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Doc Rivers needed some time to write the speech that he will give when he is formally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday. The storytelling, that part was easy. He's a natural at that. But what Rivers wound up learning during the trial-and-error process of speechwriting was that the words he will say from a stage in Springfield, Massachusetts, aren't going to be about him. They're going to be about everyone else who played a role in him getting to that moment. "You go through this journey of writing it, and you realize it has nothing to do with you in a very good way," Rivers said. "People are happy for you, and I am happy for them because they got me there.”
Former President Barack Obama was in Massachusetts last week to celebrate his 65th birthday. To mark the occasion, Obama teed up with NBA All-Star Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum played with another group several holes ahead of Obama. Obama, whose birthday was Tuesday, August 4, has always fancied himself quite the basketball player, so his choice of company on the links should come as no surprise.
But Arison couldn’t avoid the spotlight or a speech in front of a large audience this time, as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class on Saturday night at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. Arison, 76, was selected for the Hall of Fame by the Contributors Committee. “The Hall is the highest honor in basketball, but it’s not something I ever sought,” Arison said at the start of his 10-minute induction speech on Saturday.
“Our communities are in need of help, and life, and thriving, and just mind shifts, system shifts,” Maya Moore said Friday, at a press availability at the Mohegan Sun Casino before Saturday’s induction at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass., the home of the Hall, about an hour northwest. “The reason a UConn or a Lynx is the way it is is because they have systems set in place to help everyone thrive,” Moore said. “They have leaders in place who actually are competent to be leaders, who know to actually connect to people and bring out the best in people. And, just the mindset of ‘everybody eats.’ It’s not you up here, you down there; I’m going to use you to get what I want. It’s ‘we’re going to do what we do for each other, and it’s going to be great.’
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"Background on Sam Presti: he’s from Massachusetts. Went to Emerson. His dream was always to work for the Celtics… it just never happened. Still spends summers in New England with his family—hangs around, does the whole off-season New England life."
Tarter will find out next week if he is a finalist to be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. He's been nominated by some elite former pro basketball players, including Julius Erving (Dr. J), and legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas. "I was so surprised and stunned when I found out. I had no idea it was coming – or even that it was a possibility to imagine," said Tarter. "I’m still not sure I can get my arms around it."
Last weekend, Dybantsa scored 25 points in a loss to Monteverde Academy in a showcase game in Springfield, Massachusetts, that was televised on ESPN2. He's soon to return to the U.S., where he is working on his game. It's still a little unclear what position he might play at the next level but has shown a talent for playing both on and off the ball. "I'm working on improving my shot, I'm trying to shoot 40% from the 3-point line," he said. "Obviously I've got to extend my range because the farther up I go, the farther the (3-point) line gets."
Former college basketball star and ex-Nets G-League affiliate assistant coach Mike Babul passed away at the age of 47 after suffering a heart attack. Babul was a legendary college basketball player in Massachusetts, eventually going to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he spent four years and was known as a top defensive player.
Marc J. Spears: The @Hoophall Class of 2025 Enshrinement Ceremony will be Sept. 6, in Springfield, Mass. The Class of 2025 Finalist Announcement will be announced Feb. 14 at NBA All-Star Weekend. The Class of 2025 will be announced April 5 at NCAA Final Four Weekend.
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The celebration outside the White House featured hundreds of celebrants with ties to Massachusetts, including Gov. Maura Healey and Senator Ed Markey. "This was a very exciting and moving day," Grousbeck said. "We had not been focused on [coming here]. We got through raising the banner, and opening night, and then it was all business, led by [Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla]. Joe doesn't really want us to dwell too much on the past. He wants us to move forward. But, having said that, everybody here -- including Joe -- really seemed to have a great time."
The Boston Celtics are expected to travel to the White House to celebrate the 2024 NBA championship on Thursday afternoon. That’s according to the Office of Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, who is scheduled to attend the event. Goldberg’s public schedule lists her attending the Celtics’ championship celebration at the White House at 4:30pm ET on Thursday.
Yao Ming came from China. Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Calvin Murphy were among the large contingent from Houston. There were more basketball hall of famers per square foot at Wilshire Baptist Church than anywhere else on the planet outside of Springfield, Mass. They came to honor the life of Carroll Dawson, who not only was as Texan as they come but also a basketball legend in the state where he made his lifelong home and touched and influenced just about everybody who played or coached here.
Cooper will be inducted into the Hall on Sunday in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Pasadena, California, native learned that he made the Hall of Fame on April Fools’ Day after receiving a phone call from Hall of Fame CEO John Doleva and board chairman Jerry Colangelo. “I’ve always played this game for the love of the game. And after 12 years, the accolades that come with it, I never, ever, ever thought that my footsteps would be standing at the door of the Hall of Fame,” Cooper said. “So, I knew the call was going to be coming, and it came at about 9:10 that morning. I had been on the ballot two years, and I got that call [previously], and I’m waiting, and I was really excited. And [in prior years] they said, ‘Hey, Coop … it’s not your year.’ “So, when [this] call came, I remember answering the phone, and my wife was sitting next to me and I had it on speakerphone. And I kind of like spazzed out for a minute, and they were going like, ‘Coop. Congratulations, you got in.’ I’m sitting there holding the phone and my wife [hit] me on the leg, she said, ‘Babe, you got in.’ And I’m like, ‘If this is an April Fools’ joke, this is very, very rude, you guys.’ Mr. Colangelo starts laughing and he goes, ‘No, no, Coop, you got in.’ ”
