This year’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class is dominated by the WNBA, with Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw set to be enshrined, while Amar’e Stoudemire is the only NBA player in the 2026 class, according to the article.
The article notes Hall rules require that NBA players “must be fully retired for three full seasons before being eligible,” and it lists 11 potential NBA candidates for the next three classes, several of whom are profiled below.
LaMarcus Aldridge is listed as immediately eligible. The article highlights his 16-year career totals of more than 20,000 points and 8,000 rebounds, seven All-Star selections and 115.6 career win shares, and it compares his career averages (19.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 20.7 PER) to Stoudemire’s numbers, according to the article.
Marc Gasol is described as a decorated international and NBA player who did not make this year’s cut as an international nominee. The article cites his résumé: a 2019 NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year award, three All-Star nods, two Olympic silver medals, two FIBA World Cup golds and five EuroBasket medals, and notes he would join his brother Pau — a 2023 inductee — if enshrined.
Blake Griffin, a 2009 No. 1 pick and 2026 finalist, is profiled for his on-court parallels with Stoudemire: Rookie of the Year, six All-Star appearances, five All-NBA selections and career averages of 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds with a 21.0 PER. The article says Griffin’s lack of a championship, Olympic gold or MVP helps explain why he was not a first-ballot selection.
Andre Iguodala is portrayed as having modest box-score totals (11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game) but a distinctive résumé that includes four championships with the Golden State Warriors, the 2016 Finals MVP, two All-Defensive selections, a 2012 Olympic gold medal and a stint as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, according to the article.
