Takeaways from the 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony

Kane Pitman

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Takeaways from the 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony image

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony is a can't miss event year over year.

With some of the legends of the game coming together, the stories are endless and the highlights keep flooding on through.

While we have undoubtedly left some great moments out, here are some of the fun takeaways from the night celebrating the class of 2021.

Time management an unfamiliar term to Dandridge

An NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets in the 1970's, Bob Dandridge was one of the greats of an era littered with legends of the game.

Dandridge was enthralling on stage, telling stories from his playing days on and off the court, while also explaining lessons he learned along the way.

One of his best quips came when discussing load management or time management as he described it.

"When I look back on it, 90 percent of the guys I guarded are in the Hall of Fame. You don't look forward to guarding Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, Rick Barry all in a period of four days because there was no such thing as time management or whatever you call it."

Of course, this one drew healthy laughter from the crowd. 

Russell honoured as a coach

Not that it needed to, but Bill Russell's NBA legacy has somehow grown further with his enshrinement as a coach. 

Russell joins John Wooden, Bill Sharman, Lenny Wilkens, and Tom Heinsohn in the elite catagory of entering the Hall as both a player and coach.

As much as it is an honour for Russell, it was an honour for the other inductees to be in the same class as the Celtics star, with Chris Bosh and Chris Webber sharing this fun moment during the ceremony.

"While I'm here I got to say it. Chris Webber, we're going into the Hall of Fame with Bill Russell, bro. That's crazy. To me, players like you guys were superheroes and I spent every moment trying to follow in your footsteps."

Kobe's influence remains

Chris Bosh was a rising star in the league when he joined the Team USA squad for the 2008 Olympics. The Hall of Fame inductee remembered wanting to set a good impression, only to find out Kobe Bryant was setting the bar.

"I wanted to establish myself as a young leader on the team. The goal was to be the first one at breakfast. When I get there, Kobe's already there with ice packs on his knees, drenched it sweat. It took me a minute to figure it out but this guy wasn't only awake before me, he'd already worked out. He'd played in the Finals just days earlier and I'd been off for months and I was still exhausted."

"That dedication only days after falling short of an NBA championship. That taught me something I've never forgotten. Legends aren't defined by their successes, they're defined by how they bounce back from their failures."

Stories highighting the work ethic of Kobe aren't new, but they never get old. This was a great one from Bosh.

Jackson makes Australian history

Lauren Jackson was a force everywhere she went.

Dominant in the WNBA. Dominant in the WNBL. Dominant in national team play. You get the idea.

Widely regarded as the greatest Australian player to play the game, Jackson becomes the first Australian player to receive the honour of entering the Hall of Fame.

With the growth of the game in the country she was quick to note she likely won't be the last, but she will be forever the first. 

Webber and Adelman fittingly enter HOF together

Chris Webber and Rick Adelman both had to wait for their chance to enter the Hall of Fame and fittingly did so together.

Adelman, a coach in the NBA for 23 seasons led Webber and the Sacramento Kings to many successful seasons. Adelman was the coach of the Kings for the entirety of Webber's six and a half seasons with the franchise, with the team reaching the postseason in each campaign.

In 2002, the pair lead the Kings 61 wins during the regular season before falling in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Toni remembers tough Olympic campaign

One of the greatest international players to find success in the NBA, Toni Kukoc cut his teeth in one of the most competitive environments the league has seen next to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. 

Those who watched 'The Last Dance' will recall the American duo giving Kukoc an on-court lesson during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Kukoc recalled the experience during his speech.

"I would like to thank Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for kicking my butt during the Olympics in Barcelona and motivating me to work even harder to become an important part of the Chicago Bulls."

A three-time NBA champion with the Bulls, it's safe to say things worked out ok for Kukoc.

The truth never forgets

Paul Pierce evidently has a long memory.

Selected with the 10th pick in the 1998 draft, Pierce expected he was going to hear his name earlier. An NBA championship and Hall of Fame enshrinment later, he thanks those teams for passing him up.

"I would like to think the Clippers, Vancouver Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, the nine teams that passed on me. Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire. I appreciate that."

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Kane Pitman

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