Basketball star Kobe Bryant has been posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level honoured the late Los Angeles Lakers legend on Saturday, April 4.
Usually, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has a three-year waiting period between the time a player’s career officially ends and when they can be under consideration for induction.
Bryant’s official induction on Saturday comes less than three months after he was killed alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA.
In addition to Bryant, former Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, and San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan were also formally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame has so far honoured more than 400 individuals and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history.
Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo “Court of Dreams.”