Riley, Dantley, Olajuwon and Ewing will be inducted to this year's Hall of Fame
The 2008 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees will be broadcasted today on ESPN Classic at 7:30 p.m. EST. Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Pat Riley, Dick Vitale, Adrian Dantley, Cathy Rush and William Davidson are among the list of inductees for this year’s Hall of Fame.
ESPN provides a great rundown of each inductee. However, I will only be discussing two of the inductees: Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
Hakeem the Dream was one of the most dominant centers to ever play the game. Not only was he one of the greatest centers of all-time, but he dominated in the “Jordan Era.” And not only did he dominate, but he won back-to-back championships. He’s often compared to other great centers in the game, including Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal. Although he had extraordinary physical strength, he was a finesse player. He was known for his famous move, the Dream Shake.
Awards and Achievements
- 2x NBA champion (1994, ‘95)
- 2x NBA Finals MVP (1994, ‘95)
- 1x NBA MVP (1994)
- 2x Defensive Player of Year (1993, ‘94)
- 6x All-NBA First Team (1987, ‘88, ‘89, ‘93, ‘94, ‘97)
- 3x All-NBA Second Team (‘86, ‘90, ‘96)
- 3x All-NBA Third Team (1991, ‘95, ‘99)
- 5x All-Defensive First Team (‘87, ‘88, ‘90, ‘93, ‘94)
- 12x All-Star
- Olympic gold medalist (1996)
- Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
- Only player in NBA history to have won MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season (1994)
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks
He was the best center the New York Knicks ever had. He was infamous for his astounding blocking abilities, powerful dunks, and rebounding skills. Although he never won a ring, he won two Olympic gold medals, including the 1984 team and the 1992 Dream Team. Patrick Ewing is currently the assistant coach for the Orlando Magic.
Awards and Achievements
- Rookie of the Year (1986)
- All-NBA First Team (1990)
- All-NBA Second Team (1988, ‘89, ‘91, ‘92, ‘93, ‘97)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988, ‘89, ‘92)
- 11-time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)
- 2-time Olympic gold medalist (1984, ‘92)
- NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1984)
- Naismith College Player of the Year in (1985).
- Number 33 Retired for the New York Knicks
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008
The other inductees have made a huge contribution to the NBA and basketball world as well. Pat Riley recently led the Miami Heats to a championship in the ‘05-’06 NBA season.
Remember, don’t forget to tune in to ESPN Classic for the inductions to the Hall of Fame!
