Opisyal nang pinangalanan bilang isa sa mga finalists sa star-studded na listahan para sa Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ang namayapang sports icon na si Kobe Bryant.
Lumabas ang anunsyo sa pagsisimula ng NBA All-Star weekend sa Chicago, at tatagal ng tatlong araw.
Matatandaang sa 20 taong karera ni Bryant sa Los Angeles Lakers, ginabayan nito ang koponan patungo sa limang NBA championships, at itinanghal din bilang two-time NBA Finals MVP at one-time NBA MVP.
“I’ve never seen in my long life an athlete passing that had the impact that Kobe’s passing had on people, people on the street, people that didn’t even know him,” wika ni Jerry Colangelo, chairman ng Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“In my case it was personal… so much more difficult for me and family,” dagdag nito.
Samantala, bukod kay Bryant ay kabilang din sa finalists ang mga dati ring NBA legends na sina Tim Duncan at Kevin Garnett, maging ang mga WNBA stars na sina Swin Cash at Tamika Catchings.
Bumandera rin bilang finalists sina three-time NCAA National Championship coach Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton at two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich.
Papangalanan ang Class of 2020 inductees kasabay ng NCAA Final Four sa Atlanta, Georgia sa Abril.
Habang ang mismong seremonya ay idaraos sa Springfield, Massachusets sa Agosto.
