Kobe Bryant's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Postponed to May 2021

Harry How/Getty Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in May 2021.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who died in January at age 41, will be inducted next year as part of the class of 2020, the NBA said on Saturday, according to multiple outlets.

The annual event was initially slated to take place in August in Springfield, Massachusetts, but was delayed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and will now take place from May 13 to May 15.

Bryant joins Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan in the class of 2020, as well as WNBA star Tamika Catchings, coaches Kim Mulkey, Rudy Tomjanovich, Barbara Stevens and Eddie Sutton.

The 2020 inductees will join those already enshrined in the Hall of Fame, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Alonzo Mourning, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal.

Jae C. Hong/AP Kobe Bryant

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Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26 that killed seven others — Payton Chester, 13, Sarah Chester, 46, Alyssa Altobelli, 14, Keri Altobelli, 46, John Altobelli, 56, Christina Mauser, 38, and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

The late athlete is survived by his wife Vanessa Bryant and their daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and 17-month-old Capri.

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The athlete also shared a collage of photos of himself and Kobe Bryant, as well as a January tweet in which LeBron James wrote, "I promise you I'll continue your legacy man!"

Shortly after Bryant's death, Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo said Bryant would be inducted.

“When people talk about the greats of all time, it’s pretty difficult to say who was No. 1, and who’s 2, and who’s 3, but there are four to five names that always get mentioned, we know that. Kobe’s right there with everybody,” Colangelo said on NBA TV.

“Ironically, I have a meeting in Dallas on Wednesday with the committee to go through the candidates,” he added. “Obviously, the result of whatever names come out of that, he was going to be a first-ballot guy. There’s no doubt in my mind. He’s going to be honored. He’s going into the Hall of Fame.”