Iverson,O'Neal Steal Show at Basketball HOF

By ESPN

Only Allen Iverson could deliver a Hall of Fame speech that name-checked '90s rappers, referenced "Chappelle's Show" and thanked just about every person he met along his basketball journey. Only Shaquille O'Neal 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 Fame's Class of 2016 lived up to its lofty billing with an epic three-hour induction ceremony Friday night at Springfield's Symphony Hall, with Iverson and O'Neal 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. ... That's 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 didn't really look real to me. You know what I mean? I don't know if you all watch the 'Chappelle Show,' but he talked about a certain incident where somebody's seeing Rick James. Like I literally seen his aura. It looked like he was glowing.

"I'm sitting there, and I'm saying, 'Man, that's Michael.' And I'm looking at him. I can't stop looking at him. I'm looking at his shoes, and I'm like, man, he's got on the Jordans! It was my Mike. It was my idol, my hero."