Two of my all-time favorite players were elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame today- Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen. When I was a kid there were few more talented, hard working or notable players than these two. I am very happy that these two greats are joining the many illustrious players in the hall or fame.
My love of Karl Malone goes back a long way, but was solidified when I had the good fortune to be paired with him in a Hardee's commercial. I was about 11 or 12 when Karl and I spent a morning together shooting free throws in a driveway. He was very nice to me, signed many autographs and answered many of my questions while we shot the ad. I received some teasing from my friends about the commercial when it came on T.V., but it never bugged me because I got paid to hang out with a two time MVP, a great power forward from my favorite team and now, a hall of famer.
Scottie Pippen was always one of my favorite players. His defense, ball handling and work ethic made him stand out- even while playing in Michael Jordan's shadow. Pippen was fun to watch and complimented Jordan so well, that sometimes his play was more exciting than Michael's. I remember writing 33 on my shoes in eight grade as a tribute to Pippen, and insisting on wearing 33 in all our middle school games that year.
Cheers to Karl and Scottie.