Kobe Bryant elected to pro basketball Hall of Fame posthumously

Kobe Bryant has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame a few months after his tragic death in a chopper crash in California.

By Daniel Payne

Published: April 4, 2020 12:39pm

Updated: April 4, 2020 4:37pm

Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame just a few months after the basketball star's untimely death in a California helicopter crash.

Naismith announced the decision on Saturday, also declaring San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan and legendary Celtics/Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett as inductees. Bryant's election cements his legacy as one of basketball's greatest players.

Bryant remains one of the most decorated players in NBA history, ranking in the top five scorers in league history.

Vanessa Bryant, the legend's widow, called the induction "an incredible accomplishment and honor." The pair's daughter also perished alongside her father in the January helicopter crash.