Former NBA player and 2009 inductee Michael Jordan speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Enshrinement Ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts September 11, 2009.
It is almost like Michael Jordan had been in the Hall of Fame for years. Although he wasn't yet, everyone expected it, and it was made official Friday night (September 11) during a ceremony in Springfield, Mass.
Jordan was overcome with emotion as he spoke before those in attendance at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as he spoke about his legendary status in the game of basketball.
He spoke for nearly 20 minutes, explaining that the competition and adversity he endured pushed him to greatness, naming off players such as Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson and George Gervin, as well as John Starks and others.
"You want to know where my competitive nature came from? It came from them," Jordan said. "As I grew, people added wood to that fire.
"I had a lot of people throw logs on that fire over the years," he continued.
Even Michael gets intimidated. Earlier in the day, he made it clear, there are players as great as him and he can't be singled out as the greatest.
"When people say I was the greatest ever, I cringe a little," Jordan said at a morning press conference. "I never played against Jerry West, Elgin Baylor or Wilt Chamberlain. To say I'm better than those people is not for me to decide."
Throughout his career, even from college, Jordan made an impact. He won one NCAA championship at North Carolina and six NBA championships, five MVP awards and 10 scoring titles with the Chicago Bulls, among other accolades.
Before the ceremony, he joked with friends that he'd say "thank you" and that would be it, said reports. But, Jordan showed how grateful he was for the honor, and just how much the sport meant to him with his emotional speech.
Jordan retired twice during his 15-year career, and finished with 32,292 points under his belt, the third-highest total in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His career average of 30.12 points per game is the best in the league's history.
In addition to Jordan, the 2009 Hall inductees included Utah coach Jerry Sloan, former Jazz guard John Stockton, former San Antonio Spur David Robinson and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer.
Stockton holds NBA records for assists in a season with 1,164 in 1990-91, and the highest assist average in a season with 14.5 the previous season. Robinson played 14 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, and won two NBA championships during his tenure.
Jazz coach Sloan, whose #4 is retired by the Bulls, is the only NBA coach to win more than 1,000 games with a single team. He is still coaching and currently has his Jazz in seventh place in the Western Conference standings going into Monday night. While Stringer led three schools to the Final Four in her 38-year career, and has an 825-280 mark spanning four decades.
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