Confirming a Monday report that indicated Doc Rivers will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link) adds a few more names to the class of 2026, reporting that Amar’e Stoudemire, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne are also headed to the Hall of Fame.
Stoudemire, who was in his second year of Hall of Fame eligibility, played in the NBA for 14 seasons from 2002-16. He appeared in 846 regular season games for the Suns, Knicks, Mavericks, and Heat, averaging 18.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31.0 minutes per contest.
A dynamic, athletic power forward, Stoudemire was the Rookie of the Year in 2003 and enjoyed his best years in Phoenix, making five All-Star games as a Sun and earning MVP votes in four separate seasons. Led by Stoudemire, Steve Nash, and Shawn Marion and coached by Mike D’Antoni, those Suns teams of the 2000s featured an explosive, fast-paced offense that was a precursor in many ways to the modern game, though the club never advanced past the Western Conference finals.
Stoudemire moved onto the Knicks in 2010 and had one more All-Star season in New York before health issues began to slow him down and his production tailed off. He finished his playing career with six All-Star berths and five All-NBA nods (one first team and four second team). His No. 32 jersey was later retired by the Suns.
Parker, who will turn 40 in April, was a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player who won three titles. Although the former No. 1 overall pick spent most of her 16 years in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks, she had brief stints the Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces near the end of her career and won championships with all three teams.
Parker was a seven-time All-Star who made 10 All-WNBA teams and ranks 10th on the league’s all-time scoring list, as well as third in total career rebounds and fifth in blocked shots. She currently works as a broadcaster for Amazon Prime Video.
Delle Donne is another two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star. The former wing was the second overall pick in the 2013 draft and spent a total of 10 seasons with the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics, winning a championship with the Mystics in 2019.
That ’19 season was one of Delle Donne’s two MVP campaigns. She became the first WNBA player to achieve a 50/40/90 shooting season that year, posting an incredible shooting line of .515/.430/.974. Her 93.7% career free throw percentage ranks first all-time among WNBA players.
The full 2026 Hall of Fame class, featuring Stoudemire, Parker, Delle Donne, and Rivers, will be formally announced this Saturday, April 4.
I liked Stoudemire, but I’d have a few other guys and another Sun, KJ in before him
He was one of my favorites, I use to create players in NBA games that had a similar style.
Amare was impressive even with the eye problem.
Standards have really slipped. Have they run out of deserving players?
Do some research on the players in the Hall. 6 All-Stars and 5 All-NBA is enough. He was a star for a decade.
ROY, 6 All-Star and 5 All-NBA appearances doesn’t suggest that the standards for entry have slipped.
You also need to take into consideration his peak as injuries are up the back end of his career. The ROY, 6, and 5 were compiled in his first 9 seasons in the league. He was also only 29 when injuries began slowing him down. Yes, athletic freaks generally decline more rapidly, but another three to four healthy years and he likely adds to his All-Star totals.
Since when do Hall of Fame arguments include what “might have been”? He doesn’t get credit for not getting 3 or 4 more all-stars due to injury.
It doesn’t, but peak years do, and he had nine pretty good ones.
Different league but even with MLB’s stricter standards Koufax, Puckett, Kiner and Campanella all made the Hall of Fame though their careers were ended by injury.
NBA HOF is so watered down. Stoudemire was a good player but definitely not HOF. When was he the best pf in the league? Ever even Top 3? When was he the best player on his team? AAU maybe. Its not like hes even that high on career stats leaderboards. Really good or memorable role players are just that not HOF worthy.
There is no such thing as the NBA HOF.
Sorry to also inform you that we should celebrate more than just the top 20 players of All-Time or whatever your elevated arbitrary criteria is.
“When was he the best pf in the league? Ever even Top 3?”
Wow it’s almost as if you understand what All-NBA teams are shooting for
Generally when you win either an All-NBA 1 or 2, you’re considered to be the top 1-2 PF’s in the league that year.
The one year he won an NBA1 spot, he did so as a C not a PF. And even then, he only got the award because Yao, despite producing more, only managed to play 48 games.
Had Amar’e been considered a PF that year, he would have finished behind Duncan, Dirk, KG, Bosh and Boozer.
Imagine being such a loser on the internet that one is compelled to minimize a player’s First team All-NBA selection.
This dude has me muted fortunately but the irony in him mentioning FOUR OTHER HOFers should not be lost on anyone.
He tried to slide Carlos Boozer (2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA 3rd Team) out there as if anyone who actually watched the NBA back then was ever taking him > Amare in any season at any position.
Maybe if Boozer could have averaged more than 0.3 Blocks he could have actually played Center and made a few more All-NBA teams. Dude cracked 20 PPG twice in his career and peaked at Age 26 WITHOUT injuries.
Great memories from STAT!
What a legend!
Amare doesn’t hurt his onee. He may ghost to down as best PF ever. He played snall ball center for for Suns. And took a beating. Suns didn’t gav the shooting Warriors had. They were a pick n rill. Team motion offense team. Amare was big time.
Congratulations Amare Stoudemire 🙏
How come he is in consideration and Shawn Marion is not? How does that even work?