Where Legends Live On: Tom Brady's And Jim Gray's Hall Of Excellence In Las Vegas

Forbes

6 hours ago

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 09: (L-R) Jim Gray and Tom Brady attend Jim and Frann Gray in ... More Partnership with Tom Brady and The Tom Brady Family Collection Bring Hall of Excellence to Fontainebleau Las Vegas at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on February 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo byfor Fontainebleau Las Vegas)
In a city built on spectacle, well-known legends just raised the bar on what it means to honor greatness.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, iconic sports journalist Jim Gray and his wife Frann have joined forces to launch a one-of-a-kind experience inside the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. It is called the Hall of Excellence and it lives to its name.
This Hall is not just a museum—it's a cathedral of greatness. Inside, you'll find the fingerprints of champions: Brady's Super Bowl rings, Muhammad Ali's gloves, Tiger Woods' golf ball from his first Masters win, equipment used by tennis legends like Billie Jean King and Serena Williams. But this Hall doesn't stop at the stadium gates. It pushes beyond the arena and into every corner of human achievement—with treasures like Oprah Winfrey's Presidential Medal of Freedom, Clint Eastwood's Academy Award, and artifacts from American presidents. Visitors can see all of this and more, while being guided through the museum with Morgan Freeman offering the narration.
Brady offered some valuable insights on some of the items in the Hall that continue to impact him. 'There's something powerful about standing in front of Jackie Robinson's bat and understanding what that moment in history meant—not just for baseball, but for an entire country,' Brady said. 'Or seeing Oprah's Medal of Freedom and thinking about how she used her platform to lift others. And of course on the sports side, every artifact we have represents a symbol of what's possible.'
ATLANTA, USA - FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady and his daughter Vivian Brady being interviewed by Jim Gray ... More after New England Patriots win in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams by the score of 13-03. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
The Hall of Excellence is a place where the extraordinary isn't just displayed, it's felt.
Jim Gray, whose voice and reporting have guided fans through some of sports' most memorable moments—from Ali to the Olympics—has always had an eye for greatness. But this, he told me, is something different.
'I got to see the work ethic and what it took to be great,' Gray said in an interview with Forbes. 'You can be great, but you're not always excellent.' Gray understands that great isn't the same as excellent. You can be great in a moment, but excellence is earned over a lifetime
The idea of the Hall of Excellence first took root years ago, in a conversation Gray had with legendary Raiders owner Al Davis. From there, Gray started kicking around the concept of what it might look like to honor not just the athlete, but the excellence that defines the person behind the performance.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 31: (L-R) Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, sportscaster Jim Gray ... More and Las Vegas Raiders owner and managing general partner and Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis talk during halftime of a game between the Connecticut Sun and the Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 31, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Sun 89-81. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by)
When Brady reflects on the Hall, he does not speak as an athlete, but as a student of excellence. What stood out to him wasn't just the names, but the mindset they shared.
'Whether they were on a stage, on a field, or changing lives through their leadership, the one thing they all had in common was an unrelenting drive to pursue greatness, not for recognition, but because they felt called to it,' Brady said.
For Brady, that call to excellence has always been personal. 'My parents and sisters showed me what commitment looked like,' he said. 'I wasn't the most gifted athlete as a kid, far from it, but I was lucky to grow up surrounded by examples of what hard work and perseverance really meant. I saw my sisters wake up at dawn to chase their dreams. I saw my dad treat people with respect and integrity, no matter the situation.'
Brady's family built the foundation that allowed him to pursue greatness, and, now, he's building one for others. 'This place isn't about fame or glory,' he said. 'It's about the journey behind the moment. It's a tribute to those who dared to dream big, who pushed through pain, doubt, and failure to create something extraordinary. If someone walks out thinking, 'I'm ready to chase my own version of excellence,' then we've done our job.'
Now, that seed has grown into a legacy. Gray and Brady have worked with organizations and individuals across the sports world to curate the new museum, including several Halls of Fame, and he remains awestruck by the trust that icons have placed in the Hall of Excellence. 'They're trusting us with their most personal prized possessions,' he said. 'It's truly an honor that they have allowed us to do that.'
With more than 40 million visitors passing through Las Vegas each year, the Hall of Excellence is poised to become more than just a destination. It just might spark a movement, a renewed commitment to excellence.
'I want this to be the greatest experience of its kind,' Gray told me. 'I want everybody to leave the Hall of Excellence feeling inspired by it. They get to relive their fondest memories, or teach their kids something and inspire them.'
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 31: After he finished his media duties and headed out of the room, New England ... More Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, shares a moment with sportscaster Jim Gray, right, with whom he did a radio interview weekly on Westwood One during Monday Night Football games this season. The New England Patriots had a media availability session at their team hotel, the JW Marriott Galleria in Houston, TX on Jan. 31, 2017. The Patriots face the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Sunday. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Brady agrees. For him, this is about legacy—not as a quarterback, but as a builder of belief. 'Every story in the Hall speaks to discipline, resilience, and a deep commitment to purpose,' he explained. 'These people didn't just have talent, they cultivated it with consistency and courage, especially when things got hard.'
That's the kind of excellence that doesn't fade with time. That's the kind of excellence this Hall was built to honor. And if you're lucky enough to walk through its halls, you'll leave with more than memories. You'll leave with a treasure just as valuable as those displayed in the museum: the challenge to be excellent.