Friday 20 December 2019 07:18, UK
Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett headline the shortlist of candidates announced for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame of 2020.
Between them, Bryant, Duncan, Garnett and Bosh, have amassed 13 NBA titles, four NBA regular season MVP, five NBA finals MVP awards and 59 All-Star game appearances.
Other players nominated for the first time include Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, Michael Finley, Mark Eaton and Buck Williams in the 50-strong list of players.
The finalists will be announced on February 14, during NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, with the inductees unveiled at the Final Four in Atlanta in April.
The star-studded class will likely be led by Bryant, who was a member of five NBA championship teams during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Duncan was also a player who stayed with one team - the San Antonio Spurs - for this entire career, winning five NBA titles in 19 seasons.
Garnett, who spent his first 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, finally became an NBA champion with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
Cash and Catchings are first-time nominees among a list of women that includes Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, nominated as both a coach and player, and Becky Hammon, who is currently an assistant coach with the Spurs.
Among the high-profile coaches on the list are NBA notables George Karl, Rick Adelman, Rudy Tomjanovich and Dick Motta, plus Eddie Sutton, Jay Wright, Rollie Massimino and Gene Keady from the college ranks.
Ex-Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoc is the biggest name among the international nominees.
