Following the sudden passing of the former Lakers player in a helicopter crash, HOF chairman announces that the basketball legend will be inducted posthumously in August of this year.
- Jan 28, 2020
AceShowbiz - Kobe Bryant is getting the honor he deserves after his untimely passing. A day after a helicopter crash that took his life, the former L.A. Lakers player is announced as one of the honorees for the 2020 class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 41-year-old late athlete will be inducted posthumously in a ceremony that will be held in August in Springfield, Massachusetts, along with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The final list for the 2020 class, however, is yet to be revealed.
HOF chairman and former USA Basketball Director Jerry Colangelo told The Athletic on Monday, January 27, "Expected to be the most epic class ever with Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Kobe will be honored the way he should be."
Previously, HOF also released a statement via its spokesperson in regards to Kobe's tragic death. "The Hall of Fame joins the rest of the basketball world in mourning the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant, a nominee for the Class of 2020 and an icon of the game," the statement released on Sunday read. "We offer our sincerest condolences to the Bryant Family and all of those affected by this tragedy. We look forward to announcing our Finalists at NBA All-Star Weekend and revealing the full Class of 2020 at the NCAA Men's Final Four in April."
Kobe was announced back in December as one of the nominees alongside Duncan, Garnett, Tim Hardaway and Mugsy Bogues. The complete 2020 class will be officially announced in April.
Following Kobe's death on Sunday, the NBA has postponed a game between Lakers and Clippers which was scheduled for Tuesday, January 28, at the Staples Center.
Elsewhere in Italy, every professional team in all levels of basketball will pay homage to Kobe with a moment of silence in every game for seven days. Basketball Federation's president Giovanni Petrucci told CNN, "We are shocked and saddened by what happened to him and his daughter Gianna and we hold his family close to our hearts in this moment of sorrow. It's a small gesture to honor Kobe's memory, but one that is heartfelt and deserved."
Kobe was born in Philadelphia, but he and his family moved to Italy when he was six as his father retired from the NBA and continued to play professional basketball at a lower level. Kobe became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak fluent Italian. He was especially fond of Reggio Emilia, which he considered a loving place and where his best childhood memories were made.
Meanwhile, Kobe's daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant who was also killed in the helicopter crash was honored by the basketball team she hoped to play for. The University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team laid out a bouquet of flowers and a jersey which bore No. 2 atop one of their courtside chairs on Monday night, ahead of the UConn Women's Basketball game against the USA Women's National Basketball team. They additionally held a 24-second moment of silence in honor of Kobe and Gianna before the game.
