Basketball’s Hall of Fame opens its doors. The chosen few enter with drop steps and post spins.

These latest additions to Springfield range from the fiery rim-running of Amar’e Stoudemire to the dexterous grace of Candace Parker. Saturday’s proceedings show love to MVPs, gold medalists, head coaches and even one referee.

Here’s what fans of the game need to know ahead of the momentous occasion.

How to watch the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony

• Venue: Symphony Hall — Springfield, Mass.
• Date: Saturday, Aug. 15
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA TV
• Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)

NBA TV is also available in the NBA app.

Hall of Fame induction ceremony coverage

NBA TV’s broadcast runs for two hours, from 7-9 p.m. ET, and features podium speeches from the new members. More than 50 Hall of Famers are expected to attend the enshrinement.

In recent years, these speeches have produced some of basketball’s most enduring moments. An emotional Dwyane Wade invited his father up on stage in 2023. Vanessa Bryant gave a tearful tribute to Kobe Bryant, her late husband who was posthumously inducted in 2021. And the internet was never the same after Michael Jordan’s 2009 address.

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees

The 2026 class comprises one NBA player, three WNBA players, three coaches, one referee and one whole team.

Players

Elena Delle Donne led the NCAA in scoring at the University of Delaware, then was an MVP for both the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics. She also won a scoring title with the former and a WNBA title with the latter.

Chamique Holdsclaw starred for the University of Tennessee and won three straight national championships from 1996-98. As a pro, she earned six All-Star nods and three All-WNBA honors in a career that spanned from 1999 to 2010. Holdsclaw led the league in points per game once and rebounds per game twice while with Washington.

Candace Parker was a two-time national champ at Tennessee. She made history as the first WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008). Parker spent 13 of her 16 W campaigns with the Los Angeles Sparks. She also got a ring at all three of her pro stops: with the Sparks in 2016, the Sky in 2021 and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.

Amar’e Stoudemire was a six-time All-Star and made five All-NBA teams during his playing career. His best seasons were as a member of the Phoenix Suns, who drafted him No. 9 overall out of high school in 2002. He averaged 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds across eight years in Phoenix.

Head coaches

Mike D’Antoni was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, with the Suns in 2004-05 and the Houston Rockets in 2016-17. He helped pioneer the ultra-fast “Seven Seconds or Less” style, and was nominated by the Contributors Committee for his role in developing modern offense.

Mark Few is a two-time Naismith Coach of the Year with 773 victories at Gonzaga. His current .832 winning percentage is the best mark in Division I men’s basketball history.

Doc Rivers won NBA Coach of the Year in 1999-00 as the leader of the Orlando Magic. He lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Rivers just coached the Milwaukee Bucks through the 2025-26 season.

Referee

Joey Crawford officiated NBA games for almost 40 years. He reffed 374 playoff contests from 1977 to 2016.

Team

The 1996 United States Women’s National Team won gold at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Coached by Tara VanDerveer, that squad included legends like Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Sheryl Swoopes and Dawn Staley.

The Hall of Fame presenters

Inductees choose other Hall of Famers to introduce them. The player-coach duo of Stoudemire and D’Antoni will do the honors for each other. Here’s everyone who will be called on during Saturday’s ceremony:

• Joey Crawford — Danny Crawford and Rod Thorn
• Mike D’Antoni — Jerry Colangelo, Bob McAdoo, Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire and Rod Thorn
• Elena Delle Donne — Sylvia Fowles and Marianne Stanley
• Mark Few — John Calipari, Grant Hill and John Stockton
• Chamique Holdsclaw — Tamika Catchings, Tina Thompson and Teresa Weatherspoon
• Candace Parker — Tamika Catchings, Allen Iverson, Cheryl Miller and Dwyane Wade
• Doc Rivers — Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce
• Amar’e Stoudemire — Jerry Colangelo, Mike D’Antoni, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash and Rick Welts
• 1996 United States Women’s National Team — Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Katrina McClain, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes and Tara VanDerveer

New Hall of Famers in the New York Times archives

Elena Delle Donne

After she was mobbed by teammates, Delle Donne sneaked a quick glance toward the stands. She found perhaps her two biggest fans, five rows back, in their usual seats: Ernie, her father, and Gene, her brother. Like the rest of the crowd, they were fist-pumping and exchanging high-fives. “There you go!” Ernie shouted, pointing an outstretched arm at his daughter. — Ben Strauss, 2013

Mark Few

“I know that after the tournament, when I’m out throwing a line on the stream, I’ll start laughing,” Few said. “I always do. To just think that back in 1989, I was a high school basketball coach and now all of this. This is a special place and I’m grateful for that.” — Joe Drape, 2002

Candace Parker

While Parker admits to some physical and mental fatigue, she is attempting to use these Olympics to do more than help the United States win its fourth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball. With her resplendent smile and transcendent game, Parker is close to becoming the first international icon in her sport. — Pete Thamel, 2008

Doc Rivers

Doc Rivers has a trophy that bears Red Auerbach’s likeness and the words “Coach of the Year,” an award that has nothing to do with Rivers’s success with the Celtics, but perhaps foreshadowed it. Rivers made his N.B.A. finals debut Thursday because he successfully coaxed three All-Stars into sharing the glory and blending their talents for the greater good. — Howard Beck, 2008

Amar’e Stoudemire

Amar’e Stoudemire was on the Madison Square Garden marquee, wearing a white Knicks jersey with a No. 1 on the chest. His image filled electronic billboards across the premises. A large banner inside bore a slogan, “Stat City,” that played on his nickname, STAT (Standing Tall and Talented). Finally, early Monday night, Stoudemire emerged with a blue Knicks cap on his head and proclaimed, “the Knicks are back.” — Beck, 2010

1996 United States Women’s National Team

They were already unique, coming home from their professional exile to play basketball in America in an unprecedented 10-month effort to regain an Olympic gold medal. Now, and forever, they are golden. The United States women’s team, pushed throughout its harsh winter and spring of preparation, defeated Brazil, 111-87, this evening to win the Olympic tournament. Before a raucous crowd of 32,997 at the Georgia Dome, the final trip of the demanding worldwide tour was a victory lap around the edges of the court. — Malcolm Moran, 1996

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The San Antonio Spurs’ schedule for the upcoming season includes games in France and England, with a league-high 34 appearances on national TV. It also includes three “home” games in Austin.

While the Spurs continue to grow their fanbase along the I-35 corridor, they’re also trying to fund a massive arena complex set in San Antonio’s aging downtown. It’s been a delicate dance as the Spurs reaffirm their commitment to San Antonio while also growing their reach throughout Texas and abroad.

Spurs CEO RC Buford issued a carefully worded statement after the schedule release.

“San Antonio is home, and we’re looking forward to bringing our community together while reaching audiences in Austin, Paris and Manchester,” the statement read. “We’re excited for what this season will bring to our fans and proud to represent San Antonio and share the spirit, culture and community that make our city special everywhere the Spurs take the court.”

San Antonio has been the Spurs’ home since 1973, but they are only playing 36 regular-season games in the city this season due to their participation in the Global Games with international superstar Victor Wembanyama. They also added a third game in Austin early in the season, which coincides with a massive sports weekend in the Texas capital.

Back in November, Bexar County voters, where San Antonio is located, approved a measure to provide $311 million in taxpayer funding for the arena complex, which will be the crown jewel of the larger Project Marvel downtown development plan. The Spurs committed to contribute at least $500 million to construction of the new arena, which is estimated to cost $1.3 billion, while San Antonio’s city council approved $489 million in municipal bond funding. The Spurs also agreed to cover any cost overruns for the arena development.

However, the city is facing a projected budget deficit over the next two years, which affects the infrastructure development components of Project Marvel. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wants residents to reauthorize the city’s portion of arena funding this fall, and the deadline to add the issue to November’s ballot is Monday. The San Antonio City Council will hold a meeting that morning to vote on whether to place the funding on the ballot, or fall back on the council’s previous approval of municipal bond funding.

Even if the council votes against adding the issue to the ballot, which various local reports say is expected, the project’s term sheet stipulates that San Antonio residents must vote again on whether or not to issue city bonds for the first phase of construction. City spokesperson Brian Chasnoff told the San Antonio Current that the ballot structure for the bond program has not been determined and the city council will be briefed on the matter in September.

In response to Ortiz Jones’ call for a new vote, Buford issued a statement last week that read in part, “The vote has taken place. The commitments have been made. The work is underway.”

There was widespread concern in San Antonio last fall that a failure to approve a new arena could open the door for the Spurs to relocate to Austin. As teams expand corporate partnerships and develop arenas with more luxury seating, Austin is an attractive market for the Spurs.

But the team has maintained its commitment to San Antonio and framed its expansion into Austin as a plan to make the two cities one massive market.

Adding a third “home” game in Austin on Oct. 23 is part of the Spurs’ efforts to establish a foothold in one of the country’s emerging economic and cultural hubs. It’s also a chance for the Spurs to capture attention from the massive global audience attending the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin that weekend.

Now that the team is approaching the luxury tax in future seasons for the first time in a while, the need to pull revenue from outside of San Antonio is becoming a bigger priority. The franchise has paid just $17.5 million in luxury tax over six seasons in its history, but this roster is ripe for a long foray into the tax, barring significant austerity measures. The Spurs want to win over the Austin region and boost their popularity in Europe with Wembanyama as an emerging global superstar. Maintaining this deep and talented team is a big part of that.

The Spurs have been growing their presence in Paris over the past year, with the team joining Wembanyama in France earlier this month for a series of public appearances and team-bonding events. Their presence in Austin has been persistent and deliberate. Geographic boundaries to fandom have been fading in the NBA, and Wembanyama presents a chance for them to grab a true foothold well beyond San Antonio.