Blake Griffin, Doc Rivers, Kevin Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire among Hall finalists

The Hall list is out. Now the debates start.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its finalists for the Class of 2026 this week, with the group now advancing to the Honors Committee. The final class will be revealed April 4 during Final Four weekend.

It’s a wide-ranging ballot, spanning eras, roles, and levels of the game.

On the North American side, the finalists include referee Joey Crawford, coaches Mark Few, Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Doc Rivers, Kelvin Sampson, and Jerry Welsh. The player finalists are Blake Griffin, Kevin Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Buck Williams.

The Women’s Committee ballot is loaded. It features the 1996 United States Women’s National Team, along with Jennifer Azzi, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Candace Parker.

From the other committees, Molly Bolin-Kazmer is the lone Women’s Veterans finalist. International honors go to legendary coach Dusan Ivkovic. Marques Johnson represents the Veterans Committee, while contributors Tal Brody and Mike D’Antoni round out the slate.

It’s a deep class with no shortage of worthy cases. Now it’s up to the room.