Mauurong sa 2021 ang opisyal na pagpaparangal kay NBA superstar Kobe Bryant sa Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame bunsod ng banta ng COVID-19.
Si Bryant, na namatay kasama ng walong iba pang katao sa isang helicopter crash sa California nitong Enero 26, ay nakatakda sanang ilagak sa Hall of Fame sa Agosto 29 kasama ang mga NBA All-Star players na sina Tim Duncan at Kevin Garnett pero ipinagpaliban ang naturang seremonya sa susunod na taon.
“We’re definitely canceling,” sabi ni Hall of Fame spokesman Jerry Colangelo sa panayam ng ESPN. “It’s going to have to be the first quarter of next year. (The board will) meet in a couple of weeks and look at the options of how and when and where.”
Kasamang nasawi sa helicopter crash ang 13-taong-gulang na anak ni Bryant na si Gianna.
Bukod kina Bryant, Duncan at Garnett ay kasama rin sa 2020 batch ng Hall of Fame sina 10-time WNBA All-star Tamika Catchings, 2-time College Coach of the Year Kim Mulkey, 5-time WBCA National Division II Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens, 2-time College Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, dating FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann at 2-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich ng Houston Rockets.