California Sports Hall of Fame honors Lakers ‘Iron Man’ A.C. Green and NFL icons Marshall Faulk and Rodney Peete
The California Sports Hall of Fame honored former Lakers “Iron Man” A.C. Green, former San Diego State and NFL running back Marshall Faulk, and former NFL quarterback and USC standout Rodney Pete at its 16th annual inductee gala Sunday, June 30, in Ontario.
In addition to honoring the three sports legends for their feats on and off the field, the Class of 2024 inductees included sports agent Scott Boras and sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein.
California Sports Hall of Fame President and founder Christian Okoye with Class of 2024 inductee former Lakers “Iron Man” A.C. Green during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Scott Boras, a sports agent in baseball, addresses the audience during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Busts of the California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024, A.C. Green (former Lakers “Iron Man”), Marshall Faulk (former NFL running back), Scott Boras (baseball agent), Andrew D. Bernstein (all-star sports photographer), and Rodney Peete (former NFL quarterback) during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 members, sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein and baseball agent Scott Boras pose for a photo with Master of Ceremonies Roy Firestone before the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Tiana Okoye sings the national anthem during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Busts of the California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024, A.C. Green (former Lakers “Iron Man”), Marshall Faulk (former NFL running back), Scott Boras (baseball agent), Andrew D. Bernstein (all-star sports photographer), and Rodney Peete (former NFL quarterback) during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Ontario Mayor Paul Leon leads the invocation during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame President and founder Christian Okoye during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 member, all-star sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein and his wife Susu Mulet Bernstein pose for a photo with his bust during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former NFL running back Marshall Faulk during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
All-star sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein is congratulated by former Lakers “Iron Man” A.C. Green during the 16th Annual Induction Gala where both were honored as California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee all-star sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein (left), Helena Bugacov and sports agent Leigh Steinberg pose for a photo during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees and guests during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete stands by his bust during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees, sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein and baseball agent Scott Boras, before the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and all-star sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein and family watch a presentation of his work during his induction at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Master of Ceremonies Roy Firestone during the California Sports Hall of Fame 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Scott Boras, a sports agent in baseball, stands by his bust during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Bust of California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former Lakers “Iron Man” A.C. Green during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Bust of California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former NFL running back Marshall Faulk during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
A plaque honoring California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former NFL running back Marshall Faulk during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
A brochure recognizing the California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 at the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former Lakers “Iron Man” A.C. Green before the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Master of Ceremonies Roy Firestone during the California Sports Hall of Fame’s 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Former NFL players Dave Des Rochers, California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Rodney Peete, and Greg Townsend before the California Sports Hall of Fame’s 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former Lakers “Iron Man” A.C. Green before the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee and former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and his wife Holly Robinson Peete before the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024: President and founder Christian Okoye representing A.C. Green (former Los Angeles Lakers player); Marshall Faulk (former NFL running back); Scott Boras (MLB agent); Andrew D. Bernstein (all-star sports photographer); and Rodney Peete (former NFL quarterback) during the 16th Annual Induction Gala at Ontario Convention Center on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Founded in 2006 by Christian Okoye, a former all-pro running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, the California Sports Hall of Fame each year honors California sports heroes while providing support for struggling athletes and Olympic hopefuls who cannot support themselves while training for competitions, according to a news release.
Green, who helped lead the Lakers to three NBA championships, missed just eight games during his career, amassing a record-setting streak of 1,192 consecutive games played between November 1986 and April 2001, according to a news release. Born in Portland, Oregon, Green finished second in Oregon State University history in rebounding and fourth in scoring before earning a place in the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor. Green established the A.C. Green Youth Foundation, which operates youth camps to promote abstinence until marriage, and in 2011 he won the Bobby Jones Award by Athletes in Action for character, leadership and faith. He is also a member of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
Faulk, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1991, 1992 and 1993 while at San Diego State, finishing with more than 5,500 all-purpose yards and 62 career touchdowns, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts before he was traded to the St. Louis Rams and was a catalyst for the “Greatest Show on Turf,” a name given to the high-powered Rams offense, according to a news release. With the Rams, he won two Offensive Player of the Year Awards, appeared in two Super Bowls and in 2000 won the MVP. After his career, Faulk became a broadcaster and started the Faulk Foundation. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984, Peete, a two-sport standout from Mesa, Arizona, opted to attend USC. There, he finished as the school’s all-time leader in pass attempts (1,081), completions (630), passing yards (8,225), total offense (8,640) and starts (40) while playing three years of collegiate baseball, according to a news release. Peete was drafted by the Detroit Lions, and also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers. Following his playing days, Peete became a broadcaster and is currently co-host with Fred Roggin at “Roggin and Rodney” on Los Angeles sports radio station KLAC. Peete is a member of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. He and his wife, actor Holly Robinson Peete, founded the HollyRod Foundation, supporting those living with autism after one of their children was diagnosed with the condition.
Named the Most Powerful Sports Agent in the World by Forbes magazine, Boras is a Sacramento native who played college baseball at the University of the Pacific, where he was team captain and earned All American honors while earning industrial pharmacology degree. He played five seasons as a Minor League infielder and outfielder before returning to UOP to earn his law degree. According to a news release, his journey into player representation began when a former teammate, Mike Fischlin, asked for assistance with his contract. In 1980, Boras founded the Boras Corp., where he has negotiated 16 record-breaking contracts and 34 agreements totaling at least $100 million. He founded the Boras Foundation to provide amateur athletes with access to elite coaching and competition, uninhibited by financial constraints, the news release said.
Bernstein is the second photographer ever to win the Curt Gowdy Award, presented annually by the Naismith Hall of Fame to media members who have made significant contributions to the game of basketball. Co-founder of NBA Photos and a new sports content platform called Legends Of Sport, Bernstein also belongs to the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. According to a news release, Bernstein has covered 40 NBA finals and 38 All-Star Games, collaborated with Kobe Bryant on “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” and co-authored “Journey To The Ring” with Hall of Fame Coach Phil Jackson.