Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame announces Marc Gasol as 2016 Honoree – Grizzlies.com

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame today announced that Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol will be one of the individuals honored as the Male Professional Athletes of the Year. The awards will be presented at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame’s 50th Anniversary Induction Banquet on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at the Omni Nashville.

Gasol has played his entire eight-year NBA career (2008-16) with the Grizzlies, accumulating numerous accolades and franchise firsts. He is the first player in club history to be named to multiple All-NBA Teams (2014-15 First Team; 2012-13 Second Team) and the first to be selected First or Second Team All-NBA. He captured NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012-13. The two-time NBA All-Star (2012, 2015) became the first player in franchise history to be named an All-Star starter in 2015 and together with his brother Pau Gasol became the first siblings to start an NBA All-Star Game as they met for the opening tip-off.

After moving to Memphis with his family in 2001, while Pau was a member of the Grizzlies, Gasol played two seasons for Lausanne Collegiate School before graduating, playing professionally in his native country of Spain and returning to play for the Grizzlies in 2008.

In addition, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame announced NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Kansas City Chiefs safety and former University of Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry as an honoree for the Male Professional Athletes of the Year Awards.

In conjunction with the Honoree Class, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting, posthumously Tennessee Titans great Steve McNair and Baylor Golf Coach King Oehmig. Additional inductees include Conrad Graham, University of Tennessee All-America defensive back; Missy Kane, University of Tennessee Middle Distance Runner and bronze medal recipient at the Pan American Games; Mike Taylor, UT-Martin football player and current SEC football official; Earnest Gray, All-America and NFL star wide-receiver from the University of Memphis; Mike Curb, legend in automobile racing; Joe Biddle, longtime middle Tennessee sport writer; Lester McClain, first African American football player at Tennessee; the six Canale Brothers, football legends from Tennessee and Mississippi State Universities and Milligan College Athletic Director and longtime coach Duard Walker.

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame’s goal is to enshrine successful teams and individuals who display sportsmanship, good character and success by creating a legacy for others to follow. The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is housed inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and is celebrating 50 years of Tennessee Sports history (1966-2016).

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, a 501-C3 pays tribute to all those who have made an impact through sports in Tennessee. The Hall subscribes to the principle that sports serve society’s highest ideals by educating and shaping youth. It promotes the virtues of competition, fair play, friendship, solidarity, mutual understanding and respect for human dignity. The best way to honor our sports legends is to pass this legacy down to future generations.