Michael Jordan really could have walked onto the Hall of Fame stage and only said “Thank you” before walking away, and he still would’ve garnered headline news. John Stockton‘s speech was memorable because he showed more sense of humor in those 15-20 minutes than he did in 15-20 years in the NBA. Jerry Sloan‘s speech was notable for its resemblance to the way his teams play ball: a rough grind that drags on forever. And then C. Vivian Stringer simply commanded the stage: entertaining, inspiring, thoughtful, gracious and heartfelt.

Then there was David Robinson. His H.O.F. speech didn’t stand out as much as the others because, well, we already knew what we’d get from The Admiral. Always a better citizen than a basketball player, always a man of God first and foremost, he was predictably thankful and humble, and of course he talked about his faith. Read More »

Late last night, after hearing yet another TV analyst talk about Kobe Bryant‘s “drive” and “competitiveness” and “will to win” the same way you’d talk about a woman’s features, I wondered when we started defining our greatest athletes with intangible terms we can’t even define.

Nevermind the ring count: This is how Kobe has truly set himself apart from Shaq. Read More »