NBA stars Chris Bosh and Paul Pierce, WNBA great Lauren Jackson and Villanova coach Jay Wright are among the 14 finalists announced Tuesday for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Those four are among the nine finalists for the first time in the election, along with five previous finalists.
The Class of 2021 will be unveiled on May 16 and the incorporation ceremony is scheduled for September.
Bosh was a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time champion. Pierce made 10 All-Star teams and was a Finals MVP; Jackson was a seven-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time MVP. Wright led Villanova to two NCAA men’s basketball national championships.
First-time finalists are: Rick Adelman, the ninth-winning coach in NBA history; five-time champion and five-time All-Defensive Team selection Michael Cooper; seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medal winner Yolanda Griffith; NCAA national champion and WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley; and Bill Russell as the first head coach of the NBA Black (he was established as a player in 1975).
The previous finalists yet to be considered are Leta Andrews, the winningest high school coach ever; Five-time NBA quarterback Tim Hardaway; Consensus collegiate player of the year Marques Johnson; Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace; and five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber.
“While our timeline of events over the past year has been able to be modified and reshaped due to the global pandemic, we have never waved our commitment to renovate our beautiful museum and recognize the greats of the game who deserve to be immortalized there, ”Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. “The unveiling of the Class of 2021 final today is an exciting step towards honoring the men and women who have made a major contribution to the game we celebrate.”
The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 incorporation ceremony has been postponed and relocated from Springfield, Mass., Due to COVID-19. It will be held at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut from May 14-16.
—Field Media Media