Press Release

<p><strong>SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — </strong>The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the selection of Finalists for its Class of 2026 from the following committees: North American, Women’s, Men’s Veterans, Women’s Veterans, International, and Contributors.</p>
<p>The Finalists will then be put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election as members of the Class of 2026. The new class will be announced on Saturday, April 4, in a live broadcast on ESPN2 at 12:00 PM (noon) EST during Final Four Weekend.</p>
<hr />
<h3>North American Committee Finalists (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<ul>
<li>Joey Crawford [Referee]</li>
<li>Mark Few [Coach]</li>
<li>Blake Griffin [Player]</li>
<li>Kevin Johnson [Player]</li>
<li>Gary McKnight [Coach]</li>
<li>Dick Motta [Coach]</li>
<li>Doc Rivers [Coach]</li>
<li>Kelvin Sampson [Coach]</li>
<li>Amar’e Stoudemire [Player]</li>
<li>Jerry Welsh [Coach]</li>
<li>Buck Williams [Player]</li>
</ul>
<h3> Women’s Committee Finalists:</h3>
<ul>
<li>1996 United States Women’s National Team</li>
<li>Jennifer Azzi [Player]</li>
<li>Elena Delle Donne [Player]</li>
<li>Chamique Holdsclaw [Player]</li>
<li>Candace Parker [Player]</li>
</ul>
<h3> Women’s Veteran Committee Finalist:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Molly Bolin-Kazmer [Player]</li>
</ul>
<h3>International Committee Finalist:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dušan Ivković [Coach]</li>
</ul>
<h3> Contributors Committee Finalists:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Tal Brody</li>
<li>Mike D’Antoni</li>
</ul>
<h3>Veterans Committee Finalists:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Marques Johnson</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p>“This year’s group of Finalists represents the full scope of basketball’s impact, from the professional and collegiate ranks to high school, international play, officiating, and innovation,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Their achievements span championships, historic milestones, and a lasting influence on how the game is played, taught, and experienced around the world. Each Finalist has made a notable contribution to basketball’s growth and excellence, and their collective legacy speaks to the power of the sport.”</p>
<p>Enshrinement Weekend will begin at the Mohegan Sun on Friday, August 14, with the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala, followed by the Enshrinement Ceremony the next day at Springfield’s historic Symphony Hall.   All event tickets and VIP hospitality packages will go on sale on April 4, at 1:00 PM ET, following the 2026 Class Announcement. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2025/">hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2026/</a>.</p>
<p>For the latest news and updates, follow <strong>@hoophall </strong>and<strong> #26HoopClass</strong> on X, Instagram and Tiktok.</p>
<hr />
<h3>North American Committee Finalists:</h3>
<p><strong>JOEY CRAWFORD [Referee] –</strong> One of the longest-tenured and most accomplished officials in NBA history, Crawford served as an NBA referee for 39 seasons from 1977-2016. Over his career, he officiated 2,561 regular-season games – second most to Hall of Famer Dick Bavetta – a record 374 playoff games and 50 NBA Finals games, working every Finals series from 1986- 2015. Crawford began officiating high school basketball in 1970 and gained professional experience in the Eastern Basketball Association before making his NBA debut at age 26.</p>
<p><strong>BLAKE GRIFFIN [Player]</strong> – A six-time NBA All-Star whose athleticism and versatility helped redefine the power forward position, Griffin was the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. After not playing that season due to injury, Griffin was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011 and went on to earn five All-NBA selections. He won the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, showcasing his signature explosiveness, and led the NBA in dunks in consecutive seasons (2011-12, ‘12-13). Griffin played the majority of his career with the LA Clippers (2009-18), helping transform the franchise into a consistent playoff contender, and later played for the Detroit Pistons (2018-21), Brooklyn Nets (2021-22), and Boston Celtics (2022-23). He starred collegiately at Oklahoma, where he was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2009.</p>
<p><strong>MARK FEW [Coach] </strong>– One of the most successful coaches in college basketball history, Few has led Gonzaga to sustained national prominence. He guided the Bulldogs to NCAA championship game appearances in 2017 and 2021 and to 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and counting. Few is the winningest active coach by winning percentage and has recorded at least 20 wins in every season as Gonzaga’s head coach. He is a two-time Naismith Coach of the Year (2017, ‘21), won numerous West Coast Conference titles, and was an assistant coach for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team that took home the gold medal.</p>
<p><strong>KEVIN JOHNSON [Player] – </strong> One of the most dynamic point guards of his era, Johnson spent the majority of his 12-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns, earning three NBA All-Star selections (1990, ‘91, ‘94) and four All-NBA Second-Team honors (1989, ‘90, ‘91, ‘94). Johnson was the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 assists, a .500 field goal percentage, and two steals per game for an entire season (1990-91), and the third all-time to post 20 points and 10 assists per game in three consecutive seasons, following Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas. The NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1989, Johnson was the first player at the University of California, Berkeley to have his jersey retired (1992) and was inducted into the Suns’ Ring of Honor in 2001.</p>
<p><strong>GARY McKNIGHT [Coach]</strong> – A fixture in high school basketball for more than four decades, McKnight has served as the head boys’ basketball coach at Mater Dei High School since 1982, compiling more than 1,300 career victories, second most all-time among men’s high school coaches. He has led Mater Dei to 11 California state championships and a national title in 2014, capped by a perfect 35-0 season. McKnight’s career has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball, the Naismith Boys’ High School Coach of the Year Award and MaxPreps National Coach of the Year for all sports in 2014, as well as ESPN National Coach of the Year in 1987.</p>
<p><strong>DICK MOTTA [Coach] </strong>– Motta had coaching success at all levels of the game – starting at the junior college level in 1954. Motta went on to be named NBA Coach of the Year in 1971 and led the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA championship. His résumé also includes two Big Sky regular-season titles at Weber State and a state high school championship in Grace, Idaho. During his NBA career, Motta coached five franchises – the Bullets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets – and ranks ninth in league history in regular-season games coached and 14th in wins. He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA Coaches Association in 2015 and was inducted into the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame in 2024.</p>
<p><strong>DOC RIVERS [Coach] –</strong> Rivers has amassed over 1,175 wins in 27 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Orlando Magic (1999-2003), Boston Celtics (2004-13), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-20), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23), and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-present). He led the Celtics to a pair of NBA Finals appearances, winning the championship in 2008, and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000. A former NBA All-Star point guard during his 13-year playing career, Rivers recently moved into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list, passing George Karl, while his 114 playoff victories rank fourth all-time.</p>
<p><strong>KELVIN SAMPSON [Coach] – </strong>A coach with more than 800 career victories, Sampson began his head coaching career at NAIA Montana Tech and has built a résumé that includes stops at Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Houston. At Oklahoma, he led the Sooners to the 2002 Final Four, and at Houston he guided the Cougars to two more Final Four appearances (2021, ‘25). In November, he became the 17th men’s basketball coach (fourth active) to reach 800 career wins. Known for emphasis on defense and player development, Sampson is a two-time AP Coach of the Year (1995, 2024) and has earned multiple conference regular-season and postseason championships.</p>
<p><strong>AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE [Player] –</strong> A six-time NBA All-Star (2005, ‘07-11) and 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, Stoudemire averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds during his first eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2002-10) before signing with the New York Knicks (2010-15). The ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft directly out of high school, Stoudemire earned five All-NBA selections and was a key figure in Phoenix’s “Seven Seconds or Less” era. He successfully returned from microfracture knee surgery that limited him to three games in 2005-06 and averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds in each of the next three seasons, including a career-high 25.2 points in 2007-08. Stoudemire finished his 14-year NBA career (2002-16) averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds.</p>
<p><strong>JERRY WELSH [Coach] – </strong>Welsh compiled a 494-141 record over 22 seasons as a head coach at SUNY Potsdam (1968-91), where he guided the Bears to the 1981 NCAA Division III national championship and three Final Four appearances (1979, ‘81, ‘86). Named the NABC Division III Coach of the Year in 1981 following his title run, Welsh built a dominant program at Potsdam. His teams either won or shared the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular-season title in each of his final 15 seasons. From 1985 to 1987, SUNY Potsdam set a Division III record with 60 consecutive victories and went a dominant 254-13 at home. Welsh then went on to coach at Iona University for four seasons.</p>
<p><strong>BUCK WILLIAMS [Player] –</strong> A three-time NBA All-Star (1982-83, ’86), Williams ranks third in NBA history in offensive rebounds (4,526) and 16th in total rebounds (13,017). He earned four NBA All-Defensive Team honors, was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1982. The third overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft following his All-American career at Maryland, Williams led the NBA in offensive rebounds in 1983-84 (355) and played in all 82 games in a season four times. Williams spent the first eight seasons of his 17-year career with the New Jersey Nets (1981-89) before being traded to Portland, where he helped lead the Trail Blazers to NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and ‘92.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Women’s Committee Finalists:</h3>
<p><strong>1996 UNITED STATES WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM</strong> – The 1996 United States Women’s National Team captured the gold medal at the Atlanta Games, finishing with an undefeated 8-0 record and an average margin of victory of more than 30 points. Coached by Tara VanDerveer, the team featured a roster that included future Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, and Katrina McClain. The squad’s dominant performance helped elevate the global profile of women’s basketball and contributed to the launch of the WNBA later that year.</p>
<p><strong>JENNIFER AZZI</strong> <strong>[Player] – </strong>The 1990 Naismith College Player of the Year and Wade Trophy recipient, Azzi led Stanford to the 1990 NCAA national championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She also excelled on the international stage, winning a gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games and the 1990 and ’98 FIBA World Championships and playing four seasons abroad. Following her professional career overseas, Azzi co-founded the short-lived American Basketball League (ABL) before embarking on a five-year stint in the WNBA (1999-2003). In 2021, Azzi was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.</p>
<p><strong>ELENA DELLE DONNE [Player] </strong>– A two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player (2015, ‘19), Delle Donne starred for the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics and led Washington to its first WNBA championship in 2019. Delle Donne, who was named to the WNBA’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2021, was a seven-time All-Star and four-time All-WNBA First Team selection, and was selected as the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2013. A two-time First-Team All-American at the University of Delaware, Delle Donne was selected second overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft and won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.</p>
<p><strong>CHAMIQUE HOLDSCLAW [Player] –</strong> A six-time WNBA All-Star (1999-03, ‘05), Holdsclaw was the first overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft after leading Tennessee to three consecutive NCAA national championships (1996-98). The 1999 Rookie of the Year and 2002 scoring champion averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds over her 11-year WNBA career with the Washington Mystics (1999-04), Los Angeles Sparks (‘05-07), Atlanta Dream (‘09), and San Antonio Silver Stars (‘10). Holdsclaw, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2000, was a two-time Naismith College Player of the Year (1998, ‘99) and finished as the SEC’s all-time leading scorer. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.</p>
<p><strong>CANDACE PARKER [Player] </strong>– One of the most accomplished players in women’s basketball history, Parker is a three-time WNBA champion (2016, ‘21, ‘23) and two-time league MVP (2008, ‘13), earning Finals MVP honors in 2016. She is the only player in WNBA history to be named Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008) and was also recognized as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. A seven-time WNBA All-Star and All-WNBA First Team selection, Parker starred collegiately at Tennessee, winning two NCAA national championships (2007-08), and is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, ‘12).</p>
<hr />
<h3>Women’s Veterans Committee Finalists:</h3>
<p><strong>MOLLY BOLIN-KAZMER [Player] –</strong> A pioneering figure in women’s professional basketball, Bolin-Kazmer was the first player signed in Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL) history and became known as “Machine Gun” Molly for her prolific scoring ability. She led the Iowa Cornets to back-to-back WBL championship appearances (1979, 1980), set a single-game scoring record with 55 points on March 2, 1980, and earned the league’s co-MVP honors with Hall of Famer Ann Meyers (Drysdale) in 1980. Bolin-Kazmer averaged 32.8 points in 1980-81, the highest professional scoring average ever by a woman at that time. She was inducted into the Iowa High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Grand View College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.</p>
<hr />
<h3>International Committee Finalist:</h3>
<p><strong>DUŠAN IVKOVIĆ [Coach] –</strong> A former Serbian professional basketball player, Ivković’s coaching career spanned six decades and earned a number of prestigious honors, including being named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008, a EuroLeague Basketball Legend in 2017, and being inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017. He won two EuroLeague championships (1997, 2012) and led the Yugoslavia national team to an Olympic silver medal in 1988 and to a FIBA World Championship title in 1990. Ivković coached legendary European clubs including Partizan Belgrade, Olympiacos, and Real Madrid, winning multiple European championships, and coached a number of players who became NBA stars, including Dražen Petrović, Vlade Divac, and Predrag Stojaković.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Contributor Committee Finalists:</h3>
<p><strong>TAL BRODY –</strong> Brody, a basketball ambassador across the globe for more than 50 years, led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the 1977 FIBA European Champions Cup, marking the first time an Israeli team had won Europe’s top club competition. A University of Illinois All-American in 1965, he was selected 12th overall in that year’s NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets but opted to play in Israel. There, he made history as the country’s first athlete to receive the Israel Prize, its highest civilian honor, in 1979. His No. 6 jersey was retired by Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he won 10 Israeli League titles and six State Cups. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, the U.S. Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.</p>
<p><strong>MIKE D’ANTONI – </strong>An important figure in the evolution of modern basketball, D’Antoni influenced the game through innovation via his up-tempo, space-and-pace philosophy that helped redefine offensive strategy, emphasizing ball movement, shooting and efficiency and shaping the analytics-driven era of the sport. D’Antoni’s impact spans continents, having coached professionally in Italy for eight seasons before bringing his ideas to the NBA, where he amassed nearly 1,200 career wins. He was named NBA Coach of the Year twice (2005, ‘17), served as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, and was recognized as one of the 50 Greatest Contributors in EuroLeague history in 2008.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Veterans Committee Finalist:</h3>
<p><strong>MARQUES JOHNSON [Player] –</strong> A five-time NBA All-Star (1979-81, ’83, ’86) and three-time All-NBA selection, including first-team accolades in 1978-79, Johnson averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds during his 11-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks (1977-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-87), and Golden State Warriors (1989-90). Selected third overall in the 1977 NBA Draft, Johnson played a key role in leading UCLA to the 1975 NCAA national championship under Hall of Fame coach John Wooden. Credited with pioneering the “point forward” role, Johnson helped the Bruins to a 98-10 record during his collegiate career and won the inaugural John Wooden Award in 1977. The Bucks retired his No. 8 jersey in 2019.</p>


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Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Finalists

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<p>Chamique Holdsclaw (born September 09, 1977) is a forward for the San Antonio Silver Stars. She played college basketball at Tennessee.</p>


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