The votes for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees have yet to be made, but there’s very little question that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant will headline the class. He’s among the recently-announced nominees for what looks to be an impressive class of stars joining the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Bryant leads HOF class after superstar career
In unsurprising news, Bryant could enter the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. For years, many fans were debating whether or not Bryant may become the G.O.A.T. in terms of basketball, passing by Michael Jordan. Bryant won five championships in a 20-year career which saw him team up with the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol.
The debates shifted in more recent times to a LeBron James vs MJ conversation, but it’s hard to ignore Bryant’s mighty contributions to the game over two decades.
There was that famous 81-point game which is now part of basketball legend. Dunks and highlight plays were numerous during his career. Bryant was also an 18-time All-Star, 12-time All-Defensive Team representative, 15-time All-NBA Team member, and the 2007-08 NBA MVP among other accolades.
In terms of career averages, Bryant had 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He was a 44.7 percent shooter and led the league in scoring twice.
As expected, he is on the ballot for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame nominees, per ESPN’s report. However, he is one of a quartet of new championship-winning star players on the ballot that could to be inducted.
Garnett, Duncan, Bosh among other top nominees
Also named as first-time nominees for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class are former All-Stars and NBA champions Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Chris Bosh. Those three players have a combined 41 All-Star appearances, eight championships, and three NBA MVP Awards.
Bosh, who became an NBA champion after joining Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat with LeBron James, tweeted out his appreciation for being included among the nominees.
Truly an honor. My career ended earlier than expected and that hurt immensely. To come to this point being nominated for the Hall of Fame with my heroes is truly an amazing feeling. #HOF20 pic.twitter.com/I0dlBgnBoW
— Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) December 19, 2019
Bosh, Bryant, Garnett, and Duncan are all first-time candidates. The other star players pictured in Bosh’s tweet are Michael Finley, Shawn Marion, Tamika Catchings, and Swin Cash, all of whom are among the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame nominees for the first time.
Additional former players listed as 2020 candidates are Marcus Camby, Mark Eaton, Dale Ellis, Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, and Chris Webber.
Others receiving consideration will include coaches Rick Adelman, George Karl, Dick Motta, Eddie Sutton, and Jay Wright, as well as former Bulls star Toni Kukoc.
Finalists for the Hall of Fame 2020 Class will be announced during NBA All-Star weekend in February. See the full list of candidates at the HoopHall website.