After decades of raising donations, after a generation of writing letters, after naming a booster club and building a gymnasium and exhausting every plausible other manner of commemorating the name of Maurice Stokes in perpetuity, St. Francis University of Loretto and Jack Twyman last night were able to celebrate perhaps the highest homage yet.

They personally inducted the late Stokes into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"It's kind of a bittersweet moment," said Twyman, Stokes' Pittsburgh playground companion, his pro basketball brethren, his legal guardian and his guardian angel.

"I'm excited for Maurice," Twyman said yesterday by phone from Springfield, Mass. "But I regret he's not here to experience it himself."

Stokes' story has become something of a legend and was a made-for-TV movie. The former Westinghouse High School standout -- who scrapped with Central Catholic's Twyman and Westinghouse's Ed Fleming and Pottstown's Dick Ricketts on the Mellon Park courts -- and St. Francis star wound up reunited with his buddy on the Rochester NBA team that moved after their rookie season to Cincinnati. In their third season together, with the powerful forward already a three-time All-Star on his way to all-time greatness, Stokes got entangled with a Minneapolis Lakers rebounder and fell with a thud, landing on his head.

Three days later, after a 12-point, 15-rebound playoff game March 15, 1958, Stokes collapsed in Twyman's arms on a team plane. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy. He remained unconscious for months and paralyzed the remainder of his life.

On April 6, 1970, Stokes died of a heart attack at age 36.

On April 5, 2004, the veterans committee announced he was its choice for the Class of 2004 for the basketball Hall of Fame. He joins Clyde Drexler, Lynette Woodard, coach Bill Sharman, executive Jerry Colangelo and foreign standout Drazen Dalipagic.

Last night, in a ceremony televised by ESPN Classic, the six were inducted into the hall.

About five dozen St. Francis fans, alumni and faculty, including president the Rev. Gabriel Zeis, gathered in the Springfield Marriott to celebrate and watch the telecast of the festivities that, down the street and inside the hall, cost a pricey $350 per person.

Twyman represented them. First, Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson -- a Cincinnati college and pro player who often visited a hospitalized Stokes -- and Bob Pettit introduced Stokes, at Twyman's request. Then up to accept the enshrinement came Twyman, who oversaw his friend's care and the letter-writing campaign for the Hall of Fame and the fund-raising that started out as a way to pay the hospital bills but then transformed into an NBA-wide alumni effort.

In an emotional acceptance, his voice cracking at times, Twyman last night spoke of "Maurice the man," how for 12 years as a paraplegic Stokes inspired so many others. "Whatever I've done for Maurice, I've gained tenfold. Let me just say, congratulations big fella, you made it."

Before the ceremony, Twyman offered: "It took a little work, but it was inevitable. Earl Lloyd said at the luncheon [yesterday], if Maurice had not played a minute of pro ball, he would have been more than qualified to be in the Hall of Fame because of his collegiate career.

"There's no question that it needs to happen and would have happened. I'm really very pleased for Maurice. And I'm grateful that I'm still around to see it happen."

Twyman, inducted in 1982, plans to give Stokes' posthumously-awarded hall blazer, ring and trophy to St. Francis officials this morning at a university breakfast reception.

"I think this will be great for St. Francis," Twyman said. "There aren't many guys who have a fieldhouse named after him. And they're planning a big, new display case in the lobby for these three items. I think it's appropriate."

Coincidentally, the Hall gave its John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award Thursday to longtime NBA commissioner's office representative Zelda Spoelta, who worked with the Maurice Stokes Foundation and NBA Legends in her role with league alumni and their families. She told reporters in Springfield, "The fact that the Hall of Fame is also recognizing Maurice Stokes makes this an even sweeter occasion for myself and all the people who've helped keep the foundation going."

Tomorrow, at the Indiana Country Club, the 23rd annual Maurice Stokes Golf Outing will take place.

Meanwhile, in Springfield, the living hall inductees will be in a parade and available at an autograph party.

"You know, we have a lot of fond memories," said Twyman, who gathered his children and grandchildren in Springfield for the hall ceremonies. "They grew up with Maurice. He was part of our family.

"I guess this puts a little closure on Maurice as an athlete. You'll never put full closure on the experience we had when he was sick. We miss him. But he deserves to be recognized by his peers."