Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce headline 2021 NBA Hall of Fame class
Making it into the NBA Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honors that anybody involved in the sport can attain. On Saturday night, the 2020 class was officially inducted and included some of the game's all-time greats, such as the late Kobe Bryant.
Just a day later, the 2021 class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was announced in the latest NBA news, reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Breaking down the 2021 NBA Hall of Fame class
The 2021 NBA Hall of Fame includes five NBA players, two WNBA players and three coaches. Headlining the class are Boston Celtics greats Paul Pierce and Bill Russell. Chicago Bulls legend Toni Kukoc will also be inducted through the International Committee.
Between them, the NBA players have won seven championship rings. Paul Pierce was one of the Celtics' greatest ever players and currently holds the franchise record for most 3-pointers made. He was a 10-time All-Star while in Boston and helped lead them to their most recent title in 2008.
Although Chris Webber never made it to the NBA Finals, he still had a stellar 15-year career in the league. Voted Rookie of the Year in 1994, Webber also made the All-NBA team on five occasions and was a five-time All-Star. He was an elite scorer, finishing his career with a field-goal accuracy of 47% and grabbed more than 10 rebounds per game throughout six seasons.
Chris Bosh was a two-time champion and is the first of the Miami Heat's 'big three' to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Alongside Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Bosh helped the franchise to back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 and was an 11-time All-Star.
The final two NBA players who will be in the 2021 NBA Hall of Fame class are Ben Wallace and Toni Kukoc. Kukoc was a member of the illustrious Bulls team at the end of the 90s that won three Championships in a row. He was a reliable scorer who put up over 13 points a night and 4 rebounds during those three years.
Ben Wallace was also an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. He is a franchise legend and is best known for his serial rebounding and protection of the rim, averaging 2 blocks a game throughout his career.
Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson will enter the Hall of Fame from the WNBA. Griffith was a seven-time All-Star during her time in Sacramento and won MVP of the league in 1999 in what was her rookie year. During her first three seasons, Griffith averaged a double-double in every game with over 16 points and ten rebounds.
Lauren Jackson was a three-time MVP of the WNBA and was also a seven-time All-Star. She was also a great scorer, ending her career with an average of 18.9 points per game and shot at over 50% from the field during two campaigns. She was also a great defender and managed to block 1.8 shots per matchup and grab 1.1 steals.
Finally, there will be three coaches inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame - Bill Russell, Rick Adelman and Jay Wright. Russell was already enshrined for his playing career in 1975, though will now be recognized for his time as a coach. He was the first African-American coach in league history and led the Boston Celtics to two championships in 1967-68 and the season after.
Despite never having won a title, Rick Adelmann ranks ninth in NBA history for the most wins as a coach. Jay Wright, meanwhile, has won two national titles as coach of Villanova basketball and has lead his teams to 17 NCAA tournament appearances.
The 2021 NBA Hall of Fame class will be inducted in September this year.