Jack Sikma joined an illustrious list of former Milwaukee Bucks players as he was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday night.
On a notable night for the Milwaukee Bucks and the place some of their greatest players hold in the history of basketball, Jack Sikma joined Sidney Moncrief as one of the organizations’ two most recent inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Sikma burst on the scene in the latter years of the 1970s, and then went on to become one of the league’s most dominant and innovative centers throughout the 1980s.
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Equipped with the size and skill required for the traditional center battles inside, Sikma also possessed the kind of soft touch that allowed him to extend his shooting range and differentiate him from many of his peers at the time.
Accompanying Sikma on stage having presented him prior to his speech were two notable Bucks figures, Wayne Embry and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, although neither are connected to Sikma from their respective times in Milwaukee. Abdul-Jabbar, of course, went head-to-head with Sikma throughout much of his career, while in recent years Sikma and Embry have worked together in advisory roles for the Toronto Raptors.
With Sikma’s sole championship win and seven All-Star appearances coming during his time in Seattle, understandably much of his speech was dedicated to reminiscing about his success with the SuperSonics. Still, Sikma did devote some time to reflecting on what was clearly a very positive experience for him with the Bucks:
"“I was fortunate to finish my career in Milwaukee. My wife Shawn and I were starting our family at the time, and we remember fondly how welcoming Senator Kohl, the organization, the terrific fans, and our neighbors were.”"
Undoubtedly one of the most interesting elements of the Bucks teams Sikma contributed to was just how they stood apart from many of their peers around the NBA in terms of innovation. Sikma’s own skill-set obviously lent itself perfectly to that, which was something he observed in discussing his experiences of being coached by Both Don Nelson and Del Harris.
"“Playing Nellie ball was challenging, but by the end of the first season I felt I was up to speed and Nellie then left for Golden State, and Del Harris took over. At the end of practices, after Del was finally done talking, we would have three-point shooting games and I would more than hold my own. Del had a new idea for spacing the court. Those last three seasons were spent hanging out at the three-point line and making a couple of hundred threes. Can you imagine in today’s NBA putting your 5 man out there shooting threes? Del, you were ahead of your time.”"
At the end of an eloquent and touching speech that paid tribute to the influence of family throughout his life, Sikma finished on a note that left little doubt of just how grateful he is to enter the hallowed halls in Springfield.
"“My Naismith Hall of Fame induction journey has given me a great appreciation for all that I have. So many people have enriched my life. Thank you for tonight, and thank you for this wonderful honor.”"
Sikma could long have been offered up as one of the most underrated players of a particularly star-studded era of the NBA, but now he finally has the recognition he deserves.