The NBA’s inductees for the 2026 Hall of Fame class include head coach Doc Rivers and former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire alongside WNBA legends Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne.
While the official announcement isn’t until Saturday, ESPN insider Shams Charania broke the news on Tuesday.
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Rivers won an NBA championship as the head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2008 and has 1,191 career wins and counting. He currently sits at 6th on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list.
Parker made history throughout her basketball career, becoming the only player ever to win a WNBA championship with three different franchises. She won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the 2008 season before going on to win another MVP in 2013.
She also boasts two national championships at Tennessee as well as two Olympic Gold medals.
Delle Donne is also a two-time MVP winner and led the Washington Mystics to the WNBA title in 2019. Her elite efficiency made her the first player in WNBA history to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% from the free throw line for an entire season.
Former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire will also be inducted as a part of this year’s class. He was a major part of the “seven seconds or less” Phenix Suns team alongside Steve Nash. He helped the Suns change the way the game is played today, helping to speed up NBA offenses.
Stoudemire went on to make five All-NBA teams and reach the All-Star game on six occasions throughout his 14-year career. The Naismith Hall of Fame is set to officially announce these inductees on Saturday.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
