NBA HALL OF FAME
Pierce and Bosh included in 2021 Hall of Fame class
The 2021 Hall of Fame class includes Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh, as well as the legendary Bill Russell for his coaching exploits.
Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh are among the notable names to be included on the 2021 list of inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame inducts Pierce and Bosh
Pierce sits 16th on the all-time list for points in the NBA, finishing with 26,397 at the end of a career that included winning a title with the Boston Celtics.
Selected 10th overall in the 1998 draft by Boston, the former Kansas Jayhawk was a 10-time All-Star who also played for the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.
Bosh was a two-time champion during his time as part of a Miami Heat roster that also included fellow 'big three' members LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
An 11-time All-Star, Bosh – who was drafted by the Toronto Raptors – helped the United States win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. His career was cut short due to a blood-clotting condition in 2017.
Former players Chris Webber and Ben Wallace are also to be honoured, along with Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson from the WNBA.
The international committee selection goes to Toni Kukoc, a three-time NBA champion with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls as they dominated between 1996 and 1998.
Bill Russell, meanwhile, is one of the coaches chosen having already been selected as a player. He is joined by Rick Adelman and Jay Wright.
The delayed ceremony for a 2020 class including Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant was held on Saturday in Connecticut.