The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class was always going to be special, as three of the greatest NBA players of the last few decades were viewed as sure-fire inductees on their first year of eligibility. Unfortunately, this celebration of basketball excellence will have something of a dark cloud over it, as one of those players is the late Kobe Bryant.
A whole host of other deserving folks will be inducted, but even before his passing, Bryant was viewed as the headliner of the class. And on Thursday afternoon, we learned a detail about this year’s ceremony that will make the celebration a little more special: Michael Jordan will be prominently involved.
The Hall released the list of individuals who will formally welcome all of the names in this class into Springfield. The headliner is Jordan, a 2009 inductee, being the one to usher Bryant into the Hall. Jordan will also serve as the presenter for Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, while some of the other big name presenters include David Robinson (inducting former San Antonio Spurs teammate Tim Duncan) and Isiah Thomas (inducting Kevin Garnett).
Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant in the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame @Hoophall induction ceremony on May 15. Full list of inductees and presenters: pic.twitter.com/iD5r6EIxHF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2021
It’s hardly the first time Jordan has spoken about Bryant since he passed away in early-2020, as he was one of the people who spoke at his memorial at Staples Center. The 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on May 15.
