The 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class has officially been inducted after a star-studded ceremony on Saturday in Springfield, Massachusetts. Some of the greatest basketball players to ever take the floor, on both the men’s and women’s side, gathered on stage to reflect on their careers and express appreciation to those who helped get them to the Hall of Fame. Here is the full list of Saturday’s inductees:
- Carmelo Anthony (Player)
- Dwight Howard (Player)
- Sue Bird (Player)
- Maya Moore (Player)
- Sylvia Fowles (Player)
- Danny Crawford (Referee)
- 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s team (Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams)
- Billy Donovan (Coach)
- Micky Arison (Contributor / Executive)
Here are some of the best moments from the 2025 Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.
LeBron honors Kobe
Noticeably missing from the induction of the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s team was the late Kobe Bryant, whose spirit was felt on stage. Former Olympic teammate LeBron James was sure to honor Bryant during the team’s enshrinement.
“He was the missing link we needed in order to regain dominance with Team USA,” James said of Bryant.
Forever known as “The Redeem Team,” the 2008 Olympic roster was perhaps the best in the history of international basketball. They won gold at the Beijing Olympics after a series of disappointments by Team USA in previous competitions. Bryant was, of course, a huge part of the team’s success, and James wanted to make sure everyone remembered that.
Melo gets emotional
Carmelo Anthony delivered a heartfelt speech cataloguing the many stops along his basketball journey, but he hit a speed bump when addressing his late father, also named Carmelo, who died of cancer when Anthony was two years old. Anthony’s mother, Mary, was also visibly emotional during the tribute.
“You left this world too soon but you never left me,” Anthony said.
Anthony is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, and now he can add Hall of Famer to his long list of accomplishments. He also thanked the New York Knicks, perhaps the most memorable of all his NBA teams.
“To the New York Knicks, and the city of New York, the Mecca of Basketball, you gave me more than a jersey,” Anthony said. “You gave me an identity, from the lights of Madison Square Garden, to the heartbeat of every borough. I felt that energy. I carried it. I became it.”
Dwight impersonates Van Gundy
Dwight Howard stayed on brand with his Hall of Fame speech, cracking jokes and getting emotional with a beaming, ear-to-ear grin permanently glued to his face. He talked about how his parents’ support helped him achieve his ultimate goal.
“Pops, when I was 10, I said, ‘I know I can be the number one pick in the NBA draft’, and you believed in me as much as I did,” Howard said. “But you wanted me to commit to it. I wrote down my goals, and I placed them above my bed, along with my cross, and you helped me work to achieve those goals day after day. Look at how life works. Pops, Mom, your son is in the Hall of Fame.”
He then brought the house down with a spot-on impression of his former Orlando Magic coach, Stan Van Gundy, who was in attendance for the enshrinement.
In classic Howard fashion, he managed to elicit smiles and laughter befitting of the gentle giant he was during his storied NBA career.
Bird recognizes progress
One of the greatest basketball players of all time, male or female, Sue Bird gave an energetic speech on Saturday in which she ribbed former coach Geno Auriemma, but she also hailed the progress that women’s basketball has seen since her career began.
“What a wild journey over 30 years to go from no league at all to a league of our own, and today, the ultimate place of belonging here in Springfield,” Bird said.
Indeed, the popularity of the WNBA — and women’s sports in general — has grown exponentially since Bird was a teenager at UConn, and will only continue to blossom.
