Hall Of Fame Officially Announces Class Of 2026
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame officially unveiled its Class of 2026 on Saturday, prior to the tip-off of the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Many of the names listed had been previously reported, including Bucks’ head coach Doc Rivers, former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, and a trio of former men’s and women’s stars: Amar’e Stoudemire, Elena Delle Donne, and Candace Parker.
The rest of the class has now been revealed as well. On the men’s side, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few has been recognized for his storied collegiate coaching career. The press release notes that the two-time Naismith Coach of the Year is the “winningest active coach by winning percentage,” adding that he has recorded at least 20 wins in each one of his seasons as Gonzaga’s head coach. Few was also the assistant coach on the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning men’s basketball team.
Referee Joey Crawford is the final inductee on the men’s side. Crawford refereed in the NBA for 39 seasons, from 1977 to 2016, including every NBA Finals from 1986 to 2015. His record includes 2561 regular-season games and 374 playoff games.
Also being inducted for women’s basketball is Chamique Holdsclaw, the six-time All-Star and former No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year in 1999 for the Washington Mystics. Holdsclaw, who is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as well, was an Olympic gold medalist in 2000, a two-time Naismith College player of the Year, and won three NCAA championships with Tennessee. She led the WNBA in scoring in 2002, led the league in rebounding twice, and made three All-WNBA teams.
Finally, the 1996 United States Women’s National Team rounds out the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The group, coached by Tara VanDerveer and featuring Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, and Katrina McClain, went 8-0 in competition and won by an average of over 30 points per game. In its press release, the Hall of Fame cites that team’s dominance as partially responsible for the launch of the WNBA later the same year.
Amar’e Stoudemire Among 2026 Hall Of Fame Class
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.
And-Ones: Hall Of Fame Finalists, Kelly, Expansion, Investigations
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced this week the selection of finalists for its Class of 2026, according to a league press release. The finalists will be put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election and the new class will be announced on Saturday, April 4 during Final Four weekend.
The North American Committee Finalists include referee Joey Crawford; coaches Mark Few, Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Doc Rivers, Kelvin Sampson and Jerry Welsh; and players Blake Griffin, Kevin Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire and Buck Williams.
The Women’s Committee Finalists include the 1996 United States Women’s National Team and players Jennifer Azzi, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker.
Molly Bolin-Kazmer is the lone finalist from the Women’s Veterans Committee. Dušan Ivković (coach) is the lone International Committee finalist while Marques Johnson is the only Veterans Committee finalist. The Contributors Committee chose Tal Brody and Mike D’Antoni as its finalists.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- David Kelly has been unanimously elected as the next NBA Players Association executive director by the Board of Player Representatives, Ian Begley of SNY relays (Twitter link). He’ll replace longtime NBA player Andre Iguodala, whose term expires in July. Kelly has been serving as the managing director and general counsel for the NBPA. He’s also served as a close advisor to Iguodala.
- The Board of Governors might vote on expansion this summer, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (video link) and Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend (Twitter link). The BOG’s spring meeting is expected to be critical for stakeholders to better understand the factors around expansion, according to Charania. Some BOG members wanted to vote on expansion in the spring, but it will be tabled until the summer for extra information-gathering and deliberation, according to Townsend. Seattle and Las Vegas have long been considered the top candidates for expansion.
- The Athletic’s Mike Vornukov and Joe Vardon provide an in-depth look at how the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz conducts investigations into various NBA matters. The league has used the firm’s services since 2007.
- All-Star weekend continues today with the three-point contest, the Shooting Stars event and the slam dunk competition and The Athletic’s Steven Louis Goldstein offers a guide to Saturday’s activities. Prior three-point contest winners Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are among the eight participants in that event. The Shooting Stars is making its first appearance since 2015, replacing the Skills Challenge.
Blake Griffin, Joe Johnson Among Hall Of Fame Nominees
Former NBA standouts Blake Griffin and Joe Johnson are among the noteworthy first-time nominees eligible to be inducted into the class of 2026, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced in a press release.
For women’s hoops, ex-WNBA stars Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker are also eligible for the first time, and both two-time MVPs are likely shoo-ins to be enshrined on August 14. Coaches Kelvin Sampson, Bruce Pearl and Mike D’Antoni, the latter of whom is technically in the “contributor” category, are among the other first-time nominees.
Returning eligible candidates include Mark Few, Doc Rivers, Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.
The finalists will be selected on February 9, while the 2026 class will be unveiled on April 4.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, Griffin was sidelined for his first professional season due to a left knee injury, which eventually required surgery. He made a triumphant return in 2010/11, winning the Rookie of the Year award and earning the first of six All-Star berths.
Griffin, 36, was named to five All-NBA teams over the course of his 13 active years in the league. Injuries continued to be an issue, however, particularly at the end of his career.
Johnson, 44, was the 10th overall selection in 2001. He played parts of 18 years in the NBA, making seven All-Star appearances and earning one All-NBA nod in 2009/10.
And-Ones: Hall Of Fame, Brown, Maledon, Lessort, G League
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame officially announced its list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2025, including several-first-time nominees (Twitter link). Ten-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and eight-time All-NBA team member Dwight Howard are among the notable names.
WNBA greats Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, Chamique Holdsclaw and Maya Moore are first-time nominees, as are legendary coaches Lisa Bluder, Billy Donovan, Mark Few and Doc Rivers. NBA stars Marc Gasol and Amar’e Stoudemire round out the list of new candidates, while Heat owner Micky Arison is nominated as a contributor. According to a report from The Associated Press, the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team was among the repeat nominees.
Along with announcing the list, the Hall has adjusted its waiting period for candidates from three seasons out of the game to two.
“To better recognize the distinguished careers of potential first-ballot nominees in a more timely manner, the board has appropriately shortened the waiting period,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “We are excited about this change and believe that honoring individuals while their contributions are still fresh in people’s minds is both meaningful and impactful.”
This is the first step in the process of enshrinement. Finalists are selected on Feb. 14 in San Francisco during NBA All-Star weekend and the full class will be revealed on April 5 in San Antonio at the NCAA Tournament. There are a total of 189 candidates in various categories, according to the Hall.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- ESPN announced that 91-year-old Hubie Brown will call the final game of his broadcasting career on Feb. 9. That game, between the Bucks and the Sixers, will be jointly called by Brown and Mike Breen. Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, worked for the Knicks, Grizzlies and Hawks.
- Former NBA guard Theo Maledon is reportedly being targeted by Real Madrid, according to a report from Sportando. Maledon is currently playing with French club ASVEL and is fourth in the EuroLeague in points per game (18.8). According to the report, Real Madrid offered a buyout to current guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes with an eye toward giving Maledon a multi-year deal. Maldeon most recently played with the Suns in 2023/24 and also had stints with the Thunder and Hornets after being selected with the 34th overall pick in 2020.
- Mathias Lessort, whose draft rights are held by the Knicks, suffered a fibula fracture and will be out for the next four months, according to a report from Eurohoops.net. Lessort has been an impressive defensive force for Greek club Panathinaikos. There’s been some speculation that Lessort, the 50th overall pick in 2017, could make the move stateside at some point — he’s in the final year of his current contract.
- The G League Union elected a new executive committee as the league is in the negotiation process of creating its first-ever CBA for players, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets. Robert Baker of the Osceola Magic will serve as president, Yauhen Massalski of the San Diego Clippers will be secretary-treasurer, and College Park’s David Singleton and Salt Lake City’s Josh Pierre-Louis were elected as vice presidents, according to Bontemps (Twitter link).
Pacific Notes: Moody, Kings, Nurkic, Stoudemire
Moses Moody‘s strong defense on Jalen Brunson was one of the keys to the Warriors‘ victory over the Knicks in New York on Thursday, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The 21-year-old wing has experienced inconsistent playing time throughout his first three NBA seasons, but he had an unusually grounded take on the way his role has fluctuated to this point in his career.
“It’s real life,” Moody said. “Different things happen. You gotta be able to keep your head, control your emotions. All my friends are in that space where they’re leaving college, trying to figure out life. Everybody’s going through different adversities. Who am I to think I should have an easy road to whatever I want? It’s just kind of how it goes.”
The 14th pick of the 2021 draft, Moody will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. He’s currently starting in place of Andrew Wiggins, who is away from the team for personal reasons.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Prior to Friday’s overtime victory over the Wolves in Minnesota, the Kings held a players-only meeting that lasted about 35 minutes, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. It was the first time the team held such a meeting since Mike Brown became head coach in 2022/23. “We had a team meeting to talk about (how) we have to take this s–t seriously because we got 23 games left now,” Malik Monk said after Friday’s game. “The coaches are going to say what they’re going to say, but we’re out they’re playing. We knew we had to come together and outwork somebody.” Monk finished with a season-high 39 points, including 35 after halftime, and Brown was “thrilled” that the players took accountability for their up-and-down play, Biderman adds.
- Suns center Jusuf Nurkic pulled down a career-high 31 rebounds on Sunday vs. Oklahoma City — the most in an NBA game in 13 years and a new franchise record for Phoenix — but he wasn’t in a celebratory mood after the loss, according to a report from ESPN.com. “I don’t know, man, I’m just trying to do my role the best I can. But it’s kind of really messed up when you have 13 offensive rebounds and 16 shots then zero free throws,” Nurkic said. “As hard as I work, and I feel like [I’m] getting fouled as [much as] anybody in the league. And I’m not here saying — we lost the game, it is what it is — [but] it’s just, it’s not really common sense. At least one [free throw]. [To] not even have one? But I know it happens. I ain’t the first one, and I ain’t going to be the last, either, unfortunately.”
- On Saturday, former Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire — one of the most electrifying dunkers in league history — was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports passes along several quotes from the occasion.
Suns To Retire Numbers For Shawn Marion, Amar’e Stoudemire
The Suns will induct Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire into their Ring of Honor this season, the team announced in a press release.
Details of the ceremonies will be worked out once the NBA’s schedule is finalized, but a separate celebration is planned for each player, according to the release. As part of the honor, Marion’s No. 31 and Stoudemire’s No. 32 will join the franchise’s list of retired numbers.
“Shawn and Amar’e are two of the very best to ever wear a Phoenix Suns uniform,” owner Mat Ishbia said. “Shawn changed the game with his elite versatility and Amar’e was one of the most electrifying players the league has ever seen. Shawn and Amar’e helped define the Suns and inspired generations of fans, and our Suns family is incomplete without them in the Ring of Honor. As we embark on the new era of Suns basketball, it is a priority that we remain connected to our storied history. We are excited to celebrate Shawn and Amar’e and properly recognize their incredible contributions and achievements.”
Marion played in Phoenix from 1999-2008, earning All-NBA honors twice and making four All-Star appearances. He averaged 18.4 PPG in 660 regular season games with the Suns and ranks fifth in franchise history in career points, second in both rebounds and steals and third in blocks. He’s also Phoenix’s all-time playoff leader with 706 rebounds.
“This is amazing to be recognized by the Suns family in this way,” Marion said. “The fans in Phoenix are one of a kind and this city will always be a part of me. My time with the Suns was special and I am looking forward to being inducted into the Ring of Honor.”
Stoudemire was named Rookie of the Year in 2003 and averaged 21.4 PPG in 516 games during his eight seasons with the Suns. A four-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Star in Phoenix, he’s seventh in franchise history in career points, third in rebounds and fifth in blocks.
“I bleed purple and orange, making this a tremendous honor to be inducted,” Stoudemire said. “My best and most transformative years came in Phoenix with the Suns. I have so much love for Suns fans and appreciation for the love they have always shown me. I am excited to reconnect with the fanbase in joining the Ring of Honor.”
New York Notes: Brunson, Stoudemire, Baldwin, Sotto
The Knicks’ top executive, Leon Rose, needs to go all out this summer to sign free agent Jalen Brunson, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. The Knicks settled for Kemba Walker last summer instead of engaging in an all-out bidding war for Fred VanVleet. The same mistake can’t be made this time around, in Vaccaro’s view, so Rose must figure out a way to clear more cap space and give Brunson a competitive offer. Vaccaro also notes Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, was Rose’s first ever client as a player agent.
We have more on the New York teams:
- Amar’e Stoudemire clarified comments he made on ESPN shows regarding Kyrie Irving and the Nets organization in an Instagram post (hat tip to Chris Milholen of NetsDaily.com). Stoudemire told coach Steve Nash he was leaving his post as a player development coach due to his religious obligations prior to his TV appearances and has no issue with Nash or GM Sean Marks. He also said he wasn’t trying to blast Irving when he said Irving “hurt us” due to his lack of availability during the season. “You’re not going to turn me against Kyrie. You’re not going to turn me against the Nets. You’re not going to turn me against anyone. So you can forget about it,” Stoudemire said.
- The Knicks have quietly added Vince Baldwin — a longtime Nike talent scout — as a “talent evaluator,” Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Baldwin has extensive contacts in the high school and college ranks and is close with Knicks senior executive William Wesley. The Knicks also hired Tim Hardaway Sr. as a scout without making an official announcement.
- Center prospect Kai Sotto will work out for the Knicks on Monday, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. The 7’3” big man from the Philippines spent last season in Australia’s National Basketball League, averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG for the Adelaide 36ers.
Amar’e Stoudemire To Leave Nets Job, Criticizes Irving
Amar’e Stoudemire is leaving his post with the Nets and said the franchise needs to take a harder stance with star guard Kyrie Irving.
Stoudemire worked under head coach Steve Nash as a player development assistant this season.
Stoudemire made his comments on ESPN’s morning talk shows. He appeared on both the Get Up show with Mike Greenberg and the First Take show with Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams (hat tip to NetsDaily.com).
Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated played a large part in the Nets’ demise, according to Stoudemire.
“Yeah, I think it hurt us. It definitely hurt us because we didn’t have consistency enough with Kyrie to build chemistry with the group, with the team,” he said. “He’s playing only away games depending which city it is … can’t play in New York … therefore we had different lineups, different matchups depending on the game schedule. So it made it difficult for us coaches to figure out who’s going to play in spite of Kyrie.”
Stoudemire, a former All-Star forward/center, said Irving has to make a greater commitment to the franchise in order to solidify his superstar status. Irving was left off the NBA’s 75th anniversary Top 75 squad.
“I feel Kyrie has to make a commitment himself to the game of basketball. on how committed he is to being a great player because I feel like Kyrie should have been on the Top 75 list,” Stoudemire said. “But at the same time, you have to now take that as motivation going into next season and proving, prove to yourself that you are a top player and do it consistently throughout the season. “
Irving is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent this summer. Stoudemire believes that GM Sean Marks needs to get assurances about Irving’s commitment before re-signing the enigmatic guard. Marks indicated that his conversations with Irving this summer will include whether Irving is motivated to playing regularly going forward.
“You can say you’re available and ready to play next season, but are you actually going to do that or are you going to renege on that and not play and if that’s the case you’d have this situation where he says he’s going to be available but he doesn’t, now what do we do? So now you have to negotiate that into the contract, in the writing, try to figure out a way to have the writing set in the contract to where if he doesn’t play these things happen,” Stoudemire said.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics’ Trade Exception, VanVleet, Ntilikina, Stoudemire
The Celtics are in no rush to use the $28.6MM traded player exception they acquired in the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade with the Hornets, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. With the trade deadline approximately two months away and most teams still trying to win, potential suitors won’t look to ship out an elite scorer for a draft-heavy trade package at this time, Himmelsbach adds. The exception could also be used during the 2021 offseason. Check out all outstanding trade exceptions here.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is among the 60 players who received an invite from USA Basketball to compete for a spot on this summer’s Olympic team, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star reports. It will be the first time the 26-year-old VanVleet has been included in a USA senior team player pool. Teammate Kyle Lowry also received an invite, Smith adds.
- Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina suited up on Sunday night but didn’t play, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. Ntilikina had been sidelined since December 29 with a right knee sprain. Ntilikina could become an unrestricted free agent this summer unless the organization extends a $7MM+ qualifying offer, which would make him restricted.
- Amar’e Stoudemire will not be on the Nets’ bench for some of their weekend games due to religious reasons, as Marc Stein of the New York times explains (Twitter link). The former All-Star big man, who is now a player development coach under Steve Nash, has maintained his Orthodox observance of Shabbat, which precludes him from working from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Brooklyn’s management has given him that time off every week with its blessing, Stoudemire wrote on his Instagram page.