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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will soon welcome two of the sports game-changing stars -- one big and one small.Shaquille ONeal and Allen Iverson headline the Class of 2016 which will be enshrined Friday night. Joining them in the 10-member class will be NBA and international star Yao Ming, longtime Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, NAIA coaching legend John McLendon (posthumous), former referee Darell Garretson (posthumous), executive Jerry Reinsdorf, ABA star Zelmo Beaty (posthumous) and early African-American pioneer Cumberland Posey (posthumous).Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo, a 2004 inductee, said it might be one of the top five classes he has seen.I think its an extraordinary class, Colangelo told The Associated Press. Its true that each year we think its a great class. But some years some of them do stand out.ONeal, a four-time NBA champion and seventh on the all-time scoring list, was always must-watch television for what the 7-footer did both on and off the court. He again drew all eyes to him during Thursdays jacket ceremony for the inductees.After he slipped on his custom orange blazer, Shaq theatrically waved off Hall of Fame president and CEO John Doleva, clearing the way for the man who once called himself The Big Aristotle to strut solo across the stage as camera bulbs flashed.Then, when he was seated on the dais, Shaq sprung to his feet and relieved Doleva, who was struggling to reach the massive shoulders of the 7-foot-6 Ming. Shaq grabbed the jacket and gleefully assumed the role of impromptu butler for his fellow big man.His antics started much earlier. Swoopes told a story of Shaq promising her $1 million if she would fake a fall during the class walk to the stage. She declined, but only because she said Shaq wouldnt show me the money.Later, Shaq explained that his bravado was only his attempt to savor every moment of the experience. He said his speech Friday will be a love letter to those who helped him achieve a basketball dream that didnt seem real when he was a teenage army brat.I dont memorize a lot of stuff, but I have this one memorized, ONeal said of his speech. I wouldnt miss it for the world. I bought about 1,000 tickets to each event. All my family, everybody will be there. Its just great.He said being in the same class with a guy like Iverson was appropriate for two players who brought their own unique styles to the NBA -- Shaq as an imposing force in the middle and Iverson as a small player whose skill and personal bravado still resonate today.He had a lot of heart, ONeal said of Iverson. Were similar in the aspect that we did it our way. ... I was only going to do it my way. He did it his way. Cultural icon. A lot of things were implemented because of his style -- with the dress code -- and the way he wears chains and big tattoos and all that stuff. He made it cool for that to happen.Iverson missed Thursdays jacket ceremony, arriving late to speak with the assembled media. He got emotional when he was asked about the people who he credited for his success and highlighted John Thompson, his college coach at Georgetown, as well as Larry Brown, his longtime NBA coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.Thats the only thing that gets me here, is my teammates. My teammates and my coaches, said the former NBA Rookie of the Year and 2001 MVP. Thats the only reason Im here. All those guys sacrificed their games and sacrificed things for me.Shaq said Iversons crossover of Michael Jordan during his rookie season in 1997 was the definition of the kind of player Iverson was.Everybody talks about his move against Michael Jordan, Shaq said. You got to have (guts) to pull off a move against a legend like that.Yao ushered in a new era of international basketball when he left China to become the top pick of the NBA draft in 2002. As a member of the Houston Rockets, he earned All-Rookie honors and would go on to be an eight-time All-Star. He was named a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP.When Im walking through the Hall, for the first time I feel Im so small, Yao said. I look up to the roof top and all the pictures around ... I really sense all the people before me that Mr. Naismith made possible with the life he had.---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Pelicans signed centre Greg Stiemsma on Wednesday, hoping to bolster a front court that recently lost starting centre Robin Lopez in a trade. The Pelicans did not release terms of Stiemsmas deal. However, a people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Stiemsma got a one-year deal worth $2.7 million. The people also said the Pelicans signed guard Anthony Morrow for about $2 million over two years, with a players option for the second year. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the terms of Stiemsmas contract nor Morrows signing had been announced. The 6-foot-11 Stiemsma has averaged 3.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in about 15 minutes per game during his first two seasons. Morrow, a 43 per cent career 3-point shooter, has averaged nearly 11 points during five NBA seasons. Meanwhile, the Pelicans announced that Tyreke Evans, whom the Hornets effectively acquired in a three-team trade agreed to on July 4, had officially become a member of the club. The trade brought the Pelicans Evans from Sacramento and second-round draft choice Jeff Withey, a centre out of Kansas, from Portland. "We are very excited to welcome Tyreke and Jeff to the Pelicans family," general manager Dell Demps said in a statement released by the club. "They are both young, talented players that fit in our system and can contribute to the success of our team moving forward." Evans said on his Twitter page that he was headed to New Orleans to be introduced to media at an event to be hosted by the club on Thursday. Evans also wrote: "Im excited to be a part of this young new team!" In exchange for Evans and Withey, the Pelicans sent Lopez and guard Terrel Harris to Portland and shipped guard Greivis Vasquez to the Kings. The Pelicans hope the 7-foot Withey can develop into an effective defensive player in the NBA. As a senior at Kansas last season, Withey set the Big 12 Conference single-season record for blocks with 146.dddddddddddd The Pelicans also announced the re-signing of small forward Al-Farouq Aminu, which was reported last week. However, under NBA rules, teams were not allowed to discuss such transactions publicly until Wednesday. The 6-9 Aminu, heading into his fourth NBA season, started 71 games last year. He averaged career highs of 7.3 points and 7.7 rebounds. New Orleans waived forward Lance Thomas and renounced their rights to forward Lou Amundson, and guards Xavier Henry and Roger Mason Jr., the club said. Stiemsma, who starred at Wisconsin, began his pro career in Boston, where he played in 55 games for a Celtics club that went to the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. He moved to Minnesota last season, playing 79 games and starting 13. Known for his ability to alter or block shots, he was pursued by numerous teams, one of the people familiar with the deal said. In New Orleans, hell have a relatively good opportunity to compete for playing time following Lopezs departure to Portland. Morrow entered the NBA with Golden State, averaging 13 points in his second season. He has since played for New Jersey, Atlanta and Dallas. His production and playing time fell dramatically last season, in which he averaged only 4 points in less than 10 minutes per game. The 6-8 Thomas was waived following a pair of seasons as a reserve. The former Duke standout played 101 games with 19 starts during the past two seasons with New Orleans. Last season, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds in 59 games. Mason, a nine-year veteran, played in 69 games with 13 starts last season. In his only season in New Orleans, he averaged 5.3 points and 1.1 assists in 17.7 minutes. The 6-9 Amundson was acquired in a mid-season trade and averaged 2.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18 games. Henry, drafted 12th overall by Memphis out of Kansas in 2010, averaged 3.9 points in 50 games last season, his second in New Orleans. ' ' '