Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this summer, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The three-time greats will be part of the legendary 2020 class, that will be formally announced on Saturday.
The news is bittersweet for basketball fans just two months after Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. Everyone has been waiting for years to hear Bryant, who was a master at delivering incredible speeches, standing up on the stage and pouring his heart out.
While we won’t be able to see that incredible moment, it will be a moment for everyone to come together and honor the Los Angeles Lakers’ legend once more. Bryant retired as a five-time NBA champion with 33,643 points, 7,047 rebounds and 6,306 assists in his career.
He will be joined in a historically great class with Tim Duncan, an icon that spent his entire NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs and now serves as an assistant coach. Duncan retired following the 2016 season as a five-time champion and 15-time All-Star in his legendary career.
Of course, Kevin Garnett earned his place in the Hall of Fame with an incredible career. A 15-time All-Star that won an NBA title in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, Garnett retired with 26,071 points and 14,662 rebounds in his career.