A lot of NBA fans will feel old when they watch the enshrinement ceremony for the 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class, especially when two of the best players of the mid-2000s to mid-2010s in Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard will be immortalized in the very exclusive club consisting of the most esteemed individuals in the basketball world.

Anthony and Howard headline a stacked group that includes Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Sylvia Fowles, all of whom were some of the best players in the WNBA for over a decade. Also included in the 2025 Hall of Fame class are head coach Billy Donovan, referee Danny Crawford, and the Team USA Redeem Team that bagged home the gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ahead of their enshrinement ceremony on Saturday, the group, headlined by Anthony and Howard, posed for a picture. What made the photo ops such a more star-studded one was the fact that the Redeem Team was represented by Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, as well as former All-Stars Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Michael Redd, as well as former NBA champion Tayshaun Prince.

These individuals were part of many people's formative years watching the sport of basketball, and to see them be immortalized in this manner has to be such a stark reminder of how fast time can fly.

Nonetheless, this acclaim is well-deserved for each and every one of them, and now, being in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame means that their legacy is secure regardless of what they failed to accomplish when they were still playing.

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Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard secure their legacies with HOF enshrinement

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony and Howard had their fair share of polarizing moments during their heyday. The former was typically criticized for his lack of impact on the defensive end, as well as his purported inability to be the best player on a championship team. Meanwhile, the latter was a lightning rod for mockery, what with his carefree attitude landing him in hot water with some of the greats of the game, such as Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

But there is redemption to be had for either of them, and their enshrinement into the Hall is proof of that. Even Howard appears to be on his way to fully squashing his beef with O'Neal, as Shaq will be the one to present him when he's immortalized tomorrow.