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Blake Griffin, Candace Parker among hoops HOF candidates for '26

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Blake Griffin, Candace Parker, Jamal Crawford, the 1996 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team, Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson were among the first-time nominees announced Friday that will be considered for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next year.

Also among the notable first-time nominees: Elena Delle Donne and Joe Johnson as players, and Mike D'Antoni as a contributor.

Nearly 200 players and teams were on the list unveiled by the Hall on ESPN's NBA Live show, including some finalists that fell short of enshrinement in the 2025 class - including Jennifer Azzi, who was a member of that 1996 U.