Blake Griffin, Doc Rivers, Joey Crawford Headline Basketball HOF Class of 2026 Finalists
The finalists for the Naismith Hall of Fame class of 2026 have been revealed.
Blake Griffin and Amar'e Stoudemire highlight the player finalists nominated, while coaching legend Doc Rivers is among the coaches in the mix. Kevin Johnson, Buck Williams, Marques Johnson, Dušan Ivković, Joey Crawford and Tal Brody are also finalists.
On the women's side, Candace Parker, Jennifer Azzi, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and Molly Bolin-Kazmer are the finalists. The 1996 United States Women's National Team is also a finalist.
Griffin had an outstanding 13-year career, averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. He began his career as an athletic player known for his dunks but was able to age gracefully and turn into a player capable of spacing the floor in his later years.
He ended his career with six All-Star appearances, three-All-NBA Second Team nods and two All-NBA Third Team honors. He was the league's Rookie of the Year in 2011 and also won the Slam Dunk Contest that year.
Stoudemire joined the NBA fresh out of high school, but quickly proved that he was capable of sticking around in the league. A member of the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns teams, Stoudermire was a Rookie of the Year, a six-time All-Star, a one-time All-NBA First Team member and made All-NBA Second Team four times.
He spent eight years in Phoenix, five seasons with the New York Knicks and had brief stints with the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 boards per game across his career.
Rivers, currently the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, has the sixth-most wins of all time and is continuing to climb that list. He led the Boston Celtics to a championship in 2008 and was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches by the NBA in 2024.
Crawford had an officiating career that spanned five decades and he retired in 2016. The officiating legend called 313 playoff games and 50 NBA Finals games.
Parker is a college basketball legend after winning a pair of championships under the great Pat Summitt at Tennessee. She went on to have an amazing WNBA career as well, winning three WNBA championships, a Finals MVP, two MVP awards and Defensive Player of the Year.
The 1996 United States women's Olympic basketball team featured legends like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Dawn Staley and won gold after beating Brazil in the final. The group's fantastic run is widely credited with helping the WNBA have success in its inaugural season.
The Hall of Fame class of 2026 will be announced on April 4, and enshrinement weekend takes place Aug. 14-16 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
