Basketball HOF induction roundup: Speeches by NBA icons of 2024 class

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed its class of 2024 on Sunday. Of this year's 13 inductees, six boast strong connections to the NBA, either through historic playing careers, coaching and front-office stints, or their several years' worth of work on the broadcast.

Chauncey Billups

Billups played for seven different franchises over 17 seasons, but he's best remembered for his run with the Detroit Pistons from 2002-08, during which he led the club to the NBA championship in 2004, its first in 14 years. As he mentioned in his speech Sunday, Motor City is where the moniker "Mr. Big Shot" was born - and his No. 1 will remain untouched in the Pistons' rafters after the team retired it in 2016. Now the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Billups' impact is still felt in Detroit; he ranks second all time in franchise history in total 3-pointers (890), fourth in assists (2,984), and eighth in made free throws (2,336) despite falling outside the top 10 in games played.

Jerry West

The Class of 2024 is West's third induction to the Hall but the first to be done posthumously following his death in June. Recognized first in 1980 for his playing career and again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, the NBA legend known as "The Logo" is being honored for a record third time in 2024 for his contributions as a longtime front-office executive and consultant. His son Jonnie West, an executive with the Golden State Warriors, delivered an emotional induction speech in his absence, recognizing the late NBA icon for his decades of behind-the-scenes work following his playing days.

Vince Carter

Carter earned several nicknames related to his electrifying dunking ability throughout his record 22-year career, including "Vinsanity" and "Half Man, Half Amazing." But he might be most partial to his newest label: Hall of Famer. The high-flyer represented eight franchises before retiring in 2020 but first made a name for himself with the Toronto Raptors. He won Rookie of the Year in 1999 with the organization while dominating highlight reels and helping fill opponents' arenas thanks to his explosive play above the rim. His performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest is still considered one of the greatest in the competition's history. Carter spent six-and-a-half seasons in Toronto, making the team one of the league's most popular. The eight-time All-Star was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 2004, where he played some of his best basketball for the next four-and-a-half years.

Doug Collins

Like West, Collins' 2024 enshrinement recognizes his overall contributions to the sport. Following an eight-year playing career with the Philadelphia 76ers, including four All-Star selections, in the 1970s to early 1980s, Collins moved behind the bench. He served as a head coach for four organizations across 11 campaigns and is arguably best remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls and a young Michael Jordan shortly before the franchise's dynastic run in the 1990s. The 73-year-old maintained his connection to the NBA following his coaching tenure by working as an analyst for several of the league's top broadcast partners, including TNT, ABC, ESPN, and NBC.

Michael Cooper

Cooper's former coach on the Los Angeles Lakers, Pat Riley, deemed him "the GOAT of perimeter defenders," which is perhaps as succinct a description of the eight-time All-Defensive selection and former Defensive Player of the Year as it gets. A five-time champion with the Showtime Lakers squads of the '80s, Cooper was renowned for his frequent work shutting down opponents' most potent scoring threats. Of the Showtime era, only fellow Hall of Famer Magic Johnson (1,060) played more games for the Lakers than Cooper (1,038). He also had considerable success as a head coach in the WNBA, steering the Los Angeles Sparks to back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002 after being named the 2000 Coach of the Year.

Walter Davis

The late Davis played 11 seasons of his 15-year career with the Phoenix Suns, and he racked up two All-NBA appearances, six All-Star selections, and the 1978 Rookie of the Year award in that span. Despite playing his final game for Phoenix in 1988, Davis has yet to be dethroned as the franchise's all-time scoring leader with 15,666 points. A gold medalist with the 1976 U.S. Olympic team, his No. 6 was retired by the Suns in 1994 - two years after he last suited up in the NBA as a member of the Denver Nuggets.