The moment that Kobe Bryant fans have been waiting for is almost upon us.
On Saturday, the long overdue 2020 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The headliner is of course the late, great Kobe Bryant, who will be presented by friend and mentor Michael Jordan. His wife, Vanessa Bryant, will also speak during the presentation.
In addition to Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings, and Rudy Tomjanovich are among the other notable inductees.
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Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other precious souls were all taken from us far too soon on January 26, 2020, when a helicopter carrying them to a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks crashed into a Calabasas hillside.
Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Bryant would be one of the handful of inductees to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame later that year.
However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame opted to delay the induction ceremony until 2021, when the ceremony could be conducted in person. Fans from across the world will all be tuned in to the ceremony to honor the legacy of Bryant.
Bryant is being inducted for his 20-year basketball career, all spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. During his NBA tenure, Bryant won five championships, one Most Valuable Player Award, and was selected to 18 All-Star teams. He is currently fourth on the NBA's All-Time scoring list, and is largely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
In anticipation of the ceremony on Saturday, Vanessa Bryant shared a sneak preview of Kobe's Hall of Fame exhibit, which she helped design on her Instagram account.
The exhibit features a plethora of photos of Bryant, a handful of his jerseys, highlight videos, his "Dear Basketball," poem that was turned into an animated short film that won the Oscar in that category in 2018. In addition, the exhibit has an entire wall dedicated to his "Mamba Mentality."
Bryant's exhibit is only the second of its kind. Michael Jordan had an exhibit after he was inducted that ran for five years. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has not announced how long Kobe's exhibit will remain on display.
Below is the full list of Hall of Fame inductees and presenters, as well as the information you need to be able to watch or stream the ceremony on Saturday.
The 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees and Presenters (in alphabetical order):
Patrick Baumann, presented by Russ Granik (2013), Vlade Divac (2019)
Kobe Bryant, presented by Michael Jordan (2009)
Tamika Catchings, presented by Alonzo Mourning (2014), Dawn Staley (2013)
Tim Duncan, presented by David Robinson (2009)
Kevin Garnett, presented by Isiah Thomas (2000)
Kim Mulkey, presented by Michael Jordan (2009)
Barbara Stevens, presented by Geno Auriemma (2006), Muffet McGraw (2017)
Eddie Sutton, presented by John Calipari (2015), Bill Self (2017), Sidney Moncrief (2019)
Rudy Tomjanovich, presented by Calvin Murphy (1993), Hakeem Olajuwon (2008)
*Hall of Fame rules dictate that presenters must also be Hall of Famers.
Where to Watch or Live Stream:
Hall of Fame Awards Celebration, Gala and Induction Ceremony
When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET
Where: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame -- Springfield, Massachusetts
TV: Watch live on ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN app or online.
Where: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame -- Springfield, Massachusetts
TV: ESPN | Live Stream: WatchESPN
