The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony is an annual event, but it has never had the buzz that this year’s ceremony did. The enshrinement of Michael Jordan brought more people, more attention and more buzz than Springfield or the Hall of Fame has ever seen. A night which usually doesn’t see much fanfare beyond the world of basketball turns into something more like Academy awards.
That should be no surprise, because Jordan’s presence has had that effect since his day in Chapel Hill. Whether or not you agree that Jordan was the greatest player in history, you can’t deny that there has never been a player who has influenced more aspiring players around the world than he has.
On the court, he was the ultimate combination of talent and competitiveness, the ultimate showman and the ultimate winner. Off the court, he was the ultimate spokesman and marketer of the game. To this day, Jordan’s highlights elicit an emotional response, and they drew oohs and ahs from the Symphony Hall crowd before he was introduced.
And now, two days later, Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech is still the biggest topic in basketball. And for the most part, the reviews were not positive. Common accusations were that MJ was confrontational, bullying, pretty, ungrateful, and that he primarily used his stage to settle old scores. It’s obvious who amongst the critics have never played sports, or is so far removed from playing that they forget what it’s like to competitive. True, Mike didn’t exhibit anything near the vulnerability of his speech.
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