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The Best of the Day: May 15th, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from May 15, 2021 including Kobe, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett being inducted into the HOF, and more!
ESPN
The ‘Best of the Day’ is a daily PSO original series showcasing the most significant stories, highlights, and facts going on in the land of the NFL, NBA, & MLB every day. Get a recap on EVERYTHING that happened on 5/15 here.
The 2020 NBA Hall of Fame class was inducted on Sunday, as the late Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett were each enshrined. This was arguably the greatest class ever, as all three players not only achieved incredible individual success, but also won at the highest level. Also, Jackie Bradley Jr. snagged another would-be homer, Julius Randle’s triple-double powered NYK past CHA in OT, and Magic Johnson set the NBA postseason record with 24 AST on this day in 1984.
Here is the best of the day from May 15, 2021:
2020 NBA Hall of Fame Class was finally inducted with 3 legends immortalized forever
After being delayed due to the pandemic, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finally inducted the 2020 class on Sunday. While all Hall of Fame classes are special, the 2020 class will go down as one of, if not the best classes of all time, featuring three legendary figures in basketball history in Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett.
Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett combined for the most All-Star selections (48), All-NBA Teams (39), and All-NBA First Teams (25) of any class ever. While their statistical success and awards were unmatched, even more impressive was their winning legacies. Kobe (5x champion), Duncan (5x), and KG (1x) won 11 of 16 NBA titles between 1999 and 2014 while combining for four other finals appearances. Each player will leave a lasting impact on the game of basketball due to both their team and individual success, and now will be forever immortalized in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Kobe Bryant will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2021
Bryant capped off his NBA career with a 60-point performance, the most by a player in his final game in NBA history.
At 37 years old, he was over five years older than any other player to score 60 points in a game. pic.twitter.com/JRufA6khDD
Tim Duncan will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2021
Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players with 25,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks in their careers.
He is the 2nd player in NBA history to win an NBA title in three different decades (John Salley). pic.twitter.com/7L4Mldjq5v
Kevin Garnett will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2021
Garnett is the Timberwolves’ all-time leader in games, points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.
He is the only player to lead a current franchise in all of those categories. pic.twitter.com/9FJQ9AXvqB
Related: Stories of the Day
THIS HALL OF FAME CLASS WILL GO DOWN AS THE GREATEST EVER
The trio of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett have accounted for 11 of the last 22 NBA championships (50%), and are the main members of the NBA HOF class of 2020. They are all legends when it comes to the game of basketball, and will collectively go down as the greatest class in the history of the sport. On top of the 11 rings, they have accumulated 48 All-Star appearances, 25 All-NBA first team awards, 26 All-NBA defensive first-team honors, five finals MVPs, and four season MVPs.
When it comes to ranking them amongst the others, their biggest competition is the class of 2009, which featured Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and David Robinson. MJ is generally considered the best basketball player ever, and they rank fifth, sixth, and 19th respectively in all-time NBA win shares. Although the advanced analytics ranks 2009 slightly higher than the class of 2020 (largely single-handedly because of MJ), Kobe/Duncan/KG have more titles, All-Star appearances, and fist team All-NBA awards.
As a whole, there is no doubt this is the greatest class ever because of how decorated each player is. KG leads the Timberwolves in all-time points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He is the only player to lead a current franchise in all five of these categories. Duncan is widely considered the greatest Power Forward of all time as the main cog in the Spurs dominant dynasty. Kobe, by most standards, is a top-five player to ever touch a basketball court while transcending the sport and beyond with his ‘mamba mentality’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b3GrE3meQE
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
Jackie Bradley Jr. added to his career collection
JBJ did it again! 😱 pic.twitter.com/4cXCaPTO1j
— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2021
Related: MLB Highlights
PF Julius Randle, NYK (W v.CHA): 33 PTS (12-25 FG | 4-10 3P), 13 AST, 10 REB, 0 BLK, 1 STL, 4 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (5/15/21) - PF Julius Randle, NYK
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
TOP FACTS:
- 1st NYK season with 20+ PPG/10+ RPG/5+ APG ever
- 1st 30pt triple-double by a Knicks player since Melo '12
- Knicks can clinch home-court with a win Sunday
KEY STATS:
33 PTS, 13 AST, 10 REB, 12-25 FG (48%), 4-10 3P https://t.co/5J7tl3LQWw
Related: Players of the Day
Charlotte Hornets (109) vs. New York Knicks (118) [OT]
[Highlights] @KNICKS (-225; $18.02) d. HORNETS (+194; $14.88) 118-109 (OT) [NYK -5.5 | o211.5]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
Emmitt Smith was the greatest RB in NFL History
HOF resume of @EmmittSmith22:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
- 8x Pro Bowl
- 4x All-Pro, 2x 2nd Team
- 3x Champion, Super Bowl 28 MVP
- 1993 NFL MVP
- 1990 NFL OROY
- 4x NFL RUSH YDS Leader
- 3x NFL RUSH TD Leader
- 1990s All-Decade
- All-time RUSH YDS, RUSH TD, & RUSH ATT Leader
pic.twitter.com/oZoOPla1No
Emmitt Smith's all-time NFL records:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
- RUSH YDS (18,355)
- RUSH TD (164)
- RUSH ATT (4,409)
- Playoff RUSH YDS (1,586)
- Playoff TD (21)
- YScm (21,579) & TD (175) by a RB
- GP (78) with 100+ RUSH YDS
- Seasons (14) w/ 1,000+ YScm & w/ 1,000 RUSH YDS (11)pic.twitter.com/GvifrLRFqA
Most RUSH YDS in NFL history:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
1. Emmitt Smith (18,355)
2. Walter Payton (16,726)
3. Frank Gore (16,000)^
4. Barry Sanders (15,289)
5. Adrian Peterson (14,820)^ pic.twitter.com/uKYCBQ8Rd5
Most RUSH TD in NFL history:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
1. Emmitt Smith (164)
2. LaDainian Tomlinson (145)
3. Marcus Allen (123)
4. Adrian Peterson (118)^
5. Walter Payton (110)
6. Jim Brown (106)
pic.twitter.com/6rIEym72Cr
Most career GP with 100+ RUSH YDS in NFL history:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
1. Emmitt Smith (78)
2. Walter Payton (77)
3. Barry Sanders (76)
4. Eric Dickerson (64)
5. Jerome Bettis (61) pic.twitter.com/7SkqeOZGO3
Most seasons with 1,000+ YScm by a RB in NFL history:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
1. Emmitt Smith (14)
2. Frank Gore (12)
T3. Warrick Dunn (11)
T3. Marshall Faulk (11)
T3. Marcus Allen (11)
pic.twitter.com/fBA01RNfva
Related: Latest PSO Posts
DATE: May 15, 1984
SIGNIFICANCE: Magic Johnson set a playoff record with 24 AST in the Lakers’ Game 2 win over Phoenix in the WCF
FULL story on Magic Johnson's all-time postseason performance: https://t.co/cI2lvFGkdF
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) May 16, 2021
Related: Significant Sports History
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