As the Class of 2025 was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in a somewhat unique twist, a pair of players went in twice. Other than that quirk, as always, it’s another legendary cast immortalized Saturday from Springfield.
The Class of 2025 was headlined by NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, along with WNBA legends Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles. Others who were enshrined include current Bulls coach and two-time NCAA champion Billy Donovan, Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and former NBA referee Danny Crawford.
On top of it all, the 2008 USA Basketball men’s team, named “The Redeem Team,” is now in the Hall of Fame. That squad won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after the Americans fell short in 2004 and got the bronze. With the 2008 team honored, that means Anthony and Howard get to double up on their big day.
“That sounds good to say you’re going into the Hall of Fame twice,” Anthony said. “That’s a hell of a thing. I can hold on my hat on that. As far as the difference goes, I think it’s two different feelings. That ‘08 team, understanding the time period that we had to come together and be ready to go out there and face the world.”
An important Celtics name to know from this year is longtime PR guru Jeff Twiss, who earned the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. Clark Kellogg (electronic media), George Blaha (electronic media), Adrian Wojnarowski (insight) and Michelle Smith (print) also earned Curt Gowdy awards in their respective fields. Jalen Rose also got the Ice Cube Impact Award.
“This Hall of Fame induction isn’t about individual achievement,” Bird said. “It’s about joining a community where I’ll always belong, a belonging that can never be taken away. In other words, I’ll close with something point guards don’t often get to say: Thank you for the assist.”
Here’s a closer look at some of those Hall of Famers:
Carmelo Anthony
Anthony was a longtime popular figure during his 19 seasons in the NBA, where he earned 10 All-Star nods while making six All-NBA teams. One of the most prolific scorers in league history, Anthony became a beloved figure during his playing career. Anthony also led Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA national title as a freshman. He also won three Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012, 2016) and one bronze medal (2004). Presenters: Allen Iverson (2016), Dwyane Wade (2023).
Sue Bird
Bird is one of the greatest WNBA players of all-time, winning a record-tying four WNBA championships in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020. She spent all 20 seasons with the Seattle Storm as her No. 10 is retired by the franchise. Bird was a 13-time WNBA All-Star and earned eight All-WNBA nods in her illustrious career. She also won two NCAA championships with UConn in 2000 and 2002. Bird earned a historic five gold medals with USA Basketball in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. Presenters: Geno Auriemma (2006), Swin Cash (2022).
Billy Donovan
The Bulls coach amassed over 500 wins at the collegiate level in his 21 seasons at Marshall and Florida, including back-to-back titles wins with Florida in 2006 and 2007. Donovan has also spent a decade as an NBA coach, joining the Thunder in 2015 and spending his past five years in Chicago. He’s 438-362 in 800 career NBA games. Presenters: Maurice Cheeks (2018), Rick Pitino (2013).
“There are a lot of great coaches out there who maybe don’t get to coach a Carmelo Anthony or a Kevin Durant or a Joakim Noah or an Al Horford or Brad Beal,” Donovan said Friday. “That doesn’t mean every year we won, but those kinds of situations put you in a position to do something special.”
Dwight Howard
The defensive force was an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA honoree and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He is a first-ballot entrant in the Hall of Fame after building a dominant career with his rebounding and rim protection. Howard also won the 2020 NBA championship with the Lakers. Presenters: Patrick Ewing (2008), Robert Parish (2003), Dennis Rodman (2011), Dominique Wilkins (2006).
“Most of all, I owe a lot to the game of basketball,” Howard said during his speech. “Because of basketball, my life has been an amazing journey. I’ve been blessed to go to places around the world that I never would’ve imagined. Thanks to basketball, I’ve been able to see the world at a whole different angle.”
Maya Moore
Moore is considered one of the greatest winners of all-time as she helped lead the Lynx to four WNBA championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Moore played all eight seasons of her career with the Lynx as she was named a WNBA All-Star six times and made seven total All-WNBA teams. Moore was also the 2014 WNBA MVP and 2013 WNBA Finals MVP. She earned two NCAA national titles with UConn in 2009 and 2010. Moore took a hiatus from her playing career from 2019-23 to focus on reforming the American justice system before her official retirement. Presenters: Seimone Augustus (2024), Geno Auriemma (2006), Swin Cash (2022), Tamika Catchings (2020), Lindsay Whalen (2022).
“I think now more than ever, I’m appreciative of what I was able to do with my body, with my life, because it was so hard, it was so focused and fragile,” Moore said. “But it’s a delicate place to be able to stay at that elite level the way we do. I’m glad I was able to accomplish that for those years, but I definitely have a different measuring stick of success now.”
2008 USA Basketball Men’s National Team
“The Redeem Team” set out to earn the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — and that’s exactly what they did. Coming off a disappointing bronze medal finish at the 2004 Olympics, the next USA Basketball men’s squad went on to dominate in Beijing. They went 8-0 with an average margin of victory at 27.9 points per game. The Americans haven’t dropped an Olympics since then, winning the past five gold medals. Presenters: Jim Boeheim (2005), Chris Bosh (2021), Jerry Colangelo (2004), Jason Kidd (2018), Mike Krzyzewski (2001), Dwyane Wade (2023).
“I was watching ‘The Redeem Team’ documentary, I was like, ‘Damn, we were in the piss for a while,’” Bosh said. “We just couldn’t get it together. All these memories started rushing back because I was on that team. … That redeem arc was very, very important to a lot of people in more ways than one.”
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