Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday that the induction ceremony for the class of 2020 is set to take place from 13th to 15th May 2021. Among the inductees will be Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves great Kevin Garnett, San Antonio Spurs’ icon Tim Duncan, and late Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for late August, but the HOF board of governors decided to postpone it due to coronavirus pandemic outbreak. It was previously announced that the induction of class 2021 will also take part next year, but on another date.

The location of the induction ceremony for this year’s class was also changed and will be held at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“The decision to reschedule Enshrinement into May of next year, along with diminished museum guest visitation and a very uncertain future regarding our multiple collegiate and high school basketball events this fall, has forced us to make these very difficult decisions,” said Hall of Fame president and CEO John Doleva in a statement. “Our goal now is to conserve resources so that we may stabilize in 2021 and return to our growth trajectory in 2022 and beyond.”

Besides Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett, the class of 2020 also includes former Houston Rockets’ head coach and two-time NBA Champion Rudy Tomjanovich, one of the most successful college coaches Eddie Sutton, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings.

The post Bryant, Duncan, Garnett’s Hall of Fame Ceremony set for May 2021 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The names of basketball legends Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan won’t make it to the Hall of Fame just yet. According to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo, the induction ceremony for the Class of 2020 will be postponed for next year.

The induction ceremony was scheduled to take place on August 28-30, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the board of governors is considering other dates. Several alternative dates were in play this year before the Hall finally settled on the spring of 2021. 

“We’re definitely canceling,” Colangelo told ESPN on Wednesday. “It’s going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We’ll meet in a couple of weeks and look at the options of how and when and where.”

Colangelo also explained that the 2020 and 2021 class of inductees will receive its separate ceremonies, with both taking place next year.

“We won’t be combining them,” he added. “The Class of 2020 is a very special class and deserves its own celebration.”

The Class of 2020 is one of the most star-studded lineups in the history of Hall of Fame and features recently deceased Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant, San Antonio Spurs’ great Tim Duncan, and Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics’ superstar Kevin Garnett. Between themselves, Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett have 11 NBA titles, four NBA Most Valuable Player awards, and close to 50 All-Star appearances.

Besides Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett, this year’s class of inductees also includes former Houston Rockets’ coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, and Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey among others.

The post Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Postponed to 2021 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It has been five years since former Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion retired, which makes him eligible for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And according to Marion, there shouldn’t be any doubt whether he deserves the nod.

In a recent chat with The Athletic’s Michael Lee, Marion said that he believes he “should be a shoo-in” but is also aware of the “political” side of Hall of Fame selection process.

“I think the legacy I left for the game is there. But who is it to decide? Who is making the decisions? What do they base it off of? If you look at all the numbers, to me, I should be a shoo-in. Should I not?” said Marion. “What am I supposed to do? What am I not supposed to do? It’s out of my control. I know it’s a political thing. It’s a lot more other stuff going on. But certain things, you earn that. I earned that.”

Shawn Marion spent 16 seasons in the NBA, playing with Suns, Mavs, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers among other teams. Marion was NBA champion in 2011 with Dallas, while earning four All-Star selections and two All-NBA Third Team honors. This doesn’t exactly scream Hall of Fame, right? Well, there is more than meets the eye with Marion.

While he wasn’t a flashy guy, Marion was lauded for his versatility on the court. He was doing a bit of everything and is the only player in NBA history to have 17,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 1,000 blocks and 500 three-pointers over the course of his career. He also has the biggest win share (124.9) among all players who are eligible for Hall of Fame, but are not yet selected.

Because of all this, we would bet that Marion will be a Hall of Famer one day after all.

The post Former Suns’ Forward Shawn Marion: “I Should Be a Shoo-In” For Hall of Fame appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Grant Hill have been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. The rest of the inductees in Class of 2018 include Maurice Cheeks, basketball executive Rod Thorn and WNBA legend Tina Thompson. The full list of Class of 2018 inductees will be revealed on Saturday during the Final Four tournament in San Antonio.

Among the this year’s finalists for induction in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame were also Ray Allen, Chris Webber, Rudy Tomjanovich, Charles Driesell, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, Katie Smith, NBA official Hugh Evans and the 1953-58 Wayland Baptist University teams.

Jason Kidd played 19 years in the NBA and ended his career on the second spot among the NBA’s assist leaders. He was ten-time NBA All-Star, nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team, and a five-time All-NBA First Team while winning an NBA Championship in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks. He also shared NBA Rookie of the Year with his fellow Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Grant Hill. Kidd also worked as head coach in the NBA, serving with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.

Steve Nash spent 18 seasons in the NBA, during which he was named NBA MVP on two occasions. He also had eight All-Star appearances and received All-NBA First Team honors three times. He finds himself behind Jason Kidd on the NBA’s assist leaders list.

Grant Hill was considered one of the best players who played college basketball. He was known for his all-around game and showed real promise when he was drafted in the NBA by Detroit Pistons. After averaging 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in his first six seasons in the league, the rest of his career was plagued with injuries and he never managed to get it back on the track. During his career, he made seven All-Star appearances and received All-NBA First Team honors in 1997.

The post Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Grant Hill Elected for Basketball Hall of Fame appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday that the induction ceremony for the class of 2020 is set to take place from 13th to 15th May 2021. Among the inductees will be Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves great Kevin Garnett, San Antonio Spurs’ icon Tim Duncan, and late Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for late August, but the HOF board of governors decided to postpone it due to coronavirus pandemic outbreak. It was previously announced that the induction of class 2021 will also take part next year, but on another date.

The location of the induction ceremony for this year’s class was also changed and will be held at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“The decision to reschedule Enshrinement into May of next year, along with diminished museum guest visitation and a very uncertain future regarding our multiple collegiate and high school basketball events this fall, has forced us to make these very difficult decisions,” said Hall of Fame president and CEO John Doleva in a statement. “Our goal now is to conserve resources so that we may stabilize in 2021 and return to our growth trajectory in 2022 and beyond.”

Besides Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett, the class of 2020 also includes former Houston Rockets’ head coach and two-time NBA Champion Rudy Tomjanovich, one of the most successful college coaches Eddie Sutton, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings.

The post Bryant, Duncan, Garnett’s Hall of Fame Ceremony set for May 2021 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The names of basketball legends Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan won’t make it to the Hall of Fame just yet. According to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo, the induction ceremony for the Class of 2020 will be postponed for next year.

The induction ceremony was scheduled to take place on August 28-30, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the board of governors is considering other dates. Several alternative dates were in play this year before the Hall finally settled on the spring of 2021. 

“We’re definitely canceling,” Colangelo told ESPN on Wednesday. “It’s going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We’ll meet in a couple of weeks and look at the options of how and when and where.”

Colangelo also explained that the 2020 and 2021 class of inductees will receive its separate ceremonies, with both taking place next year.

“We won’t be combining them,” he added. “The Class of 2020 is a very special class and deserves its own celebration.”

The Class of 2020 is one of the most star-studded lineups in the history of Hall of Fame and features recently deceased Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant, San Antonio Spurs’ great Tim Duncan, and Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics’ superstar Kevin Garnett. Between themselves, Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett have 11 NBA titles, four NBA Most Valuable Player awards, and close to 50 All-Star appearances.

Besides Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett, this year’s class of inductees also includes former Houston Rockets’ coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, and Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey among others.

The post Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Postponed to 2021 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It has been five years since former Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion retired, which makes him eligible for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And according to Marion, there shouldn’t be any doubt whether he deserves the nod.

In a recent chat with The Athletic’s Michael Lee, Marion said that he believes he “should be a shoo-in” but is also aware of the “political” side of Hall of Fame selection process.

“I think the legacy I left for the game is there. But who is it to decide? Who is making the decisions? What do they base it off of? If you look at all the numbers, to me, I should be a shoo-in. Should I not?” said Marion. “What am I supposed to do? What am I not supposed to do? It’s out of my control. I know it’s a political thing. It’s a lot more other stuff going on. But certain things, you earn that. I earned that.”

Shawn Marion spent 16 seasons in the NBA, playing with Suns, Mavs, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers among other teams. Marion was NBA champion in 2011 with Dallas, while earning four All-Star selections and two All-NBA Third Team honors. This doesn’t exactly scream Hall of Fame, right? Well, there is more than meets the eye with Marion.

While he wasn’t a flashy guy, Marion was lauded for his versatility on the court. He was doing a bit of everything and is the only player in NBA history to have 17,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 1,000 blocks and 500 three-pointers over the course of his career. He also has the biggest win share (124.9) among all players who are eligible for Hall of Fame, but are not yet selected.

Because of all this, we would bet that Marion will be a Hall of Famer one day after all.

The post Former Suns’ Forward Shawn Marion: “I Should Be a Shoo-In” For Hall of Fame appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Grant Hill have been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. The rest of the inductees in Class of 2018 include Maurice Cheeks, basketball executive Rod Thorn and WNBA legend Tina Thompson. The full list of Class of 2018 inductees will be revealed on Saturday during the Final Four tournament in San Antonio.

Among the this year’s finalists for induction in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame were also Ray Allen, Chris Webber, Rudy Tomjanovich, Charles Driesell, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, Katie Smith, NBA official Hugh Evans and the 1953-58 Wayland Baptist University teams.

Jason Kidd played 19 years in the NBA and ended his career on the second spot among the NBA’s assist leaders. He was ten-time NBA All-Star, nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team, and a five-time All-NBA First Team while winning an NBA Championship in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks. He also shared NBA Rookie of the Year with his fellow Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Grant Hill. Kidd also worked as head coach in the NBA, serving with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.

Steve Nash spent 18 seasons in the NBA, during which he was named NBA MVP on two occasions. He also had eight All-Star appearances and received All-NBA First Team honors three times. He finds himself behind Jason Kidd on the NBA’s assist leaders list.

Grant Hill was considered one of the best players who played college basketball. He was known for his all-around game and showed real promise when he was drafted in the NBA by Detroit Pistons. After averaging 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in his first six seasons in the league, the rest of his career was plagued with injuries and he never managed to get it back on the track. During his career, he made seven All-Star appearances and received All-NBA First Team honors in 1997.

The post Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Grant Hill Elected for Basketball Hall of Fame appeared first on SportzBonanza.