The Basketball Hall of Fame is expected to announce the inductions of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett on Saturday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
In Bryant, Duncan and Garnett, the Hall of Fame will welcome three first-time finalists for induction who are among the modern NBA’s most influential talents, with a combined 11 NBA championships and 48 All-Star appearances between them.
Bryant, who died tragically in January in a helicopter crash that claimed the life of his daughter, Gianna, as well as seven others, spent his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers doing his best to eclipse Michael Jordan in the pantheon of NBA greats, and came closer to being a Jordan facsimile than any player before him had.
There’s no simple summation of who Bryant was, but the accolades paint a glowing picture of why he is entering the Hall of Fame.
Bryant won two Olympic gold medals and five NBA championships, earning Finals MVP honours in two of them. He was a 15-time member of the All-NBA team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive team and won the 2007-08 MVP award. When he retired, he sat third all-time in NBA scoring, and was only this season passed on that list by LeBron James.
In 1,346 career games, he averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
Tim Duncan, left, and Kobe Bryant are reportedly among the inductees for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
Duncan, like Bryant, spent his entire career with one franchise.
He spent 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, guiding them to 19 playoff appearances and finishing with at least 50 wins in each season he played, and was widely viewed as the emotional fulcrum of the modern-day Spurs.
Throughout his career he was a rookie of the year, two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP and 15-time All-Star.
After a post-career hiatus from basketball, he joined San Antonio’s coaching staff this season, notching his first win against the Charlotte Hornets just prior to the NBA season being forced to halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 1,392 games played, he averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds and three assists.
Garnett’s most productive personal seasons came as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, including a four-year stretch from 2003-2007 where he led the league in rebounds per game each season while also scoring just under 23 points per game and claiming the 2003-04 MVP award.
But his biggest achievements came after leaving the Timberwolves to join the Boston Celtics, wherein he teamed up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, ultimately winning a championship in 2008.
Throughout his career, he averaged 17.8 points and 10 rebounds across 1,462 games.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
