement Friday in Toronto.

Notable names who weren’t named finalists as players from the North American committee include Tim Hardaway, Chris Webber, and Mark Aguirre.

The final enshrinees will be announced on April 4 during the NCAA’s Final Four in Houston.

NBA 2K16 Presents: Play Now Online….ThisismotionTV

Total Views 123,434

Head to Head online games now matter. Wins and losses count toward reaching goals and new league seeds. Rising through the ranks won’t be easy. But can you be the greatest of all-time?

NBA 2K16 was available last Friday, September 25th to those who pre-order now! Be the first to #BeTheStory.

Underdog Jeremy Lin & NOW member of our Coast to Coast Ballers Club Scores 38 Points As The NY Knicks Beat The LA Lakers For The 1st Time Since 2007…ThisismotionTV

Photobucket

CBSsports writes:

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, sending the Madison Square Garden crowd into a tizzy time and again with his big shot-making.

Lin, a Taiwanese-American guard from Harvard, has emerged as a major, pleasant surprise for the Knicks. New York’s win over Los Angeles was its fourth consecutive victory, and Lin’s 89 points in his first three career starts are more than any player has scored in their first three starts since the NBA and ABA merged in 1976-1977, according to ESPN Stats & Information and the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Knicks reportedly considered waiving Lin prior to his recent explosion and he had been crashing on a teammate’s couch. His sensational play this week led his former GMs to admit their mistakes in cutting him, it drew comparisons to the breakout success of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, and it inspired a song. “Linsanity” has gotten so big that, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported, Lin received some pre-game advice from Lakers forward Metta World Peace.
Photobucket

TOTAL VIEWS 178,098