Kobe Bryant Will Be a First-Ballot 2020 Enshrinement Into the Basketball Hall of Fame
It was only a matter of time before Kobe Bryant officially became a Hall of Famer. After his glorious career, we all knew his special moment would one day arrive.
However, what we didn't anticipate was that we'd never have the chance to hear his Hall of Fame speech. Hearts remain broken in Los Angeles, and all over the world, following the Black Mamba's tragic death on Sunday in a helicopter crash.
Less than 24 hours after the incident, the Hall of Fame has already come out and announced Bryant will be honored with the rest of the 2020 class during the enshrinement ceremony on Aug. 29.
Kobe Bryant will be a first-ballot enshrinement into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2020.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2020
"Expected to be arguably the most epic class ever with Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett," HOF chairman Jerry Colangelo says. "Kobe will be honored the way he should be."
Kobe spent 20 glorious seasons with the Lakers, averaging 25 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game throughout a career that saw him feature in 1,346 regular season games, in addition to 220 playoff games.
He was named to 18 All-Star teams and won the NBA Finals five times. Simply sensational accolades, which no question deserve to be immortalized. He'll be going in with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, who no question will be ready to honor his legacy throughout this process.
Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett...all slated to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame together this year. They still will, but not the way we imagined. A night that should've been spent celebrating Kobe's career legacy will instead focus on his life's legacy. Damn. #NBA
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) January 26, 2020
Devastation and sorrow continues for NBA fans everywhere. Kobe may be gone, but he most certainly will never be forgotten. The Hall of Fame will make sure of that.