A tribute to Kobe Bryant in Dallas, January 27, 2020. - TOM PENNINGTON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant, who died on January 26 in a helicopter crash, is among the players shortlisted to join the basketball hall of fame.

Founded in 1959, the organization welcomes each year a promotion of former players who have marked the history of their sport. Retired in 2016, Kobe Bryant only became eligible this year, three years after his last player season.

He was selected with two other giants of their time, inside Kevin Garnett, voted best player in 2004, and Tim Duncan, five-time champion with the San Antonio Spurs, announced the Hall of Fame on Friday.

An announcement on April 4

Among the players, the table is completed by the winger Tamika Catchings, four-time Olympic gold medalist. The 2020 promotion will be officially announced on April 4. The headquarters of the Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, where James Naismith invented basketball.

Friday, before the start of the young players' match, NBA Rising Stars, former Kobe Bryant teammate Pau Gasol, praised the memory of "Black Mamba", the nickname of the player who died with his daughter Gianna.

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