Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame Friday. Knight, who grew up in Oregon, attended Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Knight entered the Hall of Fame as a contributor thanks to the influence Nike has had on basketball. Knight is the rare Hall of Fame inductee who never worked or played for a NBA or college basketball team. He was introduced by Michael Jordan Friday, the two paired to create the Jordan brand, which has grown into one of the biggest basketball brands in the world.
Knight spent several minutes of his speech chronicling the development and growth of Nike and it's impact on the NBA and basketball.
"I think, to some extent, the game's and Nike's growth have paralleled each other," Knight said. "You can really kind of look at that moment and that player. Michael Jordan has done more to expand the game probably than any one individual. I think we were not just along for the ride, but I think we helped promote that. That was really the start. That 1984 year really was when it kind of was on its way to overdrive."
In addition to his impact on basketball, Knight also had a big impact at Stanford where in 2006 he donated $105 million to the Stanford Graduate School of Business
For more on the 2012 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction, make your way over to SB Nation's StoryStream for complete coverage.