Sac Sports Hall Welcomes A Magnificent Seven

By Mark Haynes | Special to The OBSERVER Former NBA All-Star and Danielle Barnes sister of Matt Barnes. Photo courtesy of Seth Patterson. Credit: Seth Patterson They overcame racism, health challenges, depression and personal tragedies – some on their way to the top of mountain, others on what can be a long way down. On Sunday, they made it back up the mountain into the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame. The class of 2024, enshrined at its ninth annual induction ceremony at Thunder Valley Casino, includes Matt Barnes, James Donaldson, Leon Lee, Jamie Whitmore, Nick Johnson and, from the Special Olympics, Robert Bodas. “It was a no-brainer that we wanted to partner with Special Olympics,” said veteran coach and Sacramento Sports Hall founder T.C. Martin. “It’s not just about raising money for Special Olympics with donations and that sort of thing. But we thought it would be very important to induct a Special Olympics athlete each and every year, which we’ve done since 2014.” The evening featured pain, laughter, and tears. Each inductee delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech that left the audience in awe, just as they did during their athletic careers. Donaldson shared his experience of having everything taken...