The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is postponing its enshrinement ceremonies for the Class of 2020 until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the board of the governors for the Hall of Fame, told ESPN on Wednesday that the original dates for enshrinement weekend (Aug. 28-30) and the proposed alternate dates (Oct. 10-12) are “just not feasible.” He noted that the board of governors will meet June 10 to figure out potential spring dates.
“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.”
The star-studded 2020 class, which includes Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, San Antonio Spurs great Tim Duncan and former Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett, will still have its own ceremony despite the postponement.
Colangelo stressed there will be separate ceremonies for this year’s class and the Class of 2021, even though both events will be held in the same calendar year.
“We won’t be combining them,” Colangelo said. “The Class of 2020 is a very special class and deserves its own celebration.”
Bryant, Duncan and Garnett will be joined by 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, who died Saturday, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens, former FIBA and IOC executive Patrick Baumann and coach Kim Mulkey, a three-time women’s national champion at Baylor.
This year’s enshrinement ceremony was scheduled to take place Aug. 29 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.
