Kobe Bryant’s death Sunday in a tragic helicopter crash means he will go into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year posthumously.
Bryant, who was 41, is eligible for election for the first time and will certainly be selected for the 2020 Hall of Fame class after winning five NBA championships, an MVP award and being named an All-Star 18 times throughout his illustrious 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.
“Ironically, I have a meeting in Dallas on Wednesday, and it’s the committee to go through the candidates,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said on NBA TV. “And obviously, the result of whatever names come out of that, he was gonna be a first-ballot guy. There’s no doubt in my mind. He’s gonna be honored. He’s going into the Hall of Fame.”
Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are also expected to be first-ballot inductees as part of the 2020 class.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others were killed in the crash in Calabasas, Calif.
Bryant is fourth all-time in NBA scoring with 33,643 points. LeBron James passed him for third place on the list on Saturday night in Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia, a night before Bryant was killed.
The finalists for the 2020 Hall of Fame class will be announced at NBA All-Star weekend next month in Chicago, and the inductees will be revealed during the Final Four in April.
