Jerry Colangelo: Kobe Bryant Will Be Elected to Hall of Fame This Year

Kobe Bryant is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, according to Jerry Colangelo.

The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be one of the institution’s most star-studded, and undoubtedly the most somber. 

Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday in a California helicopter crash, was announced last month as one of the nominees for the Hall’s 2020 class. The finalists will be announced on Feb. 14, during All-Star Weekend, and the final class will be announced in April at the Final Four. 

Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo confirmed Sunday that Bryant will be a first-ballot selection. 

“Ironically, I have a meeting in Dallas on Wednesday with the committee to go through the candidates,” Colangelo said on NBA TV. “Obviously, the result of whatever names come out of that, he was going to be a first-ballot guy. There’s no doubt in my mind. He’s going to be honored. He’s going in the Hall of Fame.”

Other first-time nominees likely to be elected include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings and Swin Cash. Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion and Michael Finley are also first-time nominees. Chauncey Billups, Mark Jackson, Chris Webber, Tim Hardaway, Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Marcus Camby remain on the ballot as well. 

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Aug. 29 in Springfield, Mass.

More Coverage of Kobe Bryant's Death:

• Kobe Bryant, Daughter Die in California Helicopter Crash
• Chris Ballard: The Game Will Miss Kobe Bryant Dearly
• Michael Rosenberg: For the Bryant Family, An Unimaginable Loss
• Chris Mannix: Kobe Bryant Left His Mark as a Generational Hero
• Melissa Rohlin: Kobe Bryant's Death Affects Us All
• Sports World Reacts to Kobe Bryant's Sudden Death
• Shaq Reflects on Kobe's Passing: "There’s No Words to Express the Pain"