2026 Naismith Hall Of Fame Headliners Announced

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame just released its 2026 inductee list, which features five names who made an impact in the professional and collegiate ranks over the past 25 years. While the official announcement is set for April 4th, let’s take a quick look at how these individuals earned their spot in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Amar'e Stoudemire, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, became one of the focal points for the Phoenix Suns' unforgettable "Seven Seconds or Less" era.  STAT won the Rookie of the Year, earned five All-Star selections, and four All-NBA honors with the Suns before joining the New York Knicks. A nightly feature on the highlight reels, Stoudemire made one more All-NBA team and All-Star appearance with the Knicks before closing out his NBA career with stops in Dallas and Miami. 

Candace Parker became arguably the most decorated women's player of her generation. She's the only player in WNBA history to win championships with three different franchises (LA Sparks, Chicago Sky, Las Vegas Aces). Parker is also the only player to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season, which she accomplished in 2008. Add two Olympic gold medals, a Finals MVP, a second regular season MVP, ten All-WNBA team selections, seven All-Star game appearances, and a Defensive Player of the Year award to that, and you've got one of the most impressive Hall of Fame résumés in basketball history. 

Elena Delle Donne is another WNBA icon who has earned her spot in the Hall of Fame. A two-time WNBA MVP, Delle Donne led the Washington Mystics to their first and only WNBA Championship in 2019. A seven-time All-Star and five-time All-WNBA honoree, Delle Donne was named to The W25, as part of the league’s best twenty-five players in the first quarter century of the WNBA. 

Doc Rivers was a solid yet unspectacular player during his thirteen-year NBA career, but it has been his success on the sidelines as a head coach that has earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame. For nearly twenty-five years, split between Orlando, Boston, LA Clippers, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee, Rivers has only had four losing seasons (based on a full schedule). Sitting sixth on the NBA’s all-time wins list, Rivers is just a few games short of 1,200 victories. Named Coach of the Year in 2000, Rivers led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship.

While there had been numerous Cinderellas in the NCAA tournament before Gonzaga, Mark Few took the title to a whole new level when he took over the reins of the Bulldogs. Over the past twenty-seven years, Few has become one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history (773-156 to date), guiding the small Spokane, Washington, school to the NCAA Tournament every season, twice appearing in the National Championship game. A multi-time Coach of the Year, Few has also helped guide the U.S. men's team to Olympic gold in Paris.