Hall Of Fame Chairman Announces Kobe Bryant Will Be Inducted During 2020 Ceremony

With the shocking news of Kobe Bryant’s untimely passing, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo has revealed that the NBA legend will be inducted in the next ceremony, this August.

Colangelo revealed the big news to The Athletic, stating, “Kobe will be honored the way he should be.”

Back in December, Bryant, along with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tim Hardaway, and Mugsy Bogues, were announced as nominees for 2020 class.

“Expected to be arguably the most epic class with Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett,” Colangelo said.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who made the announcement via Twitter, Bryant will be a first-ballot enshrinement in the 2020 Half of Fame class.

The rest of the 2020 class will be announced in April and the ceremony will be held in Springfield Massachusetts this August, according to USA Today.

Bryant, along with 8 other passengers including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, died tragically in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning.

The NBA is set to honor Bryant tonight on ESPN at 9:00 P.M. ET, by airing his final game prior to his retirement where he scored 60 points against Utah Jazz helping lead the Lakers to a 101-96 victory and gave a heartwarming exit speech directly after.