The final Hall of Fame candidate list has been announced! Griffin and Stoudemire are included, with D'Antoni and Coach Rivers also featured.

As of February 12, 2026, Beijing time, the final candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame have been released. Griffin and Stoudemire appear on the list, with coaches Doug Rivers and D'Antoni also included. The specific final candidates are as follows—

North American Committee final candidates (in alphabetical order):

Joey Crawford (Referee)

Mark Few (Coach)

Blake Griffin (Player)

Kevin Johnson (Player)

Gary McKnight (Coach)

Dick Motta (Coach)

Doug Rivers (Coach)

Kelvin Sampson (Coach)

Amar'e Stoudemire (Player)

Jerry Tarkanian (Coach)

Buck Williams (Player)

Women's Committee final candidates:

1996 USA Women's National Basketball Team

Jennifer Azzi (Player)

Elena Delle Donne (Player)

Chamique Holdsclaw (Player)

Candace Parker (Player)

Women's Veterans Committee final candidates:

Molly Bolin Kazmer (Player)

International Committee final candidates:

Dušan Ivković (Coach)

Contributors Committee final candidates:

Tal Brody

Mike D'Antoni

Veterans Committee final candidates:

Marquis Johnson

Griffin was the number one pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Due to a left knee injury, he missed his rookie season and eventually underwent surgery. He returned strong in the 2010-11 season, winning Rookie of the Year and making his first All-Star appearance—he was selected to the All-Star game six times in his career. Over 13 NBA seasons, Griffin earned five All-NBA Team selections. However, injuries consistently troubled him, especially in the later stages of his career.

Stoudemire was a six-time NBA All-Star, earned one First Team All-NBA selection (2007), and four Second Team All-NBA honors (2005, 2008, 2010, 2011). He was the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year (the first high school player to win the award), made the 2007 All-Rookie First Team, and had his number 32 jersey retired by the Phoenix Suns in 2024.

It is reported that the full list of inductees for the 2026 Hall of Fame class will be officially announced on April 5.