LeBron James & Chris Paul Make History With HOF Induction

LeBron James and Chris Paul are both enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and they haven’t hung up their basketball kicks yet. Two members of the banana boat now have their orange jackets after being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for being a part of the historic “Redeem Team,” who secured gold in Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics following Team USA’s disappointing bronze medal performances in the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2006 FIBA Championships. While the acknowledgment of the team is a moment, James and Paul getting into the Basketball Hall of Fame is a historic moment because it marks the first time two currently active players have been bestowed with the prestigious honor usually given to players who have called it a career.

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Joining James and Paul were teammates Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, and Deron Williams. Also in attendance for the ceremony were head coach Mike Krzyzewski, assistant coaches Jim Boeheim and Mike D’Antoni, and managing director Jerry Colangelo, who attended the Class of 2025 induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts.

LeBron James Gives Kobe Bryant His Flowers For Leading The Redeem Team

The one person missing was the late Kobe Bryant, who was named team captain of the Redeem Team. During his speech, James made sure to give the late Los Angeles Laker his flowers, describing him as “the missing link” the 2008 Redeem Team needed “to regain dominance.” LeBron James and Chris Paul won’t be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for their prolific NBA careers until 2029, but this is an honor they can both revel in until that time comes. You can see more reactions to history being made in the gallery below.

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