Chris Webber, Ben Wallace, and Paul Pierce Among Finalists for 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Class

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced nine extraordinary players and five exceptional coaches as finalists for the 2021 class.

Chris Webber and Ben Wallace
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Image by Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

Chris Webber and Ben Wallace

Fresh off ushering in a loaded class of 2020 (Kobe, KG, Duncan), the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday officially announced the 2021 class. 

This year’s list includes two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith, and seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Lauren Jackson.

2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Class:
Players: Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, Ben Wallace; Coaches: Rick Adelman, Jay Wright, Bill Russell. WNBA: Yolanda Griffith, Lauren Jackson.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 16, 2021

“While our timeline of events over the past year has been adaptable and reimagined due to the global pandemic, we have never wavered in our commitment to renovating our beautiful museum and recognizing the greats of the game who deserve to be immortalized there,” Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, said in a statement

“Revealing the finalists for the Class of 2021 today is an exciting step towards honoring the men and women who have contributed greatly to the game we celebrate,” Colangelo added. 

The Class of 2021 Enshrinement ceremony is scheduled to take place in September 2021. The date of the Class of 2021 Ceremony is expected to be announced this week. 

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