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Saturday was the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, and the event ended with the honor of the night.
The final basketball player to get inducted was Carmelo Anthony, who was graciously followed by his chosen representatives of Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. He was greeted with a highlight reel of his moments from his championship-winning days with the Syracuse Orange in 2003 through his days with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks.
He delivered a touching speech about what the moment means to him, and how his success represents all who believed in him, and even the haters who fueled his passion for basketball.
“Tonight, I don’t just step into the Hall of Fame,” Anthony said. “I carry with me the echoes of every voice that ever told me I couldn’t. I walk with the shadows of every alley, every cracked court, every empty plate. I stand for the dreamers, the doubted, the dismissed, for every soul trapped in a place where I broke free from.”
The former New York Knick urged any young people with grand dreams of success to follow that little hopeful voice they hear to better their surroundings and touch greatness like him.
“You are the quiet whisper inside you that says, ‘I know there is more for me in this life.’ Hold on to that voice. It will be tested,” he said. “They will tell you it’s foolish. They will laugh at your belief. But let me tell you, they laughed at me too.”
Others honored include WNBA players Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and coach Billy Donovan. Another NBA player in Anthony’s era who was enshrined over the weekend was Dwight Howard, who was inducted individually and as a group for his role as part of the 2008 US Men’s Olympic basketball team.
Dubbed “The Redeem Team,” the rest of the roster was inducted as well. That includes LeBron James and Chris Paul, who made history as the first-ever active players to reach Hall of Fame status.
The entire squad —save for Kobe Bryant—took the stage to celebrate the gold medal-winning honor.
See social media’s reaction to the night below.