It looks like Allen Iverson’s upcoming Basketball Hall of Fame induction may have a significant sports media component. According to Philadelphia sports radio station 97.5 The Fanatic, one of the people Iverson asked to present him is none other than ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith:
I asked Stephen A, coach Brown and coach Thompson to present me to the HOF. Allen Iverson
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) June 23, 2016
That makes sense on a few fronts, as Iverson is most well-known for his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Smith was an important part of the coverage of that team during his time with The Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s not like media personalities introducing Hall of Fame inductees is new, either; fellow ESPN personality Chris Berman famously inducted Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson back in 2009, and there have been numerous other moves along those lines over the years. Still, it’s interesting to see an argumentative media personality like Smith tabbed alongside basketball legends like Larry Brown and John Thompson. Quite frankly, that’s a curious choice for Iverson to make.
[Update: And he may not actually be able to make it! Curtis Harris passes along that inductees have previously been asked to choose other Hall of Famers as their presenters, and while media members like Dick Vitale and Hubie Brown are in the Hall as contributors, SAS is not. We’ll see if that’s a rule or just a tradition.]
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About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.