NATCHITOCHES, La (KMSS/KTAL) — A year after the ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s 2020 class was officially inducted on Saturday night. From an NFL star, to a body builder, a few basketball players, and even a local sportscaster, there wasn’t a shortage of talent and success making their way to Natchitoches.
“It’s just been awesome to even be included among these fabulous athletes, and it’s something I never would have thought would have happened to me,” said Angela Turner, who led Louisiana Tech Women’s basketball to four Final Fours. “I’m just so excited, and so overwhelmed and just so humbled.”
This weekend’s festivities included concerts, tailgates, lunches, and even a bowling competition before it concluded with the final induction ceremony. Many of the athletes used this weekend as a homecoming of sorts, especially Harlem Globetrotter “Sweet” Lou Dunbar. The Minden native still has a lot of pride for the region that gave him his start.
“To come home and be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is great for me,” said Dunbar. “This is my roots. This made me who I am today. Coming out of Minden, Louisiana took me all over the world, several times.”
However, it’s not just athletes who find their way into the Hall of Fame as sports journalists also make up a good portion of the inductees. Shreveport native and FOX Sports broadcaster Tim Brando adds to that list as one of the eleven inductees this year. Brando, who got his start at KTAL, said this weekend has given him a chance to look back at the journey that has given him so much.
“It’s one thing to do what you love, to dream of doing what you love,” said Brando. “I’m still dreaming about the next big show, the next big game, the next big moment I get to cover, but at the same time today and throughout the weekend, I get to think about the journey. The journey is the best part.”