NBA legends Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett were among nine greats selected to the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January aged 41. His widow, Vanessa, told ESPN she wished she could have shared the achievement with him.
"It's an incredible accomplishment and honour, and we're extremely proud of him," she said. "It's definitely the peak of his NBA career."
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 honorees is beyond measure," said John L Doleva, president and chief executive 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."
Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He also was selected to nine NBA All-Defensive first teams and ranks fourth all-time in scoring in the NBA.
Like Bryant, Duncan spent his storied career with only one team, playing 19 years with the San Antonio Spurs. He won five NBA titles, is a 15-time NBA All-Star and a two-time league MVP. He is the only player with 1,000 or more wins with one team.
Duncan played four seasons at Wake Forest before entering the NBA, unlike Bryant and Garnett, who jumped straight from high school to the NBA.
Garnett also made 15 All-Star teams and was Defensive Player of the Year in 2007-08. He started and ended his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, with stops with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics in between.
While playing for the Timberwolves in 2003-04, Garnett led the league in total points, field goals made and total rebounds while earning NBA MVP honours. He won an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008 and is ranked fourth all-time in minutes played (50,418).
They will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on August 29.
