The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2025 was officially enshrined on Saturday in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Headlining this year’s class were former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard and WNBA greats Maya Moore, Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles. The 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, also known as “The Redeem Team,” was also inducted, alongside two-time NCAA champion and Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, Miami Heat owner Micky Arison and longtime NBA official Danny Crawford.

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Carmelo Anthony: Anthony was one of the most prolific scorers of his era in the NBA. He won a national championship at Syracuse (2003) and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Among his accolades are an NBA scoring title, 10 NBA All-Star nods, 6 All-NBA nod, three Olympic gold medals, NBA All-Rookie honors and being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. One of Anthony’s gold medals came in 2008 with The Redeem Team.

During his speech, Anthony gave a touching tribute to his father, Carmelo Iriarte, who died when Anthony was a child.

“You left this world too soon, but you never left me,” Anthony said. “Even in your absence, you gave me strength. The silence, it gave me purpose. And even though I didn’t get to grow with you, I grew because of you.

“Your blood runs in mine. Your dream lives through me. This Hall of Fame jacket that I receive, I wear it for the both of us.”

Dwight Howard: Howard was the No. 1 overall pick for the Orlando Magic in 2004. He played 18 years in the NBA, winning a championship with the Lakers in 2020. An eight-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, Howard was a five-time rebound champion, five-time All-Defense, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and also earned All-Rookie honors. Howard was also a repeat participant in the Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star. He participated in four and won the 2008 contest. Howard also won a gold medal in 2008 as part of The Redeem Team.

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During an emotional speech, Howard thanked his parents for pushing him to achieve his dreams.

“You believed in me as much as I did, but you wanted me to commit to it,” Howard said. “I wrote down my goals and placed it above my bed along with my cross, and you helped me achieve those goals, day after day.”

The Redeem Team: This was the USA men’s Olympic team that righted the wrongs of previous years. This stacked team, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Anthony, Howard, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh, among others, brought the gold medal back to the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Team USA was coming off poor performances in the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2006 World Championships. The 2008 team’s name is a play off the original Dream Team that dominated at the 1992 Olympic Games.

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Mike Krzyzewski, who coached the Redeem Team, spoke at the ceremony, calling the team’s Olympic gold medal “the best moment in my coaching career.”

Sue Bird: Bird is recognized as one of the most decorated women’s basketball players ever. She’s a five-time Olympic gold medal winner, four-time WNBA champion, 13-time All-Star, five-time All-WNBA First Team selection and two-time NCAA National Champion with UConn. Bird’s No. 10 Seattle Storm jersey was retired by the franchise, and Bird has a plethora of other accolades from playing in leagues around the world.

Bird had plenty of jokes and advice in her speech, flinging a couple of barbs at UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who was on stage for her speech.

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“It’s not often you get to take shots and he doesn’t have a mic to come back, so,” Bird quipped.

Maya Moore: Moore is considered one of the best players of her era despite retiring before the age of 30 to pursue her “ministry dreams” and advocate for criminal justice reform. Moore only played eight years, all with the Lynx, in the WNBA, but was a four-time WNBA champion, WNBA MVP & Finals MVP, a six-time All-Star, three-time All-Star MVP, five-time All-WNBA First Team, two-time NCAA National Champion with UConn and also NCAA Tournament MOP. She also won two Olympic gold medals.

In her speech, Moore offered a message to the next generation of players, telling them to embrace learning from and lifting up teammates.

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“There a lot of pressure to be motivator by fear,” Moore said. “I want to challenge you up-and-comers to learn to love and seek out joy and connection as your biggest motivator.”

Sylvia Fowles: During her 15-year career, Fowles was a two-time WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, an eight-time All-Star, three-time All-WNBA First Team, four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NCAA All-American, and earned SEC Player of the Year honors. Her four DPOY awards are the second most in league history behind Tamika Catchings’ five.

Billy Donovan: Donovan is one of the most recognizable faces in coaching over the past 25 years. His run at Florida produced two NCAA Championships and four Final Four appearances. He left college in 2015 to pursue an NBA coaching career, helming the Oklahoma City Thunder for five years and the Chicago Bulls for the last five. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2020 after leading Oklahoma City to a 44-28 record.

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Micky Arison: Arison has owned the Miami Heat since 1995, and the team has won three NBA championships under Arison’s leadership (2006, 2012, 2013).

Danny Crawford: Crawford served as an NBA referee from 1985 to 2017, making 23 consecutive Finals appearances during his career.