(REUTERS) - NBA legends Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett headline the star-studded group selected to the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class announced on Saturday (April 4).
The trio, who combined for 11 National Basketball Association championships, are among nine people scheduled to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on Aug 29.
Also selected were Tamika Catchings, a 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medallist, coaches Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, Barbara Stevens and Kim Mulkey, and longtime Fiba executive Patrick Baumann.
"The Class of 2020 is undoubtedly one of the most historic of all time and the talent and social influence of these nine honourees is beyond measure," said John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame.
"In 2020, the basketball community has suffered the unimaginable loss of iconic figures commissioner David Stern and Kobe Bryant, as well as the game itself due to Covid-19. We have also banded together like never before in appreciation of the game and those who have made it the uniting force it is today. Today we thank the Class of 2020 for all they have done for the game of basketball and we look forward to celebrating them at Enshrinement in August."
