Amar'e Stoudemire headlined the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 as the group was formally enshrined Saturday night at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.
Stoudemire, a six-time All-Star during a 14-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, was part of an eight-member class of individuals enshrined.
The five-time All-NBA member spoke on the importance of perseverance and belief, key messages for someone who grew up in poverty.
"The most important
aspect that I can give, that I experienced - when you're growing up in an environment when it's not easy to make it out of, the most important factor for me was, first of all, stay out of trouble... stay positive, stay focused, stay meaningful, and always keep in mind that perseverance, no matter what one goes through, one can persevere through anything," Stoudemire said.
Joining Stoudemire among NBA honorees were legendary coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers, game contributor Mike D'Antoni and longtime official Joey Crawford.
Rivers, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and has piled up 1,194 wins over a 27-year coaching career, also averaged 10.9 points per game in an 13-year tenure as a player.
He was presented by the three players who brought him a title in Boston: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
"When you win a title, it's like receiving a blood transfusion. You three guys are connected for the rest of your lives - you really are. And I want you guys to hear that, and understand that," Rivers said.
D'Antoni helped revolutionize offense in the NBA, contributing to the modern approach to basketball featuring 3-pointers, the pick-and-roll offense, and a focus on spacing.
"Our players and coaches had the courage to embrace a different way of playing, and together, we influenced the game," D'Antoni said.
Crawford set records for the most NBA playoff (374) and Finals (50) games worked, a testament to his ability as a referee.
"As the great Muhammad Ali once said ‘it ain't bragging if you did it' - and I did," Crawford said.
Three WNBA standouts were enshrined Saturday: Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker.
A two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and 2019 champion with the Washington Mystics, Delle Donne said her goodbyes to the player she once was.
"I've realized this speech isn't really about getting into the Hall of Fame. It's about saying goodbye. Not to basketball... but goodbye to the player I've been for as long as I can remember, where every season began with hope, every summer had a purpose, and every morning I woke up asking one question - ‘how can I get better today?'" Delle Donne said.
"I've spent my whole life in love with this game."
Holdsclaw, a three-time NCAA champion and six-time All-Star in the WNBA, spoke on the importance of mental health.
"Anyone carrying a weight that never shows up in the box score, I see you," Holdsclaw said. "Your struggle does not disqualify you. Your story is not over and your greatness is still within you."
Parker, the two-time WNBA MVP and three-time champion called basketball her "muse," while asking younger players to carry the torch well.
"There will be others that follow, but my wish is: may you grow it, may you love it, may you enjoy it, and may you leave it better."
The 1996 Team USA women's basketball team, which won gold at the Olympics, was also honored as a group.
That team, which included Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes, was instrumental in getting the WNBA off the ground.
"This team was the foundation of what the WNBA became," Lobo said. "It was that year together, of hard times and laughter, that made our team be able to be what it was."
Gonzaga coach Mark Few was inducted from the NCAA ranks on the strength of his 27 NCAA Tournaments, two national title appearances with the Bulldogs and a pair of Naismith Coach of the Year honors (2017, 2021).
"This isn't about me tonight," Few said. "The greatest thing we built at Gonzaga wasn't a basketball program - it was a family and a culture. It kept people wanting to come back. That is one of the greatest rewards that a coach who has stayed at the same place gets to experience."
--Field Level Media
