Basketball Hall of Fame 2021 Inductees to Be Revealed Sunday

Will Paul Pierce Be in Hall of Fame Class of 2021? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has a busy weekend ahead. The Class of 2020 is being inducted this Saturday after its ceremony was delayed due to the pandemic, and on Sunday the Class of 2021 will be revealed. Here’s everything you need to know about the finalists and their selection:

Who is eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame?

Players are eligible after they’ve spent four full seasons in retirement. The same goes for coaches and referees, but because they have such long careers, they also become eligible after 25 years of coaching or refereeing. Other contributors to the game of basketball, such as journalists, are also eligible for the Hall of Fame if the committee judges they’ve made “a significant contribution” to the game.

How will the Class of 2021 be selected?

The Honors Committee casts votes for or against each of the finalists’ enshrinement into the Hall of Fame. If a finalist receives votes in favor from at least 18 of the 24 members, they will become a Hall of Famer. Finalists can be on the ballot for five years; if they are not selected within that period, their nomination will be suspended for another five years.

Members of the Honors Committee include Hall of Famers, executives, journalists and other basketball experts, but their names are not made public.

When will the Class of 2021 be enshrined?

The Class of 2021 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony this September.

Who are the finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021?

• *Rick Adelman: Ninth-winningest coach in NBA history with 1,042 victories.
• *Chris Bosh: Two-time NBA champion, 11-time All-Star and one All-NBA selection.
• *Michael Cooper: Five-time NBA champion and eight All-Defensive team selections.
• *Paul Pierce: Finals MVP, 10-time All-Star, four All-NBA selections and 16th all time in points.
• *Bill Russell: NBA’s first Black head coach and first Black head coach to win a championship. Inducted into HOF as a player in 1975.
• *Jay Wright: Two-time NCAA champion, two-time Naismith Coach of the Year and 16 combined conference titles over tenures at Hofstra and Villanova.
• *Yolanda Griffith: WNBA champion, MVP, seven-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.
• *Lauren Jackson: Two-time WNBA champion, three-time MVP and seven-time All-Star.
• *Marianne Staley: Coached Old Dominion to an NCAA title and won WNBA Coach of the Year with the Washington Mystics in 2002.
• *Leta Andrews: All-time winningest high school basketball coach with 1,416 career victories while leading five different Texas programs.
• Tim Hardaway: Five All-NBA selections and five-time All-Star.
• Marques Johnson: Three All-NBA selections, five-time All-Star and NCAA champion.
• Ben Wallace: NBA champion, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, five All-NBA selections, six All-Defensive team selections and five-time All-Star.
• Chris Webber: Five All-NBA selections and five-time All-Star.

* = First-time finalist