Yao Ming to be inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame
According to Yahoo! Sports, the newly created Direct Elect International Committee selected former center Yao Ming, 35, for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2016. Ming, who stands at 7 feet 6 inches, played with the Houston Rockets from 2002 to 2011 and was an eight-time All-Star before foot injuries ended his career. Ming was formally announced as a future Hall of Famer at the NCAA Final Four in Houston. For more information, visit foxsports.com.
Men’s soccer miss second consecutive Olympics
The U.S. men’s soccer team fell against Colombia 2-1 on March 29, missing qualification for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The U.S. team missed the London 2012 Olympics after losing to El Salvador and last failed to qualify for consecutive games from 1960 to 1968. Colombia will make its first appearance in the Olympics since 1992. For more information, visit nytimes.com.
Vikings LB Greenway to return for 1 more season
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, 33, tweeted that he will return next year to play his last season with the Vikings after 10 seasons with the team. Greenway has played with Minnesota since the team drafted him as a first-round pick in 2006. He tweeted, “Nobody is more excited than me to help lead this team one more time! Dream achieved, going out a Viking!” Last year, Greenway was the Vikings’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. For more information, visit sports.yahoo.com.
Atlanta requests to host 2017 NBA All-Star Game instead of Charlotte, N.C.
On March 29, city leaders asked the NBA to consider moving next year’s All-Star Game from Charlotte, N.C. to Atlanta because of North Carolina’s new legislation, which many have criticized as anti-LGBT. The law prevents local governments from passing LGBT protections in public places like restaurants, hotels and stores. NBA spokesman Mike Bass responded in a statement, “We appreciate the invitation but are hopeful that the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina can work through their differences far in advance of the 2017 All-Star Game.” For more information, visit espn.go.com.
