By Eurohoops/ info@eurohoops.net
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has unveiled the eligible candidates for the Class of 2026, spotlighting international figures whose contributions have shaped basketball worldwide.
Notable global nominees include Marc Gasol, Ettore Messina, Dusan Ivkovic, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Andrei Kirilenko—players and coaches whose careers have spanned decades of success, influence, and groundbreaking achievements both in the NBA and across Europe.
On the other hand, notable new North American candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 include the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team, along with stars and coaches such as Mike D’Antoni, Jamal Crawford, Elena Delle Donne, Blake Griffin, Joe Johnson, and Candace Parker.
NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES FOR THE CLASS OF 2026
Finalists will be chosen by the Hall’s screening committees, with the full Class of 2026 revealed during a nationally televised broadcast on Saturday, April 4, as part of Final Four Weekend. Enshrinement Weekend will follow at Mohegan Sun in August.
International Nominees:
David Blatt (COA)
Jean-Jacques Conceicao (PLA)
Mirza Delibasic (PLA)
Jorge Garbajosa (PLA)
Marc Gasol (PLA)
Andrew Gaze (PLA)
Panagiotis Giannakis (PLA)
Giuseppe Giergia (PLA)
J.R. Holden (PLA)
Dusan Ivkovic (PLA)
Andrei Kirilenko (PLA)
Vladimir Kondrashin (COA)
Marcos Leite (PLA)
Ettore Messina (COA)
Juan Carlos Navarro (PLA)
Andres Nocioni (PLA)
Fabricio Oberto (PLA)
Jose Ortiz (PLA)
Amaury Pasos (PLA)
Modesto Palauskas (PLA)
Togo Soares (PLA)
Penny Taylor (PLA)
Amaya Valdemore (PLA)
Ranko Zeravica (COA)