By Mark Alewine

The United States Basketball Writers Association welcomed four greats of the sports writing industry into its Hall of Fame.

It was a Hall of Fame class for the ages, headlined by a giant in world of sports media. Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated is a six-time Sportswriter of the Year recipient by the National Sports Media Association, a two-time Magazine Writer of the Year winner from the Washington Journalism Review and is the author of 18 books.

Deford expressed his gratitude in a video message to the USBWA members in attendance.

“I have an abiding and loving interest in the sport, and I always will,” Deford said of his career covering basketball. “Now I can only thank you for this distinguished honor.”

Deford, who served as editor in chief of The National Sports Daily, appears on National Public Radio and is a Senior Correspondent for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO.

Joining Deford were David Teel of the Newport News Daily Press, Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Tom Archdeacon of the Dayton Daily News.

“This is one of the cherished moments of my life,” Archdeacon said. “It’s the sport that I love and a sport that I grew up with since I was a little boy. But it’s also because it’s with my peers.”

Archdeacon added that, in a field that requires so much time working alone, to be recognized by his peers and by those with whom he has worked is what’s most gratifying about his induction.

“To have your peers acknowledge you, that means everything,” Archdeacon said.

Steve Carp, a 17-year veteran at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, highlighted his love and affection for the Las Vegas community and his editors at the Review-Journal.

“This is more for the community I live in, Las Vegas,” Carp said. “We’ve had so many things happen over the years, basketball wise, good and bad. For our readers to stay with us and for the paper to keep me employed all these years, this is as much about them and my editors and our readers as it is about me.”

Carp is preparing for a new chapter in his professional life covering the expansion team Las Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League.

The USBWA is Teel’s second Hall of Fame induction, his first coming from the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Teel, who covered his 26th Final Four, said he was surprised to be included in such a distinguished group and stressed how humbled he was to be chosen.

“When you think about the other inductees and those who have come before us, so many of them I consider mentors and friends,” Teel said. “I watched so many of them give their acceptance speeches. I never literally thought that I would be up there in their shoes.”