Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame Class Of 2026

August 17, 2026 — Hoop legends. One stage. A Class of 2026 that stretched from the hardwood to the sidelines to the broadcast booth and Baron® Championship Rings was proud to craft every ring that marked the occasion.

On Saturday, August 15, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed its newest inductees in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball. The Class of 2026 brought together a Hall of Fame official who worked more Finals games than almost anyone in history. Coaches who built dynasties at every level. Players who redefined their positions. A visionary who changed how the game was played, and the 1996 U.S. Women’s National Team that helped launch an entire league.

As the Hall of Fame’s exclusive ring provider, Baron® had the honor of designing the rings that told each of their stories because a Class this historic deserved a ring that lived up to it.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2026 Award Recipients:

• John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award: Leah Wilcox
• Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award: Chris Carrino, Mike Fratello
• Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award: Ma Guoli
• Curt Gowdy Print Media Award: Seth Davis
• Ice Cube Impact Award: Nancy Lieberman

Enshrinement Presenters: Danny Crawford (Class of 2025), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Joe Crawford spent 39 seasons on the court, from 1977 to 2016, and stood as one of the most trusted officials in NBA history.

• He worked 2,561 regular-season games, a record 374 playoff games, and 50 NBA Finals games, calling every Finals series from 1986 through 2015.
• He got his start officiating high school basketball in 1970 and earned his way to the NBA at just 26 years old.

• Enshrinement Presenters for Joe Crawford.

Enshrinement Presenters: John Calipari (‘15), Grant Hill (‘18), John Stockton (‘09)
Mark Few turned Gonzaga into a national powerhouse and never looked back.

• He led the Bulldogs to NCAA Championship game appearances in 2017 and 2021, and guided the program to 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament wins.
• A two-time Naismith Coach of the Year (2017, 2021), Few is the winningest active coach by percentage in the sport.
• Mark Few helped Team USA bring home Olympic gold as an assistant coach in 2024.

• Enshrinement Presenters for Mark Few

Enshrinement Presenters: Kevin Garnett (‘20), Paul Pierce (‘21)

Across 27 seasons and five franchises, Doc Rivers built one of the great coaching résumés in NBA history:
More than 1,180 wins

• A 2008 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics
• A 2000 Coach of the Year award.
• A former All-Star point guard himself, Rivers climbed to sixth on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list and holds the fourth-most playoff victories ever recorded.

• Watch Doc Rivers with 2008 NBA Champion Celtics

Enshrinement Presenters: Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Mike D’Antoni (‘26), Grant Hill (‘18), Tracy McGrady (‘17), Steve Nash (‘18), Rick Welts (‘18)

The ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft straight out of high school, Amar’e Stoudemire became a six-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2007-2011) and the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year.

• He averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds across his first eight seasons in Phoenix (2002-10)
• Amar’e Stoudemire fought back from microfracture knee surgery to post three more 20-and-8 seasons, and closed a 14-year career averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds a game.

• Class of 2026 fun fact featuring Amar’e Stoudemire

Enshrinement Presenters: Teresa Edwards (‘11), Lisa Leslie (‘15), Rebecca Lobo (‘17), Katrina McClain (‘12), Dawn Staley (‘13), Sheryl Swoopes (‘16), Tara VanDerveer (‘11)

This team didn’t just win gold at the Atlanta Games, they dominated, going undefeated at 8-0 record with an average margin of victory over 30 points.

• Coached by Tara VanDerveer and stacked with future Hall of Famers like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, and Katrina McClain.
• This roster changed the trajectory of women’s basketball and helped launch the WNBA that same year.

• Class of 2026 fun fact featuring the 1996 United States Women’s National Team

Enshrinement Presenters: Sylvia Fowles (‘25), Marianne Stanley (‘22)

A two-time WNBA MVP (2015, 2019), Elena Delle Donne led the Washington Mystics to their first WNBA Championship in franchise history in 2019.

• She was the league’s 2013 Rookie of the Year
• A seven-time All-Star
• A four-time All-WNBA First Team selection

An Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. team at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, a career built on redefining what a dominant frontcourt player could look like.

• Class of 2026 fun fact featuring Elena Delle Donne

Enshrinement Presenters: Tamika Catchings (‘20), Tina Thompson (‘18), Teresa Weatherspoon (‘19)

Chamique Holdsclaw arrived in the WNBA Draft as the first overall pick in 1999, fresh off leading Tennessee to three straight NCAA National Championships (1996-98).

• She won the 1999 Rookie of the Year, a scoring title in 2002, and made six WNBA All-Star teams across an 11-year career
• Finishing as the SEC’s all-time leading scorer and was an Olympic gold medalist from the 2000 Games.
• Chamique Holdsclaw was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

• Class of 2026 fun fact featuring Chamique Holdsclaw

Enshrinement Presenters: Tamika Catchings (‘20), Allen Iverson (‘16), Cheryl Miller (‘95), Dwyane Wade (‘23)

Few careers match Candace Parker‘s range:

• Three WNBA Championships (2016, 2021, 2023)
• Two league MVPs, a Finals MVP, and the rare feat of winning Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008), the only player in WNBA history.
• A seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012)
• Parker’s collegiate run at Tennessee included back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2007 and 2008.

• Class of 2026 fun fact featuring Candace Parker

Enshrinement Presenters: Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Bob McAdoo (‘00), Steve Nash (‘18), Amar’e Stoudemire (‘26), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Mike D’Antoni changed the way basketball was played. His up-tempo, space-and-pace philosophy reshaped modern offense around ball movement, shooting, and efficiency, and helped usher in the analytics era.

After eight seasons coaching in Italy, he brought that vision to the NBA, won Coach of the Year twice, amassed nearly 1,200 career wins, and helped Team USA win Olympic gold as an assistant coach in 2012.

The Depth of Recognition at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Different paths led to the same stage in Springfield, but every one of them shared the same thread: a lifetime of work that changed the game.

From Crawford’s four decades on the court to the 1996 Women’s National Team’s undefeated run to D’Antoni’s blueprint for modern basketball, the Class of 2026 didn’t just make history. They built it.

Baron® was proud to craft the rings that carried each of their stories into the Hall of Fame forever, because a legacy like this deserved to be worn, not just remembered.

Every Hall of Famer has a story worth telling and a ring that should tell it. Baron® Championship Rings is the exclusive ring provider for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and we’re ready to help you design an inductee ring that captures Your Journey, Your Moment, and Your Legacy.

Start designing your inductee ring today and let your story shine.

#yourjourney #yourmoment #yourlegacy

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Who designed the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 rings?

Baron® Championship Rings designed and crafted the rings for the Class of 2026 as the exclusive ring provider for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

When were the Class of 2026 Hall of Fame rings unveiled?

The rings were unveiled at the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala on Friday, August 14, 2026, at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 included nine honorees: the 1996 United States Women’s National Team, referee Joey Crawford, contributor Mike D’Antoni, player Elena Delle Donne, coach Mark Few, player Chamique Holdsclaw, player Candace Parker, coach Doc Rivers, and player Amar’e Stoudemire.