Bryant, Lester Help Cubs Over Astros
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 SPORTS Iverson, Shaq headline emotional Hall of Fame ceremony SPRINGFIELD: When Shaquille O’Neal was But he also tossed in light moments. He from the crowd and a laugh from Iverson. 10 years old, his father made a prediction. thanked former Lakers teammate Kobe Yao also thanked his early mentors in Friday night when his son became a Hall of Bryant for helping him win three NBA titles, China, former NBA Commissioner David Famer, it was realized. Shaq and Allen “but also for getting me pushed off the Stern for his vision in wanting Yao to play in Iverson headlined the 10-member Class of team and traded to Miami.” the league, as well his first teammates on 2016 enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Before host Ahmad Rashad could even the Houston Rockets. He also singled is for- Basketball Hall of Fame. One of the most introduce Iverson, the first mention of his mer NBA coaches, including Rudy star-packed classes in recent memory, it name started a roar of cheers throughout Tomjonavich and Jeff Van Gundy. also featured international star Yao Ming, the assembled audience. Dressed in all “I will always consider you my family,” WNBA great Sheryl Swoopes, coach Tom black, former MVP known as “A.I.,” blew kiss- Yao said. “I am Texan and Houston Rocket Izzo, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf, an architect es has tears began to form in his eyes. for life.” Izzo has become the face of the in the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls “Thank God for loving me and blessing blue-collar Michigan State team while lead- championship teams of the 1990s. me,” Iverson said, “to be the man that I am ing it to seven Final Fours and the NCAA “If I know my father, he’s up there argu- and having no regrets for the man that I championship in 2000. ing with Wilt (Chamberlain) that his son is am. A man that my family loves, my team- He thanked his parents, Carl and the best big man in the game,” Shaq said. mates love and my fans love.” Dororthy, for being his first mentors. The Posthumous honorees were: 27-year NBA Fighting tears throughout, Iverson 90-year-old Dorothy was in attendance, but referee Darell Garretson; John McLendon, thanked former Georgetown coach John Carl passed away last September. the first African-American coach in a pro- Thompson “for saving my life.” Izzo briefly got choked up as he spoke fessional league; Zelmo Beaty, the former of his father, who he said instilled in him a NBA and ABA star who led Prairie View to OK BASKETBALL PLAYER work ethic that remains with him today. an NAIA title in 1962; and Cumberland “(After) the incident happened in high “The seven Final Fours and champi- Posey, who is also a member of the school and all that was taken away...no other onship are just frosting on the cake,” Izzo Baseball Hall of Fame. schools would recruit me anymore,” Iverson said. Reinsdorf, the longtime Bulls owner, Shaq was an instant box office draw recalled. “My mom went to Georgetown and chronicled what led him to purchase the during his career because of his mammoth begged him to give me a chance. And he did.” Bulls in 1984. It was a move he said leg- frame and rim-shaking dunks. But he also He said he later left Georgetown only as “an SPRINGFIELD: Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Sheryl Swoopes react after endary New York Yankees coach George exhibited a personality that was as playful OK basketball player.” the 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on Steinbrenner panned, telling him he’d nev- was it was engaging. He showed off all of it “But once I started to listen to Larry Friday in Springfield, Massachusetts. — AFP er make any money. on Friday. He had the final speech of the Brown and take constructive criticism, I Famer.” Two of the themes on the night from China to the NBA in 2002 instantly He enjoyed proving him wrong. “It’s night, a humorous dissertation that learned how much of a great, great coach were family and journeys. That was the helped bring the game to a broader inter- been a great life,” he said. “I know it’s the spanned his long journey in the sport. His that he really is. ... That’s when I became an essence of Swoopes’ speech, who was national audience. He was Friday’s first fourth quarter, but I’m hoping for overtime.” speech had serious moments like thanking MVP.” Iverson saved his final thank you for thankful of her path from tiny Brownsfield, inductee, an honor which he joked that Like his father, Shaq too has a wish. “One his parents, Phil Harrison and Lucille O’Neal, wife Tawanna. “You’re just the best to me,” Texas, and that her cancer-stricken mother, should have gone to Iverson. day when some father quizzes his sons on for giving him the discipline and drive that he said. “I want you to walk around and be Louise, was able to see it. “What a ride it’s “You know why? Because I need more the greats of the game, I hope Shaquille drove his NBA dream. proud of yourself that you are a Hall of been,” she said. The 7-foot-6 Yao’s arrival practice than him,” Yao said to applause O’Neal will be the answer,” he said. — AP Bryant, Lester help Cubs over Astros HOUSTON: Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer, Longoria off Dellin Betances put runners at the Jon Lester threw seven scoreless innings and corners. Betances stayed in after a 51-minute Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman finished delay, and struck out Miller. Logan Morrison off the Chicago Cubs’ 2-0 victory over the hit an RBI single, and Betances struck out Houston Astros on Friday night. It was Bryant’s Stephen Souza Jr. at 12:11 a.m. for his career- first career game against the team that passed best 10th save. Adam Warren (2-1) was the on him with the first pick in the 2013 draft to winner, and Blake Snell (5-8) the loser. take starter Mark Appel, who was traded to Philadelphia this offseason before ever playing RED SOX 13, BLUE JAYS 3 in the majors. Bryant, taken second in that Rick Porcello pitched seven innings to draft, gave Houston an up-close look at what become the first 20-game winner in the could have been when he smacked his 37th majors, Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer homer off Joe Musgrove (2-4) to put the Cubs and Boston beat Toronto to increase its AL East up 2-0 in the fifth inning. Lester (16-4) allowed lead to two games. Xander Bogaerts homered, seven hits and struck out seven for his seventh Dustin Pedroia had three hits and four RBIs, straight win. He hasn’t lost since July 3, hasn’t and the Red Sox used 18 hits to rough up the allowed a run in three of those starts and gave sloppy, slumping Blue Jays in the opener of a up just one run in four others in that span. pivotal three-game series between the divi- Rondon took over for the eighth and struck sion’s top two teams. Porcello (20-3) allowed out two before Aroldis Chapman struck out two runs and six hits to become Boston’s first one in a perfect ninth for his 13th save. The 20-game winner since Josh Beckett in 2007. Cubs are major league-best 90-50. Marco Estrada (8-8) was the loser. The Red Sox broke it open by scoring six runs in a 10-batter MARLINS 4, DODGERS 1 seventh. Bogaerts hit a leadoff drive off Scott Jose Fernandez tied a career high with 14 Feldman, his 18th. Three batters later, Ramirez strikeouts, overshadowing Clayton Kershaw’s connected off Feldman, his 22nd. Pedroia return from injury in Miami’s victory over Los capped the rally with a two-run single off Ryan Angeles. Fernandez (14-8) gave up three hits Tepera. and three walks in seven shutout innings. It was the fifth time he has struck out 14, and INDIANS 5, TWINS 4 third this season. Kershaw (11-3) had not start- Mike Napoli hit a mammoth home run on ed for the Dodgers since June 26 because of a the first pitch of the fifth inning to give mild disk herniation in his back. He threw 66 Cleveland the lead, and the Indians beat pitches, 46 for strikes, and allowed two runs Minnesota maintain their six-game lead in the and five hits over three innings. The three-time AL Central. The Indians won for the ninth time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 NL MVP in their last 11 games, but a concern came up struck out five and did not walk a batter. J.T. when starter Danny Salazar was removed after Realmuto homered for Miami, which four innings due to tightness in his right fore- improved to 5-0 against the NL West leaders arm. Napoli’s drive off Tyler Duffey (8-11) was this season. Yasmani Grandal hit his 25th estimated by the Twins at 456 feet, landing in homer in the ninth for the Dodgers, who tried the third deck above left field. That followed to rally against Fernando Rodney before A.J. Byron Buxton’s two-out, two-run homer that Ramos came in and closed it out for his career- tied the game against Salazar in the fourth.