Springfield Quest 2020 has become Springfield Quest 2021. Due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 Induction weekend has been moved to May 14th and 15th in 2021. WE ARE ONLY FIVE DAYS AWAY!! Joshua and I have been planning this trip for over 2 years and the day is fast approaching.
What Players Will Attend? (Update)
In Part 1 of this series I wondered what other players would be attending the weekend that we might be able to meet and interact with. Of course, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Tamika Catchings will be the players being inducted next weekend. There will be a gaping hole in the weekend with the absence of Kobe. I look forward to being there in person when the Hall of Fame honors him. (As I mentioned in my first post, Kobe was very kind to my son and I and signed some cards for us after one of Gianna’s basketball games against my daughter’s school.)
We now know some of the other presenters and award winners that are scheduled to attend the weekend events. The legendary Michael Jordan will be presenting Kobe. Other presenters include David Robinson for Duncan, Isiah Thomas for Garnett, and Alonzo Mourning and Dawn Staley for Catchings. Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon will present coach Rudy Tomjanovich. Vlade Divac will be one of the presenters for contributor Patrick Baumann and Sidney Moncrief is one of the presenters for coach Eddie Sutton.
In addition, Inside the NBA/Turner Broadcasting will be receiving the Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award. I assume that this means that Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley will be in attendance. Other award winners include Bill Russell and Wayne Embry, who will both be receiving the Mannie Jackson Award.
With the NBA winding down their Covid-19 impacted regular season, the chance to see current NBA players like LeBron James or Stephen Curry seems to be virtually non-existent. While I’m sure that players with close ties to Kobe, Tim, and Kevin may have wanted to attend, and would have had the opportunity during a regular schedule, Covid has changed all of that.
With the Gold VIP tickets that we purchased giving us access to several events with the players, we hope to return from the Hall of Fame induction with many memories of interactions with some of the basketball superstars that we have watched and rooted for (or against!) over the years.
Thursday – Visiting the Newly Renovated Hall of Fame
After flying in on Wednesday afternoon, we will spend the night in Springfield on Wednesday and get up Thursday morning to visit the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. I was there two years ago by myself in preparation for this trip. The renovation was underway at the time, but many changes have been made since then. I look forward to sharing the time with Joshua and seeing basketball history come to life.
Of course we will shoot some hoops on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams. No competitive games of basketball are allowed on the court, but Joshua and I may play a secret game of H-O-R-S-E. Don’t tell anyone!
Hall of Fame Events on Friday and Saturday
Friday from 5:00-10:00 pm we will be attending the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. There is a dinner program and the Hall of Famers being inducted will receive their 2020 class rings and their traditional Hall of Fame orange jackets. The annual awards will also be presented at this event.
Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm Joshua and I are excited to be going to the Enshrinement Ceremony VIP Reception. I have been told that, due to Covid, the attendees will stay in one of four locations and the Hall of Famers will circulate between the venues.
Finally, the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will take place from 5:30-8:00 pm.
With Covid, it is hard to know what to expect as far as having the opportunity to interact with the players. I will share our Hall of Fame experience in detail after we return.
Stay safe and healthy!
Mark