The China Mail - Rivers among 2026 finalists for Basketball Hall of Fame

Finalists advance to the honors committee that will announce the 2026 Hall inductees on April 4 with enshrinement on August 15 at the Hall of Fame hometown in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Others selected from the North American committee include referee Joey Crawford, player Buck Williams and coaches Mark Few, Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Jerry Welsh and Kelvin Sampson.

Women's stars to make the list for final consideration include the unbeaten 1996 US Olympic gold medal squad and players Jennifer Azzi, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker and Molly Bolin-Kazmer.

Rivers, 64, guided Boston to the 2008 NBA title and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000 after his first league campaign while with Orlando. He has won more than 1,175 games over 27 seasons guided the Magic, Boston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

Stoudemire was a six-time NBA All-Star and the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year after jumping into the league from high school. He averaged 18.9 points over 14 seasons for Phoenix, New York, Dallas and Miami.

Johnson played a combined 12 NBA campaigns for Phoenix and Cleveland and later became mayor of his hometown of Sacramento, California.

Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star forward, was the top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit, Brooklyn and Boston before retiring in 2023.

Others on the list for a spot in the Hall in 2026 include former Serbian coach Dusan Ivkovic from the international committee, five-time NBA All-Star Marques Johnson from the veterans committee plus long-time Israel club star Tal Brody and two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike D'Antoni from the contributors committee.

"This year's group of finalists represents the full scope of basketball's impact," Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said. "Their achievements span championships, historic milestones and a lasting influence on how the game is played, taught, and experienced around the world."

P.Deng--ThChM