Shaq's Size 23 Shoe

On the drive home last week I stopped at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.  I toured the Hall of Fame several years ago, when it was in the old building, but had yet to stop in at the new building.  The new building is much bigger, there's a full-size court in the center, and better organized than the old one.  You can play on the court if you have appropriate footwear and there's interactive displays throughout the exhibits. 

One thing I couldn't find was any mention of the 1951 college point shaving scandal.  In fact, I don't recall seeing anything about the Len Bias tragedy or Bobby Knight's bad behavior.  The whitewashing of history is irritating but much of the rest of the Hall is fun.  Basketball is enjoyed by millions across the world.  Being honest and mentioning the bad parts of the sport's history isn't going to turn anyone off of the game.

There are lots of old sneakers in the exhibits.  The largest belongs to Shaquille O'Neal.  He wears a size 23.  The shoes of several male and female players were outlined on the floor of the Hall's entrance.  A size 23 shoe is really large.

Happy New Year, everybody!

Comments

[Dane]

Happy New Year! You always visit the most interesting places.

[janet]

So... that's how you knew about the size 23 shoe!

[Cheryl]

There's a street and buildings on the University of Kansas campus named after James Naismith.

[Joe]

Yes, but what size shoe did Dr. Naismith wear? Actually, Naismith was an interesting guy, who introduced the football helmet, and founded the KU basketball program in addition to inventing basketball. Phog Allen was one of his players before becoming a legendary coach in his own right. There's quite a bit about Kansas basketball in the museum.

The Hall of Fame is adjacent to I-91 so I drive by it almost every time I go up to my sister's or Vermont.

[Quita]

shaq you got a big foot but you still ROCk babey