Kobe Bryant’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame has been postponed until next year.
The NBA legend – who tragically passed away in January, aged 41, when his private helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, killing him and eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna – was due to be posthumously inducted on August 29th, but the ceremony has been pushed back until spring next year.
Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s board of governors, told ESPN: "We’re definitely cancelling.
"It’s going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We’ll meet in a couple of weeks and look at the options of how and when and where."
Jerry admitted the ceremony is "just not feasible" amid the coronavirus pandemic – which has killed more than 102,000 people in the US – but the board of governors will discuss dates on June 10th.
It was revealed last month that Kobe would be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame, alongside fellow NBA stars Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.
Kobe’s widow Vanessa admitted she is "incredibly proud" of her late husband.
She said: "It’s an incredible accomplishment and honour and we’re extremely proud of him. Obviously, we wish that he was here with us to celebrate but it’s definitely the peak of his NBA career.
"Every accomplishment that he had as an athlete was a stepping stone to be here. We’re incredibly proud of him. There’s some solace in knowing that he was probably going to be a part of the 2020 Hall of Fame class."
The Los Angeles Lakers star previously spoke about wanting to be inducted, and admitted he would have loved for fellow NBA legend Michael Jordan or former Lakers coach Phil Jackson to induct him.
Speaking in 2017, he said: "In terms of who might present, for me it’s two people: Michael Jordan or Phil Jackson. They’ve been the greatest mentors, not only in my career as an athlete, but also as a person. And what I might say is just a lot of thank yous. ‘Cause I’ve had a lotta help along the way. A lotta lotta help."
Kobe spent his entire 20-year professional career with the Lakers, and is a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP and 18-time All-Star, league MVP.