The Hall of Fame released its candidates for the 2025 Class on Thursday. Amar’e Stoudemire, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony are NBA players who are regarded as basketball immortals. All players have been inactive from the league for some time, making them eligible to be inducted into The Hall.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces eligible candidates for the Class of 2025.
🔗 https://t.co/qAYBhHPn6K#25HoopClass pic.twitter.com/Cwj8Zqwz4f
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) December 19, 2024
Other players on the candidates’ list are WNBA legends Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Chamique Holdsclaw. NBA coaches Doc Rivers and Billy Donovan are also part of the list, as well as Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Ariso. College coaches Mark Few of Gonzaga and Lisa Bluder of Iowa also made the list.
Hall of Fame chairman, Jerry Colangelo, addressed the recent changes to the eligibility requirements. According to the updated rules of eligibility, the waiting period for player candidates has been reduced from three full seasons to two.
“To better recognize the distinguished careers of potential first-ballot nominees in a more timely manner, the board has appropriately shortened the waiting period,” Colangelo said. “We are excited about this change and believe that honoring individuals while their contributions are still fresh in people’s minds is both meaningful and impactful.”
According to the Hoops Hall, finalists will be selected on Feb. 14 during the All-Star Weekend at San Francisco. On April 5, the enshrinement class will be announced in Sa Antonio at the men’s NCAA Final Four.
The Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut will be the venue of the enshrinement events on Sept. 5. On Sept. 6, the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts will continue the ceremony.
NBA legend could be inducted into the Hall of Fame twice
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is nothing new to Carmelo Anthony. In 2024, he became a basketball immortal when the entire 2008 Team USA was inducted in Boston. Even though the entire team was recognized for their accomplishments, Melo will have the chance to celebrate his potential admittance as a lone player in 2025.
During his playing career, Anthony rose to become one of the league’s top scorers. He concluded his career in the top 10 all-time scorers with 28,289 points. The 6-foot-7 forward was a member of the 75th Anniversary team and was named an All-Star 10 times and an All-NBA 6 times during his career.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
