With the NBA on the cusp of a return, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will be next in line to determine a new plan of action. According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the board of governors for the Hall of Fame, has decided to delay the enshrinement ceremony for the class of 2020 till spring 2021.
“We’re definitely canceling,” Colangelo said. “It’s going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We’ll meet in a couple of weeks and look at the options of how and when and where.”
Columbus Day weekend could be a possible replacement date – seeing as the original August 29th date became quickly implausible. Colangelo deemed both those dates as “just not feasible” due to the continual spread of the coronavirus. On June 10th, the board of governors will gather to discuss 2021 spring dates.
The class of 2020 has already been lauded for being one of the greatest of all time. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett headline the list. Considering the tragic passing of Bryant, this induction ceremony would have been a sentimental and emotional gathering. Appropriately, Colangelo and the Hall are giving the class of 2020 the spotlight they deserve.
Some other notables joining this class are 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, and former collegiate coach Eddie Sutton. Unfortunately, Sutton passed away this past Saturday.
Jerry Colangelo assured that the class of 2020 and 2021 will indeed have separate induction ceremonies.
“We won’t be combining them,” Colangelo said. “The Class of 2020 is a very special class and deserves its own celebration.”
