Basketball Figures Eligible for the Hall of Fame
The excitement is palpable in the basketball world. The nominees for next year’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame have been announced, and the list is filled with iconic names. Among the first-time nominees are Blake Griffin, Candace Parker, Jamal Crawford, and the United States women’s basketball team that won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games. Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson are also on this select list. Other notable names appearing for the first time on the list are Elena Delle Donne and Joe Johnson as players, and Mike D’Antoni as a contributor. The complete list, which includes almost 200 players and teams, was recently revealed. Among the nominees are some finalists who didn’t make it into the class of 2025, such as Jennifer Azzi, a member of the 1996 Olympic team.The finalists are usually announced during the NBA All-Star weekend in February. The class of 2026 will be announced on April 4 during the NCAA Final Four. The induction ceremony will take place on August 14 and 15 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, and at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. Other finalists from last year who are back on the list include Gonzaga coach Mark Few; NBA legends Marques Johnson and Buck Williams; and Jerry Welsh, who led Potsdam to NCAA Division III titles in 1981 and 1986. Molly Bolin, the first player signed by the Women’s Professional Basketball League, also returns, as does former Serbian professional player and long-time coach Dusan Ivkovic, who is already a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Doc Rivers, the only NBA coach with more than 1,000 wins who is not yet in the Hall of Fame, is nominated again, as are Amar’e Stoudemire and the legendary announcer Marv Albert. Among the teams to be considered are the 1936, 1972, and 1976 United States men’s Olympic teams; the 1982 Cheyney State team coached by C. Vivian Stringer, which lost to Louisiana Tech in the inaugural game of the NCAA Division I women’s national championship; the Kentucky Wesleyan men’s teams that won three Division II national titles in a span of four years in the late 1960s; and the 1963 Loyola Chicago men’s team that won the NCAA title and broke racial barriers in the sport by using up to four black starters.“The candidates for the class of 2026 have left an indelible impact on the game of basketball,” stated John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Through defining performances, influential leadership, and achievements that helped elevate the sport on the national and international stage, this year’s voting recognizes those whose legacy continues to shape the way the game is played, coached, and celebrated.”
John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
