Perk explains why Isiah Thomas will present KG at Hall of Fame ceremony

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/kendrick-perkins-explains-why-isiah-thomas-will-present-kevin-garnett-hall-fame?cid=Yahoo&partner=ya4nbcs



Perk explains why Isiah Thomas will present KG at Hall of Fame ceremony

APR 17, 2021

BY NICK GOSS


The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class is one of the best in history, and it's headlined by three NBA legends -- Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett.

Earlier this week, the Hall of Fame announced who will present each of these soon-to-be enshrined players (and the other members of the 2020 class) during the induction ceremony scheduled for May 15.

David Robinson will present Duncan. Michael Jordan will do the same for Bryant, and Isiah Thomas will fill that role for Garnett.


Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
·
Apr 15
Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant in the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame
@Hoophall
induction ceremony on May 15. Full list of inductees and presenters:



For Boston Celtics fans, Garnett's induction will be a special moment. Although he spent most of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, his trade from the T-Wolves to the Celtics in 2007 had the greatest impact on Boston winning the 2008 NBA Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Garnett quickly became an iconic player in the Celtics' storied history despite playing just six seasons in Boston.

You might be wondering: Why would Garnett choose Thomas?

Well, as former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins explained Thursday night on NBC Sports Boston's "Celtics Postgame Live", Garnett and Thomas have a great relationship that goes back many years.

"Isiah Thomas was a mentor to Kevin Garnett and is one of his favorite players and one of his favorite people of all time," Perkins said.

Perkins gives powerful message to Celtics' bench after awful showing
Perkins, who played with Garnett for three-plus seasons in Boston, also detailed how Thomas believing in Garnett from an early age helped strengthen their bond.

"Isiah Thomas was the first person to give KG hope of coming out of high school. He told everyone in the gym that Kevin Garnett was going to be a pro. Ever since then, their relationship, their brotherhood has been inseparable."

Watch Perkins' entire comments on the subject in the video below:


Bob
MY NOTE:  If you want to hear Perk's comments on the video you have to go to the website itself.  The link is provided at top. In case there's any confusion, it's Zeke who will be presenting KG, not IT.


.

When is Paul Pierce eligible for the HOF?

Should be very soon...next year? The following year at the latest I'm guessing...

db

worcester wrote:When is Paul Pierce eligible for the HOF?

worcester and dbrown,

Paul Pierce will almost certainly be going into the HOF in the 2021 class.  Next year.  Eligibility requires you have to be out of the league at least 5 years.  Pierce played another year after KG retired, that's why he's not eligible until the year after KG.


Here are the finalists for the 2021 class.  

After electing a star-studded Class of 2020 -- led by NBA legends Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant -- the Basketball Hall of Fame will officially enshrine two classes in 2021.

The full Class of 2020 was unveiled on April 4, 2020. The nine new members of the Basketball Hall of Fame will be enshrined May 14-16 at Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Connecticut, after the original 2020 ceremony was delayed and relocated due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Class of 2021 will be enshrined later this year. Finalists for this year's class were unveiled on March 9, and the full class will be revealed May 16, as part of the Class of 2020 enshrinement weekend.



Class of 2021 Finalists

North American Committee

Rick Adelman (coach)

Chris Bosh (player)

Michael Cooper (player)

Tim Hardaway (player)

Marques Johnson (player)

Paul Pierce (player)

Bill Russell (coach)*

Ben Wallace (player)

Chris Webber (player)

Jay Wright (coach)

*Russell was enshrined as a player in 1975.


Women's Committee

Leta Andrews (coach)

Yolanda Griffith (player)

Lauren Jackson (player)

Marianne Stanley (coach)


Direct-Elect Categories

One nominee from each of these categories gets selected for enshrinement. The list of nominees is not narrowed down to finalists before the enshrinee is unveiled.


Contributors

Val Ackerman

Marv Albert

Dick Baumgartner

Bill Bertka

Henry Bibby

Marty Blake

Vic Bubas

Doug Collins

Wayne Duke

Lou Dunbar

Bill Foster

Howard Garfinkel

Harry Glickman

Marty Glickman

Simon Gourdine

Curt Gowdy

Tim Grgurich

Del Harris

Greg Heineman

Robert Indiana

Johnny "Red" Kerr

Bill King

John Kline

Red Klotz

Tom Konchalski

Bobby Lewis

Herbert Livsey

Jack McCloskey

Jerry McHale

Johnny Most

Dennis Murphy

Joe O'Toole

Billy Packer

Jack Powers

Dee Rowe

Sam Schulman

Zelda Spoelstra

Jim Valvano

Donnie Walsh

Jerome Williams


Early African-American Pioneers

Clarence "Puggy" Bell

Sonny Boswell

Bill Garrett

Inman Jackson

Clarence "Fats" Jenkins

Harry "Bucky" Lew

Davage "Dave" Minor

Hudson Oliver

Al "Runt" Pullins

James "Pappy" Ricks

Paul Robeson

Eyre Saitch

William "Wee Willie" Smith


International Committee

Tal Brody

Jacky Chazalon

Alphonso Ford

Giuseppe Giergia

Dusan Ivkovic

Semen Khalipski

Vladimir Kondrashin

Toni Kukoc

Eduardo Lamas

Marcos Leite

Shimon Mizrahi

Aldo Ossola

Amaury Pasos

Dan Peterson

Manuel Sainz

Togo Soares

Ranko Zeravica


Veterans Committee

1936 US Olympic Team (Team)

1964 State Department Basketball Ambassadors (Team)

1965 World University Games Team (Team)

Tom Blackburn (Coach)

Ron Boone (Player)

Sid Borgia (Referee)

Frank Brian (Player)

Joe Caldwell (Player)

Mack Calvin (Player)

Darel Carrier (Player)

Jack Coleman (Player)

Bob Dandridge (Player)

Charles Eckman (Referee)

Leroy Edwards (Player)

Leo Ferris (Contributor)

Clarence "Bevo" Francis (Player)

Buck Freeman (Coach)

Donnie Freeman (Player)

Hy Gotkin (Player)

Travis Grant (Player)

Bob Grody (Player)

Robert Harrison (Player)

Flo Harvey (Player)

Dick Hemric (Player)

Cam Henderson (Coach)

Robert Hopkins (Player)

Lou Hudson (Player)

Warren Jabali (Player)

Jimmy Jones (Player)

Charles Keinath (Player)

Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (Team)

Freddie Lewis (Player)

Jim Loscutoff (Player)

Loyola of Chicago (Team)

Billy Markward (Contributor)

Ed McCluskey (Coach)

Ray Mears (Coach)

Francis Meehan (Player)

Lucias Mitchell (Coach)

Donald "Dudey" Moore (Coach)

Willie Naulls (Player)

North Catholic HS JV (Philadelphia, PA) (Team)

Philadelphia SPHAS (Team)

Mel Riebe (Player)

Glenn Roberts (Player)

Holcombe Rucker (Contributor)

Kenny Sailors (Player)

Fred Schaus (Contributor)

Sam Schulman (Contributor)

Kenny Sears (Player)

Frank Selvy (Player)

George Senesky (Player)

Paul Seymour (Player)

Charles Siler (Contributor)

Talvin Skinner (Player)

Elmore Smith (Player)

Ken Suesens (Player)

Dick Van Arsdale (Player)

Tom Van Arsdale (Player)

Perry Wallace (Player)

Frank Walsh (Contributor)

Willie Wise (Player)

Max Zaslofsky (Player)


Women Veterans Committee

Alline Banks Sprouse (Player)

Edmonton Commercial Grads (Team)

John Head (Coach)

Pearl Moore (Player)

Nashville Business College (Team)

Lometa Odom (Player)

Harley Redin (Coach)

Theresa Shank (Player)

Hazel Walker (Player)



Bob


.