Bay Area sports royalty was on full display Monday in San Francisco with a ceremony honoring the latest inductees into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
The organization added five new members who will go down in history as sports icons.
It includes former Giants GM Brian Sabean, San Jose Sharks legend Patrick Marleau, San Francisco 49ers great John Taylor, Olympic swimming legend and Stanford alum Jenny Thompson, and Danville native and San Jose Earthquake great Chris Wondolowski.
“You look at the people you're getting inducted with, the type of athletes and people that have come before me, so it’s a great honor,” Marleau said.
“I have a lot of pride in sports in the Bay Area, so I’m thrilled,” Thompson said.
For decades, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame has honored the best of the best when it comes to Bay Area sports.
Monday’s inductees reflected on the journey that got them to this stage.
Sports
“Worked with a lot of great people, had no idea something like this, or an honor like this, would be in the wings, I'm very humbled,” Sabean said.
“It’s unbelievable because I never thought I was professional football material because I never thought about playing professional football,” Taylor said.
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And for these Bay Area legends joining an esteemed group of athletes in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, is an achievement they’re not taking for granted.
“It’s surreal and I believe it's slowly sinking in just to be even mentioned with some of these names that already been able to be elected, and even the ones I get to come in with,” Wondolowski said.
