On-court dominance isn't the only thing we remember about basketball's all-time greats.
Far from it.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2016 class includes three NBA players—Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson and Yao Ming—whose cultural legacies might outpace their combined basketball accolades.
O'Neal and Iverson were each named NBA MVP, while Yao racked up five All-NBA selections in a six-year span. Physically, Yao and Shaq are two of the largest and most imposing men ever to step onto the hardwood. The diminutive Iverson was so ferocious in his play that we might as well call him the "pound-for-pound GOAT."
Coming on the heels of Michael Jordan's stardom, each had a gregarious personality and tremendous commercial appeal with the NBA, fans and advertisers. Their combined influence helped push the NBA beyond the realm of basketball and into the world of hip-hop and Hollywood. Together, they extended the league's reach across the Pacific Ocean and made basketball perhaps the most popular sport in the world's largest nation.
Toge ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Curtis Harris