Blake Griffin, Amar'e Stoudemire Top 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Eligible Nominees

Former NBA stars Blake Griffin and Amar'e Stoudemire are among the first-time candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, per an announcement from the Hall on Friday.

Other new candidates include ex-NBA players Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson. A few WNBA superstars are on the list in Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker. NBA coaches include Mike D'Antoni and Doc Rivers, who currently leads the Milwaukee Bucks and also played in the league from 1983-1996. College coaches include Bruce Pearl (notably of Tennessee and Auburn), Gonzaga head coach and Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson.

On the team level, the legendary 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team, which went 60-0 overall en route to a dominant, gold medal-winning run at the Summer Olympics, is up for potential induction.

In addition, broadcaster Marv Albert, the longtime voice of the New York Knicks who also served as the lead play-by-play man for NBA on NBC, could be inducted as well.

The Hall of Fame gave a rundown of the schedule of events this year leading into the ceremony weekend.

"Finalists chosen from the applicable Category Screening Committees for the Class of 2026 will be announced at a later date. The entire Class of 2026 will be unveiled during a nationally televised broadcast on Saturday, April 4, during Final Four Weekend. 

"The Finalist and Class Announcement times and broadcast networks will be announced by Monday, February 9.

"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."

Griffin starred at Oklahoma before the Los Angeles Clippers selected him first overall in the 2009 NBA draft. He missed his first season due to a stress fracture in his left knee but rebounded to have a fantastic 13-year career. Griffin was best known for his high-flying dunks as the de-facto mayor of the Lob City 2010s Clipper teams, which also featured point guard Chris Paul and center DeAndre Jordan.

However, he was quite productive in his own right, amassing six All-Star Game appearances and five All-NBA team nods. Griffin averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds and even finished third in the NBA MVP race in 2013-14.

Like Griffin, Stoudemire also wowed fans with his high-flying acts on a popular team. His most notable squad was the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns led by head coach Mike D'Antoni.

Stoudemire, the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, starred for those teams, averaging 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds alongside Steve Nash and Shawn Marion. He accomplished that feat despite undergoing microfracture surgery in Oct. 2005, which played a part in him participating in just three games during the 2005-06 season.

Stoudemire left the Suns for the New York Knicks in free agency in 2010 and had a fantastic season in town, averaging 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, injuries hampered Stoudemire for the remainder of his NBA career, which lasted until 2016. Still, he finished his career as a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player who averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.