William W. "Bill" Bradley's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech

Jerry Lucas introduces William W. "Bill" Bradley as he delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1983. To learn more about William W. "Bill" Bradley take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famer...

[@MaddenManification]

Bill Bradley really delivered a great speech here.

[@davidrembert137]

😊😊 wow that Golden Era ✨️ 💛 of sportsman ship! & 50yrs. ago .The New York Knickerbocker wow ...won two back to back basketball Championship 🏀

[@aaronbenellis]

Publicity Move. Bill was up for re-election. Was a legend for his team not hall of fame. He deserves the hall just as much as AC Green

[@gregorsamsa1364]

Publicity move? You don't get to just choose to be indicted into the hall of Fame. And wasn't up for reelection for another two years after this

[@robertrogers2264]

Numbers aren't everything but it is hard to argue that a stat line of 12-3-3 is Hall of Fame worthy. I think when people look at Bradley they consider him being a Rhodes Scholar at Princeton who broke the mold of the dumb jock and for his long after basketball career as a senator. The fact that he played on Knick championship teams that featured true hall of famers like Frazier, Monroe, Reed and DeBusschere worked well in his favor too. As the whole package perhaps Bradley is entitled to HOF enshrinement but looking purely at statistics no way. Countless players have put up Bradley-like numbers and were never even remotely considered for election to the hall.

[@uncletony6210]

win a chip then become a senator and the hall's automatic.

[@Manpreet1572]

Also won the euroleague

[@likespurple2261]

ouch.

[@michaelzeisler2257]

His college career is definitely Worthy

[@icebirdz]

Parlayed fame into---> DEMOCRAT senator.............like John Glen ....Bad party choice even then.....BUT articulate guy from Crystal City got our GREAT- John Mcphee - to write BOOK "a sense of where you are"...Good Book....Nice Speech HERE!....

[@Amick44]

I'm sorry, but he doesn't belong. Not as a player. Thoughtful, well informed man, decent, solid player. But in no way Hall of Fame caliber.

[@deonfra]

Mick A really tho he comes from my home town he was a dog at all 3 levels

[@Amick44]

Pretty decent player, but by NO means outstanding. He is no Bobby Dandridge, Lou Hudson or Walter Davis. All far better, all not in the Hall. ???

[@michaelzeisler2257]

On a college-level he was definitely a Hall of Famer

[@Amick44]

@@michaelzeisler2257 I would say it bothers me that he got inducted since he was never outstanding in the pros. His presenter, Jerry Lucas was a huge collegiate star, who was also an excellent (not simply good) pro. Bill Walton, more injured than not as a pro, was truly superb in his time at Portland. He was also gets my vote as the top collegiate player of all time. He or Bill Russell. I admit i feel the pro play should hold heavier weight than the college career. Walton an exception? He was truly dominant on both levels. Not so for Bradley. Nonetheless, I have read many rate him extremely high as a collegian.

[@bradtdarius]

Folks are used to professional athletes being inducted into Halls of Fame, particularly with Football and Baseball. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is more comprehensive, and inductees can be chosen for excellence on any level;it's NOT the NBA Hall of Fame. True, Bradley was an average pro, statistically, but had one of the most storied college careers in basketball history., and could have been inducted just for that. He was also an Olympic Gold Medal winner, and an European League champion, besides being a 2-time NBA champion. Bradley and Manu Ginobli are the only two players in basketball history to do this. In addition, he led, prior to going to the NBA, Oxford University's team to two British national titles, while a Rhodes Scholar;furthermore, led a team to an AAU Men's Basketball national championship as well. As a basketball player / contributor, he deserved to be inducted.

[@michaelares4240]

There are always haters