About Time

Last Friday, seven greats of the game were inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame.

Now, ok, the hall has lost a lot of respect in the years gone by due to the questionable decisions made by its shrouded committee, but that is another issue, one that will not be discussed today. Whatever the hall's faults, they should not be transferred to the inductees; past, present or future, it is still a tremendous honour and one of the best things that can happen to a baller.

And it is none too soon for some of them.The three biggest names in this year's class are two of my favourite all-time players in Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing, and easily one of the best coaches in NBA history Pat Riley.

You could have made a good case for all three of them even ten years ago, that is how brilliant they are.

Also inducted was Adrian Dantley, a great player of his time; Bill Davidson, long time owner of the Detroit franchises of the Pistons and the Shock; and finally Dick Vitale, probably the best-known college announcer. Also inducted was Cathy Rush, a great coach in women's hoops.

In my belief, not a big enough deal is made about the hall of fame inductions each year, but as I mentioned previously, this may be due to the loss of respect and the reputation that it has earned itself as a place you get into for "who you know" rather than what you have achieved.

Still, few higher honors than this can be bestowed on a hoops lover. So congratulations to the inductees.

Below are my thoughts on each of the inductees, I’m sure most know enough about Olajuwon, Ewing and Riley, but I will give more background information on the others:

Olajuwon and Ewing: I am doing these two together, because as they mentioned in their speeches, their entire careers were intertwined. The two were great as individuals, but today we will look at them both. Both are easily in the top 10 centers or even players of all-time conversation, both are possibly the best of their franchises (as in Houston and New York, let's not count Toronto or Seattle etc) all-time players. But that does not even do them justice; you have to see them to believe how brilliant they were. And not just in the NBA, but both had extraordinary Collegiate Careers also. Hakeem was a truly unique player, the only of his kind to combine finesse, skill and strength into such a devastating force. There truly was no way to stop him, he could beat you in all ways and he would. He was a class act, a great guy as well as a player; he helped Houston to consecutive Chips not only by the tangibles on the court but through leadership and unselfishness also. In the same way that Tim Duncan does today, he did what was needed to win, not what was needed to get his name in the paper. Pat was the same way, easily one of the greatest players to have never won a ring; he was the face of New York for a long time and serves very well now as an assistant coach first in Houston and now in Orlando. Heralded as one of the best jump shooting centers of all-time, Ewing was a great player from the moment he put on a Georgetown uniform, every night he was feared but still respected, he could crush any team, any defender that came his way.

Pat Riley: As slick as they come, Riles became something of a legend in the 80's due to his championship success, though his trip through New York didn't bring him any hardware, you can't call it a bad streak. And although yes now Miami may be in the gutter, he was a very big reason for its success. Riley is one of the best coaches of all time and has become one of the most respected in basketball circles. I hope that the last two seasons in Miami does not tarnish his previous accomplishments, though it remains to be seen if he can turn his team around, and take advantage of a collection of talent down in South beach.

Adrian Dantley: Dantley was a great collegiate player, earning himself the National Player of the Year award in 1976. He was also on the Notre Dame team that defeated UCLA and brought an abrupt halt to the unbelievable 88-game winning streak they had built in 1973. He was immediately successful in the NBA winning Rookie of the Year in 77 with the Buffalo Braves. A solid worker who was rewarded with his efforts with seven all-star berths. He was at his best in Utah, where he won the Scoring Title in 81 and 84. His career averages are astounding and is one of the more under-rated NBA stars of all-time. However, the fact is he was one of the stars of the 70's and 80's, and his induction into the hall has been a long time waiting.

Bill Davidson:I always love an owner that understands sports are more than simply about making money. This is not why they play; this is not why we love it. Bill Davidson gets this, he did not sell on his teams when he could of, but he supported his hometown teams. He truly loves his Pistons, as well as his Detroit Shock of the WNBA, another successful franchise. He is also a former owner of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Stanley Cup while he was with them. Bill is one of the more respected, more successful and longer-term owners of not only the NBA but also all pro sports.

Dick Vitale:Known as one of the 'faces' of college basketball, Vitale's reputation precedes him as an energetic and enthusiastic announcer. Some find his brand annoying, some find it entertaining. You do have to give it to the guy, he knows his stuff and he is definitely experienced and is respected by his peers. Vitale also had a coaching career, at the high school level, most successfully at Rutgers and The University of Detroit, complete with a brief stint in the NBA.

Cathy Rush:A great women's college coach at Immaculata from 1972-1977, I must admit I don't know much about her, but the facts speak for themselves, as she amounted an amazing 91% winning percentage and went to six consecutive final-four's in six seasons.

All great in their individual ways, they all deserve to be honored.