Tag: basketball hall of fame

Hall of Fame ceremony for Rudy Tomjanovich set for May 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the enshrinement ceremony for the 2020 Hall of Fame class has been moved to May 13-15, 2021.

Nine months later than first planned, former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich will finally have his enshrinement ceremony for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in May 2021.

The ceremony for the 2020 class, which includes Tomjanovich, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally scheduled for August 2020.

The event will now be held on May 13-15, 2021, at the Mohegan Sun entertainment complex in Connecticut. The Hall of Fame’s press release says this complex can operate as a “near bubble,” which indicates their intent to move forward with these dates without further delays.

The May 2021 ceremony will be exclusive to the delayed 2020 class, and it will not be merged with the separate 2021 Hall of Fame class.

In his 11-plus seasons as head coach in Houston, Tomjanovich led the Rockets to a 503-397 (.559) regular-season record and a 51-39 (.567) mark in the NBA playoffs, headlined by two championships in 1994 and 1995. He is by far the winningest coach in franchise history.

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Besides his coaching allocades, Tomjanovich was also a dynamic player ⁠— with averages of 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. He was a five-time All-Star at power forward over 11 NBA seasons.

When ‘Rudy T’ is inducted, he has enlisted Rockets legends Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon to formally present him at the ceremony.

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KG, ’20 Hall of Fame class might have to wait until 2021 for induction

Boston Celtics legendary big man Kevin Garnett and the rest of the 2020 Hall of Fame class might have to wait until 2021 to be inducted.

Boston Celtics big man luminary Kevin Garnett and the rest of the 2020 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class may have to wait until some time in 2021 if the viral pandemic currently gripping Massachusetts and the rest of the planet doesn’t let up in time.

Currently shuttered with the state continuing to be under a stay-at-home-order due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the Springfield institution hopes to reopen to the public some time between mid-June and the fourth of July, reports MassLive’s Jim Kinney.

The hope is that using new safety protocols and other precautions will be enough to make the venue safe for reopening at that point, though John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Hall related the situation might change, presumably based on how the pandemic progresses.

Should the pandemic linger or rebound and force a delay in the Hall’s 2020 class induction ceremony — currently slated for late August — into October, the class could see the formal induction pushed back to 2021.

The 2020 Hall of Fame Class is comprised of 18-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant (who tragically passed in a helicopter accident this year), 15-time All-Star Tim Duncan, and 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings in addition to Garnett and several others.

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Lakers GM Rob Pelinka ‘heartbroken’ Kobe Bryant can’t celebrate HoF honor in person (Hoopshype)

It was no surprise on Saturday when the late Kobe Bryant was named a first-ballot inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class.

It was no surprise on Saturday when the late Kobe Bryant was named a first-ballot inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka ‘heartbroken’ Kobe Bryant can’t celebrate HoF honor in person

It was no surprise on Saturday when the late Kobe Bryant was named a first-ballot inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class.

It was no surprise on Saturday when the late Kobe Bryant was named a first-ballot inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class.

Why the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class is the best ever

Is this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class the best ever? Charles Curtis thinks so

Is this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class the best ever? Charles Curtis thinks so

Kobe Bryant in as first-ballot Hall of Famer with Duncan, Garnett

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame officially announced Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett as 2020 inductees.

As it is looking increasingly unlikely that basketball resumes anytime in the near future, the connection to games and players of the past will likely be even more on the minds of basketball fans who are still looking to feed their love of the game. Saturday brought one of those connections to the forefront, but it was also a bittersweet reminder for many. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was posthumously selected as a first-ballot Hall of Famer alongside fellow NBA legends of the era, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. It’s arguably the best class to ever be inducted in the same year.

Bryant had many battles against both Duncan and Garnett in the postseason over the years. Although LeBron met Duncan and Garnett several times in the playoffs as well, Bryant and James never crossed paths at the game’s highest stage, remaining one of the greatest what-ifs in NBA history. It was even on LeBron’s mind not that long ago.

With the status of the country, let alone the status of live events, extremely uncertain right now, it’s hard to imagine a ceremony happening in 2020. But whenever it does happen, it will be one of the best classes ever, even though it will be missing a major presence.

In addition to the three first-ballot NBA stars, legendary college coach Eddie Sutton, two-time NBA Champion coach of the Houston Rockets Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA executive Patrick Baumann. Baumann, like Bryant, is also a posthumous addition to the Hall.

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Kevin Garnett gets nomination for 2020 Hall of Fame class

Kevin Garnett was nominated for the Hall of Fame on Thursday, giving fans a chance to think back on his successful time as a Celtic.

As the 2019-20 Boston Celtics continue work on their regular season campaign in a hotly-contested Eastern Conference, Thursday provided an opportunity for Celtics fans to do a little reminiscing. That opportunity came courtesy of the announcement that former Celtic Kevin Garnett was officially nominated for the 2020 Hall of Fame class.

Garnett spent six seasons in Boston, averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and one block. He was an All-Star in five of those six seasons, adding a Defensive Player of the Year award, a First Team All-NBA selection, and four All-Defensive team honors (three first-teams, one second-team). Most importantly, he helped lead the Celtics to the NBA title in 2007-08.

During that championship run, Garnett averaged a double-double with 20.4 points and 10.5 rebounds, helping the Celtics take down the rival Lakers.

All told, Garnett piled up 15 All-Star selections, nine All-NBA teams and 12 All-Defensive teams. He won Rookie of the Year honors as well as an MVP, an All-Star Game MVP and the aforementioned Defensive Player of the Year, making him a shoo-in for the Hall.

Thursday gave fans a great chance to think back on The Big Ticket’s illustrious career and his contributions to Celtics tradition as he awaits his official call to the Hall, which is nothing more than a formality at this point.