Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2021, and Georgia Tech Hall of Famer Chris Bosh is among the notable returnees to the ballot along with Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Bob Huggins, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber, Jay Wright, Swin Cash and Becky Hammon among others.
First-time nominees include Doug Collins, Michael Cooper, Howard Garfinkel, Lou Henson, Paul Pierce, Val Ackerman, Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson.
See complete list of eligible candidates
A member of the Gold-medal-winning USA Basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Chris Bosh became part of Georgia Tech basketball’s return to national prominence in the mid-2000s. In his one season on The Flats, Bosh earned second-team All-ACC honors and was the scoring and rebounding leader for a Yellow Jacket team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT. Though he entered the NBA Draft following his freshman year, he helped set the stage, along with future Tech Hall of Famers Jarrett Jack and B.J. Elder, for the Jackets’ run to the NCAA championship game in 2004. While at Tech, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-America by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He was made the fourth overall pick in 2003 by Toronto in the NBA Draft and went on to earn two NBA titles with the Miami Heat. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and also was a member of the USA bronze medal team at the 2006 World Championships.
Bosh was a key figure in helping the United States win a Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (photo courtesy of USA Basketball)
Following the Hall of Fame’s traditional timeline, Finalists from the North American and Women’s committee for the Class of 2021 will be announced in the timeframe of NBA All-Star Weekend, which is scheduled for early March. The entire Class of 2021, including those selected by the direct elect committees, will be unveiled in the timeframe of the NCAA Final Four scheduled for early April. Event details are forthcoming, and the announcement timeline is subject to change.
The Class of 2021 Enshrinement ceremony is scheduled to take place in Springfield, Mass., in September 2021. As previously announced, the Class of 2020 Enshrinement ceremony has been rescheduled and relocated due to COVID-19 and is scheduled for May 13-15, 2021 at Mohegan Sun.
Tickets for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and 2021 Enshrinement ceremonies and various events surrounding the ceremonies will be on-sale at a later date. For the latest news and updates, follow @hoophall on Twitter and Instagram.
Chris Bosh was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. (photo by Danny Karnik)
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The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and Athletics Initiative 2020, Georgia Tech athletics’ ongoing $125 million initiative to allow Tech to recruit the nation’s most elite student-athletes, build a better student-athlete once they arrive on The Flats and, ultimately, win! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its fifth season under head coach Josh Pastner, having finished fifth in the ACC in 2019-20, the program’s highest finish since 2005. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993), played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
