Finally 4 Dantley: Coveted honor comes tonight

"Sometimes it takes people a little longer to do the right thing," said Drexler, one of the many Hall of Famers who played against Dantley. "As long as they do it, that's the key."

"He's still here and alive to enjoy that accomplishment, and I think that really is the key," Hall of Famer George Gervin added. "I mean, sometimes we compliment guys after they're gone, where they don't get to enjoy. So as long as A.D. is healthy and around to enjoy it, then I think that is good."

"The bottom line is 'they did it,"' Hall of Famer Rick Barry said. "As they say, 'better late than never.' The best things in life are worth waiting for. And I think as you get things later in life, you appreciate them a lot more."

And Dantley, others who know him well assure, truly does appreciate this honor.

"He's excited about it, and you can tell by the tone in his voice," said current Jazz television commentator Ron Boone, a teammate of Dantley's both with the Los Angeles Lakers and for two seasons in Utah. "I think it's something he really wanted."

"A.D.'s a quiet guy," Denver Nuggets coach George Karl added, "but I really think he's at a stage in his life that whatever went on (with) Utah and the separation — I think now he's ready to thank the people and respect that a big part of his greatness was in the Utah Jazz uniform."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com