Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Ben Wallace and Chris Webber will be part of the new class inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Those four will be joined in the class of 2021 by coaches Rick Adelman, Jay Wright and legendary center-turned-coach Bill Russell, as well as WNBA players Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson.
- Bob Dandridge, by the veterans committee
- Toni Kukoc, by the international committee
- Pearl Moore, four-time AIAW Small College All-American, by the women’s veterans committee
- Clarence Jenkins, elected as an Early African-American Pioneer
- Val Ackerman, former WNBA president
- Cotton Fitzsimmons, longtime NBA coach
- Howard Garfinkel, creator of the Five-Star summer camp
Per the official release:
“For the first time in our history, we’ll enshrine two Classes in one calendar year,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Class of 2021 to Springfield – the Birthplace of Basketball – where we can celebrate them and honor their remarkable achievements and contributions to the game.”
The Class of 2021 Enshrinement festivities will begin at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 10 with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2021 and returning Hall of Famers will then journey to Springfield, Mass. for the annual celebratory events taking place at the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center on September 11. Premium Sponsors of Enshrinement 2021 include Nike, Baron Championship Rings, Mohegan Sun and Panini.
Tickets for the 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony and all Enshrinement events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com or by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231-5513. As the health and safety of Hall of Famers, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and will provide appropriate health and safety measures for all events.
