Kobe Bryant To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame Without Customary Vote

Kobe Bryant will join the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year. However, it appears that the deceased basketball legend might be inducted into the prestigious list of athletes without the customary voting process.

The Athletic reported news of Kobe Bryant’s induction, according to Daily Mail. One of the requirements for a player to qualify as a Hall of Fame inductee is that he must be already retired for three full seasons. In Bryant’s case, he would have been chosen in April three years after his retirement in 2016 but it appears that officials might have waived the customary voting process as his inclusion seems to be a done deal.

“Expected to be the most epic class ever with Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett,” HOF chairman and former USA Basketball Director Jerry Colangelo said, according to USA Today. “Kobe will be honored the way he should be.”

At the moment, there is no word as to who will induct Bryant. However, there are plenty of candidates to choose from such as his teammates Pau Gasol, Shaquille O'Neal or Derek Fisher or his former coach Phil Jackson.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts this August. It was already announced in December that Bryant will be part of the 2020 class which includes some of his rivals such as Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Mugsy Bogues, and Tim Hardaway. The rest of this year’s inductees will be announced by April.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke glowingly of Bryant’s contribution to the sport. “For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning,” Silver said.

“He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary,” the Commissioner added. “But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.”

At 17 years old, Kobe Bryant ditched college and jumped straight into NBA from high school. The move proved to be right as he went on to forge amazing accomplishments in his career such as two Olympic gold medals and five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers team.

Unfortunately, the player was taken away too soon. Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and six other passengers died on Sunday in a helicopter crash.