Elena Delle Donne had a special message for Larry David during her Hall of Fame speech, and the Curb Your Enthusiasm star happened to be in the building to hear it.
The two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, alongside fellow WNBA greats Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw.
Delle Donne had plenty to say about her basketball journey, but she opened her speech with a line that had little to do with her career.
Elena Delle Donne delivers perfect Larry David reference
‘Before I get started, Larry David is in the building so I can only hope this speech goes pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay good,’ Delle Donne said.
The joke was a clear nod to David’s famous catchphrase from Curb Your Enthusiasm. A quick camera shot then showed David in the crowd, seemingly approving of the moment.
It was a fitting way for Delle Donne to begin one of the biggest speeches of her career.
The former Chicago Sky No. 2 overall pick went on to reflect on her relationship with basketball and how the sport helped shape her life.
‘You’ve been with me since I was a gangly kid in Delaware, trying to shoot over a ladder named Oscar to help me develop my shooting arc. You never cared if I was awkward.’
She also spoke about how basketball turned something she once viewed as an insecurity into one of her biggest strengths.
‘You turned my greatest childhood insecurity, my height, into a superpower. You never made me feel silly when I was wearing an oven mitt on my guide hand to develop better shooting form.’
Delle Donne’s career certainly justified her place in Springfield.
She was a five-time All-WNBA selection, the 2013 Rookie of the Year and the 2015 scoring champion. She also played a key role in the Washington Mystics winning their only WNBA championship in 2019.
Before reaching the WNBA, Delle Donne was one of the biggest stars in women’s college basketball at Delaware, averaging more than 25 points per game in each of her seasons.
Her Hall of Fame night also recognised just how much the women’s game has gained from her career.
With Delle Donne now officially among basketball’s greats, her opening joke gave fans a memorable moment before she turned the attention back to the game that made her a legend.
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