Special connection with 2008 Hall of Fame class

The Class of 2008 at the Naismith Hall of Fame is filled with giants like Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Adrian Dantley, Pat Riley and Pistons’ owner Bill Davidson. But my personal favorites are inductees Cathy Rush and Dick Vitale. I’ve known Cathy since she was a young mother who coached Immaculata - a small Catholic school just west of the Philly Main Line - to three consecutive AIAW national championships and had a 147-15 record between 1970-77; and led her non-scholarship teams to six consecutive appearances in the AIAW Final Four before leaving. She had grace, beauty, personality, style and a high basketball IQ and was a true pioneer in the women’s game. The 68-year old Vitale is also a close personal friend. He has been a true ambassador of the sport since he started at ESPN in 1979 and is one of the most accessible, sensitive, passionate analysts in the history of TV. Dick was in tears when he was introduced to the crowd at the inductees’ press conference ... (link)