Basketball Hall of Fame 2019: Ceremony Recap, Speech Highlights and Reaction
Ten individuals and two teams were enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Friday night.
Vlade Divac, Sidney Moncrief and Jack Sikma headlined the 2019 Hall of Fame class. Five-time WNBA All-Star Teresa Weatherspoon joined former NBA players Al Attles, Carl Braun, Chuck Cooper, Bobby Jones and Paul Westphal among the inductees.
Former NBA coach Bill Fitch was also enshrined, as was the Tennessee A&I men's teams from 1957-59 (the first collegiate team to win back-to-back-to-back championships) and the Wayland Baptist University women's team (which won 131 consecutive games from 1953-58).
Vlade Divac, C
Speech Highlights
Bio
Divac will be remembered for both his NBA and international careers.
Picked 26th overall in the 1989 NBA draft, he played 16 years in the NBA. He spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers (eight seasons), Charlotte Hornets (two) and Sacramento Kings (six).
The 7'1", 243-pound big man averaged 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, earning one All-Star selection. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Divac is one of seven players in league history to record 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocks.
Divac was an NBA All-Star in 2000-01, when he averaged 12.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while helping Sacramento win 55 games.
The Kings reached the postseason during all six years Divac suited up for the organization and came within one game of the 2002 NBA Finals. Divac's No. 21 was retired by the franchise.
Divac also put together an impressive FIBA career. He helped Yugoslavia win the 1990 FIBA World Cup and was a member of the country's silver medal-winning squad at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.
The 51-year-old remains connected to the game, as he serves as the Kings' general manager.
Sidney Moncrief, G
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Bio
Moncrief was picked fifth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979. He had an 11-season career, averaging 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
He spent 10 seasons in Milwaukee, earning five All-Star selections (1982-86), one All-NBA first-team selection (1983), four All-NBA second-team selections (1982, 1984-86) and two Defensive Player of the Year awards (1983 and 1984).
The Bucks never missed the postseason during his decadelong tenure. They reached the conference finals three times during a four-year stretch from 1983-86.
Moncrief remains the Bucks' all-time leader in free throws (3,505) and free-throw attempts (4,214).
His No. 4 was retired by Milwaukee.
Moncrief retired in October 1989 as knee injuries limited him during the end of his run with the Bucks. However, he returned to the league for the 1990-91 season, which he spent with the Atlanta Hawks.
Jack Sikma, C
Speech Highlights
Bio
Picked eighth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1977, Sikma spent 14 seasons in the Association.
He played nine seasons in Seattle, averaging 16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He earned seven consecutive All-Star selections from 1979 to 1985 and was also named to the NBA All-Defensive second team in 1982.
He was a member of the SuperSonics' 1978-79 championship team, averaging 14.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 blocks per game during the postseason. That remains the franchise's only championship in its 52-year existence.
Seattle retired Sikma's No. 43.
Sikma finished his career with a five-year run in Milwaukee. It was during that stint with the Bucks that the 6'11", 230-pound big man became the first center to lead the league in free-throw percentage (92.2 percent in 1987-88), per the Associated Press' Dave Campbell.
He averaged 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists during his career.
Best of the Rest
Teresa Weatherspoon
Bobby Jones
Paul Westphal
