Excerpt from: Detroit Free Press (click for full article)
Former Michigan State basketball players Mateen Cleaves and Steve Smith were among those selected today for the 2013 class of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. The announcement was made at the Palace of Auburn Hills before tonight’s Pistons-Thunder game.
Others in the 57th induction class are: former Detroit Lions tackle Lomas Brown; former NFL coach Tony Dungy of Jackson; former Red Wings defenseman Mark Howe; U.S. Olympic basketball player Pam McGee of Flint; longtime Michigan diving coach Dick Kimball and former U-M running back Tyrone Wheatley.
"You know I'm originally from Miami," Brown said. "The Lions drafted me up here in 1985 and this has been home ever since. I love the state of Michigan. I'm a Michigander now. I'm not a Floridian anymore.
"Just like all Michiganders, we're resilient, we're tough. We have in there and that's what is going to get this state going back the way it's supposed to be."
Cleaves, who led Michigan State to the national championship in 2000, said: "Nothing against the Michigan (Sports) Hall of Fame, but when I found out who I was going in with, I was a little more excited. Lomas Brown, I don't want to make anybody seem old here, but I grew up watching you play."
Cleaves was drafted by the Pistons and played one season with them.
Smith, who led Michigan State to the Big Ten title in 1990, played 14 seasons in the NBA and was an All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks in 1997-98.
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