Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was among those named as finalists for consideration for 2026 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Patrick McDermottMilwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers and retired NBA stars Amar'e Stoudemire, Blake Griffin and Kevin Johnson were among finalists named Wednesday for 2026 election to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Finalists advance to the honors committee that will announce the 2026 Hall inductees on April 4 with enshrinement on August 15 at the Hall of Fame hometown in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Others selected from the North American committee include referee Joey Crawford, player Buck Williams and coaches Mark Few, Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Jerry Welsh and Kelvin Sampson.
Women's stars to make the list for final consideration include the unbeaten 1996 US Olympic gold medal squad and players Jennifer Azzi, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker and Molly Bolin-Kazmer.
Rivers, 64, guided Boston to the 2008 NBA title and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000 after his first league campaign while with Orlando. He has won more than 1,175 games over 27 seasons guided the Magic, Boston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
Stoudemire was a six-time NBA All-Star and the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year after jumping into the league from high school. He averaged 18.9 points over 14 seasons for Phoenix, New York, Dallas and Miami.
Johnson played a combined 12 NBA campaigns for Phoenix and Cleveland and later became mayor of his hometown of Sacramento, California.
Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star forward, was the top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit, Brooklyn and Boston before retiring in 2023.
Others on the list for a spot in the Hall in 2026 include former Serbian coach Dusan Ivkovic from the international committee, five-time NBA All-Star Marques Johnson from the veterans committee plus long-time Israel club star Tal Brody and two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike D'Antoni from the contributors committee.
"This year's group of finalists represents the full scope of basketball's impact," Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said. "Their achievements span championships, historic milestones and a lasting influence on how the game is played, taught, and experienced around the world."
js/bb
Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published.
Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today!
Receive weekly updates on obituaries and death notices.
Oregon Capital Press presented by Columbia Gorge News
Receive updates on upcoming promotions and special sections.
Receive weekly updates on local sports news.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
Commented