Kobe Bryant Will Be Inducted Into Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 Class

ENewsKobe Bryant‘s legacy lives on.

On Monday, it was announced that the late athlete will inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its 2020 class. He is a first-ballot enshrinement and will be placed without a vote. 

“The Hall of Fame joins the rest of the basketball world in mourning the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant, a nominee for the Class of 2020 and an icon of the game,” a spokesperson for The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame told E! News. “We offer our sincerest condolences to the Bryant Family and all of those affected by this tragedy. We look forward to announcing our Finalists at NBA All-Star Weekend and revealing the full Class of 2020 at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in April.”

Bryant will also be honored alongside fellow basketball stars Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. “Expected to be arguably the most epic class ever with Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Kobe will be honored the way he should be,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said, according to The Athletic reporter Shams Charania.