Plauderecke » one of the best hell ever do. Cruz told him he put extra

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Only Allen Iverson could deliver a Hall of Fame speech that name-checked 90s rappers, referenced Chappelles Show and thanked just about every person he met along his basketball journey. Only Shaquille ONeal could follow that act with what amounted to a half-hour comedy routine that needled former coaches and teammates and included a soap-opera shout-out.The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fames Class of 2016 lived up to its lofty billing with an epic three-hour induction ceremony Friday night at Springfields Symphony Hall, with Iverson and ONeal stealing the show.Iverson delivered a captivating 31-minute speech in which he overcame initial jitters during a memorable address that featured multiple standing ovations. Fans with No. 3 Iverson jerseys in the balcony cheered throughout.Dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and tie, Iverson paused repeatedly to collect himself at the start of his speech while thanking his three presenters -- Larry Brown, Julius Erving and John Thompson -- as well as members of his family.Fighting tears throughout, Iverson thanked former Georgetown coach Thompson for saving my life.[After] the incident happened in high school and all that was taken away ... no other schools would recruit me anymore, Iverson recalled, referencing a racial brawl at a bowling alley that landed him in jail. His conviction in the case was later overturned. My mom went to Georgetown and begged [Thompson] to give me a chance. And he did.He said he later left Georgetown only as an OK basketball player.But once I started to listen to Larry Brown and take constructive criticism, I learned how much of a great, great coach that he really is. ... Thats when I became an MVP, Iverson said.In maybe the most memorable moment of his address, Iverson recalled his first time playing against his idol, Michael Jordan.Man, I wanted to be like Mike, Iverson said. I remember the first time I played against him. I walked out on the court and I looked at him. And, for the first time in my life, a human being didnt really look real to me. You know what I mean? I dont know if you all watch the Chappelle Show, but he talked about a certain incident where somebodys seeing Rick James. Like I literally seen his aura. It looked like he was glowing.Im sitting there, and Im saying, Man, thats Michael. And Im looking at him. I cant stop looking at him. Im looking at his shoes, and Im like, man, hes got on the Jordans! It was my Mike. It was my idol, my hero.After the Jordan story, Iverson seemed to settle in. Nervously rocking at the start of his speech, he confidently thanked a Rolodex of coaches, owners, teammates and rappers.I want to thank Biggie Smalls, Redman, Jadakiss, Tupac and Michael Jackson for being my theme music throughout my career, Iverson said.Twenty-two minutes into his speech, Iverson said, The Philly fans, and that elicited a monster reaction from the balcony, which immediately engaged in an MVP chant.Added Iverson: My relationship with the fans in Philadelphia is like no other. I thank you all for the support over the years. ... You never jumped off the bandwagon, continued to support me like true fans are supposed to.Iverson also paid tribute to the ones that stuck by me throughout my journey. He cited all the barbershop talk that my family had and all the arguments my friends had with people in the barbershop and hair salon.Now you can say: Well, look, my man is solidified.Iverson closed his speech with a nod to the guys who are not my friends anymore.Im glad that you blew your cover for me to recognize that you [werent] any good to my family or me. And I appreciate yall for that. So if I make any more new friends, I know the signs, he said.Not to be outdone, ONeal took the stage for a punchline-filled speech as the final inductee of the night.ONeal referenced Luke and Laura from General Hospital and joked about his commercial endeavors, including how he sat in a Buick I knew I couldnt fit in. Drawing laughter, ONeal added, Hey, they paid me $3 million. What did you want me to say, no?His speech had serious moments, like when he thanked his parents, Phil Harrison and Lucille ONeal, for giving him the discipline and drive that drove his NBA dream.If I know my father, hes up there arguing with Wilt [Chamberlain] that his son is the best big man in the game, ONeal said.One day when some father quizzes his sons on the greats of the game, I hope Shaquille ONeal will be the answer, he later added.Maybe ONeals most memorable line came when he thanked former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.Kobe Bryant, a guy that would push me and help me win three titles in a row, said ONeal. He would also help me get pushed off the team and traded to?Miami.After detailing his on-court chess matches with Iverson, ONeal turned his attention to fellow inductee Yao Ming.For years, I never spoke to Yao. I thought there was a language barrier there, ONeal said. Then one game he hit me with a Hakeem Olajuwon bang-bang fadeaway. I said, Hey, Yao, nice move. He said, Thanks, my brother. I said, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You speak English? He was like, Shaq, you never talk to me. Of course I speak English.And ONeal didnt miss an opportunity to make a free throw joke.Id like to thank Nick Anderson for missing those four free throws in a row in my first NBA Finals, ONeal said. Im just playing, Nick. But when I was writing this speech, I was like, You know what? Itd be pretty funny if a terrible free throw shooter criticized a bad one. Then I said to myself, Damn, I should have listened to [underhanded free throw shooter] Rick Barry. Then I also said to myself, You know what? Id rather be a terrible free throw shooter that, in about 15 minutes, will be in the Hall of Fame. So, Rick, thanks, but no thanks.Yao won the opening tip and delivered a heartfelt speech that showcased his own sense of humor.When I heard that I was speaking first tonight, I thought that someone made a mistake, he said. I think this spot belongs to the great Allen Iverson. You want to know why? Because I need practice more than him.Flanked by presenters Bill Russell, Dikembe Mutombo and Bill Walton, Yao joked about being confused when Cuttino Mobley invited him over for soul food (I thought he meant salty food) and thanked Rockets fans for sticking by him through injuries (I am a Texan and a Houston Rocket for life). He also referenced his battles with fellow inductee ONeal by noting, Every game we played reminded me of the old saying, What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.In his speech, Michigan State?coach Tom Izzo made special mention of his players in attendance, including Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who heard some boos on the red carpet on his way into the event but was cheered by the crowd when referenced by Izzo.Izzo thanked his parents, Carl and Dorothy, for being his first mentors. The 90-year-old Dorothy was in attendance; Carl passed away in December.Izzo briefly got choked up as he spoke of his father, who he said instilled in him a work ethic that remains with him today.The seven Final Fours and championship are just frosting on the cake, Izzo said.The induction ceremony also featured longtime?Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes.Reinsdorf chronicled what led him to purchase the Bulls in 1984. It was a move he said legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner panned, telling him he would never make any money.He enjoyed proving him wrong.Its been a great life, Reinsdorf said. I know its the fourth quarter, but Im hoping for overtime.Two of the themes on the night were family and journeys. That was the essence of Swoopes speech. She said she was thankful for her path from tiny Brownfield, Texas, and that her cancer-stricken mother, Louise, was able to see it.What a ride its been, she said.Videotaped acceptance speeches aired on behalf of Darell Garretson (27-year NBA referee), Cumberland Posey (early African-American pioneer), John McLendon (coach) and Zelmo Beaty (member of ABA all-time team).Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. NCAA Jerseys China . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/ .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. 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ARLINGTON, Texas -- If New York Giants?receiver Victor Cruz had drawn up a storybook return, it mightve looked something like what unfolded in Sundays opener against the Dallas Cowboys.Cruz scored the winning touchdown for the Giants in a 20-19 victory over their NFC East rivals at AT&T Stadium. He renewed the tradition of dancing the salsa in the end zone after a score, and catching big passes from quarterback Eli Manning when the Giants needed them most.After 700 days, Cruz finally returned to a regular-season game after knee and calf injuries kept him out of the Giants previous 26 games. For it to end the way it did, it was almost surreal. Even Cruz couldnt believe it.No, to be honest with you, he said. But Im excited to have the opportunity, just excited the way my life is unfolding here. I dont even know what kind of ending its going to have.The Giants (1-0) won, Cruz scored in his return and, for one night at least, all was right in the Big Blue universe.Cruz finished with four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in his return. Finally, the Giants got a real taste of what they may receive on the field from the former Pro Bowl receiver.I was excited for him. Not just for the touchdown, but just being out there today [and] catching some passes and being in the mix, doing his deal, Manning said. So thats good for us that he can come back and make plays. He has so much experience at finding windows, finding lanes and getting back to where hes comfortable catching balls and making guys miss. Thats big for this team. Im excited for him from the standpoint that its been a long time for him, almost 700 days since his last game. Thats pretty special for him to get the game-winning touchdown in this game. ... Hes looking good, looking like his old self, and thats big for us.Its also important for Cruz. Even though he claims to have never doubted the return would happen, he knows the opportunity is special. There arent many skill-position players who have missed almost two full seasons (especially after tearing their patellar tendon) and returned to any significant degree of success.Cruz, 29, not only made it back, but he managed to score a touchdown the Giants desperately needed to give them the lead with 6:13 remaining in the contest.Just to overcome so much, man, just to get to this momennt.ddddddddddddA lot of people go through injuries and dont get this moment. They dont get this opportunity to get back, to reclaim what they once were and what they once had, Cruz said. Just to get this moment again is one of the biggest things for me and one of the biggest obstacles for me to cross, and Im just excited to be here and flourish.The Giants are ecstatic to have him back, and it meant something to see one of their longest-tenured players with that trademark smile on his face.So awesome. He had a rough run the past two years. To see him come through like that at the end, the entire game, its a great feeling, said veteran long-snapper Zak DeOssie, a close friend of Cruzs. Id be happy for anyone, but for him to make that big-time play, its just awesome.Cruz told DeOssie the salsa dance he did in the end zone while wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. pretended to snap a picture was one of the best hell ever do. Cruz told him he put extra pizzazz into it.This came after Cruz found a hole in the Cowboys defense while Manning began to navigate the pocket. Cruz caught the 3-yard touchdown pass and went into full-out dance mode. It appeared so natural it was almost as if hed been practicing.Its in the blood, Cruz said. It doesnt go anywhere. Its like riding a bike.But there were points throughout the past two years (including this summer) when nobody knew if hed ever really have the opportunity to dance in an end zone in a real NFL game. Manning admitted Cruz had a setback in the spring and there was a groin injury that slowed him this summer.The Giants threw Cruz right back into the mix the week of the third preseason game with an eye on this Sept. 11 opener against the Cowboys.We built Victor up to a point where he felt he could play a full game for us, coach Ben McAdoo said. Im sure hes excited. Im excited for him.Cruz played almost every offensive snap for the Giants on Sunday. He caught all four passes thrown in his direction. He scored a touchdown. He danced the salsa. It was a successful return in almost every way imaginable, and it felt great, Cruz said. Even if he had to wait a year longer than he wanted, the return was even better than he imagined. ' ' '