'Doc' Rivers and Stoudemire inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the new inductees into the Hall of Fame. The Class of 2026 brings together league legends, including players, coaches, and referees, as well as a team that defined an era in international basketball.

Glenn “Doc” Rivers, former head coach of the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics, with whom he won the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2008, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks, is one of the most iconic figures to be inducted into this prestigious institution.

"It's funny. I never dreamed in my life of becoming a coach or of being good at it," said Rivers, one of the coaches with the most wins in NBA history. "This is a celebration of having met a group of people who helped me make it to the Hall of Fame."

Another coach who was honored was Mike D'Antoni, who has had a long career in the NBA with franchises such as the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, among others.

As for players, the only new addition is Amar'e Stoudemire. A former star of the Phoenix Suns, the power forward, one of the top offensive players of the early 2000s, also made his mark with the Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Miami Heat.

The NBA also paid tribute to former referee Joey Crawford, who officiated more than 2,500 games over 39 seasons in the world's top basketball league (1977–2016).

The women's Olympic team that swept the competition in Atlanta 1996

On the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) side, former players Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw were inducted, as was the women's national team that dominated the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where it posted a record of eight wins and no losses.