The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has begun the process of finding their Class of 2022.

As often happens with sports Halls of Fame, there’s an ebb and flow regarding the influx of new candidates. Just a couple of years ago, we saw perhaps the biggest powerhouse collection of first-timers in Hall history – Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh all hit the ballot at the same time.

Obviously, you’re not going to get multiple no-doubters on every ballot. And this year, we’re looking at a much different group of debuts.

Cooperstown, Springfield play host to induction festivities

I’m a sucker for Hall of Fame inductions. As someone with a real affection for sports history, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of these places that serve as repositories for the greats of a particular game. It’s fun to look back on brilliance.

And as far as that goes, last week was REALLY fun.

Due to the scheduling shifts necessitated by the ongoing pandemic, the sports world found itself in a unique position – not one, but two different Halls of Fame would be inducting their newest members with a few days of one another.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its 2021 class of inductees.

Just one day after the delayed induction of the 2020 class finally took place – an historic group of entrants including Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant – the Hall put forward its 2021 group, set to be enshrined on Sept. 11 of this year.

A quartet of big names head up the list. Paul Pierce is probably the biggest star of the bunch, though Chris Bosh, Chris Webber and Ben Wallace are no slouches. There are also a trio of coaches – Rick Adelman, Jay Wright and Bill Russell (who is already in the Hall for his play, but is now a dual inductee) – and a pair of WNBA stars in Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson, as well as a number of other committee and contributor selections.

But it is the four at the top that will be of interest to most.

The list of basketball’s Hall of Famers is set to get a little longer.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its initial list of eight finalists for the honor; the inductees will be named during the Final Four in April.

It will be an incredible class, one whose excellence will be celebrated despite the looming shadow of the too-soon demise of Kobe Bryant, who perished in a helicopter crash last month. But even with the specter of tragedy hanging over the proceedings, one can’t help but recognize the truth that this could well be the greatest class in the Hall’s history.

Bryant is joined by fellow first-time eligibles Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, as well as WNBA and Olympic star Tamika Catchings. Also under consideration are coaches Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton and Rudy Tomjanovich.

Some all-time NBA greats are about to have their first shot at official immortality.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its initial list of 50 nominees for induction into the Hall as part of the Class of 2020. The finalists for the honor will be announced in February during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, while the inductees will be named during the Final Four in April.

There are a lot of incredible names on this list, players who in their way helped define greatness in the game, but there are a few first-timers that could make this class one of the Hall’s greatest ever.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the finalists for the Class of 2019.

The list – numbering 13 in all – includes four first-time finalists in Marques Johnson, Jack Sikma, Ben Wallace and Paul Westphal. The holdovers are led by Chris Webber; the list also includes Leta Andrews, Hugh Evans, Bill Fitch, Bobby Jones, Sidney Moncrief, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton and Teresa Weatherspoon.

The official class of inductees – everyone from this list who meets or surpasses the 75 percent voting threshold via the 24-person honors committee – will be announced during the NCAA Final Four.

It’s not quite as top-heavy a list as last year, which saw two of the NBA’s greatest point guards ever in Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. Still, it’s a quality collection of talent.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the inductees for its 2018 class.

This year sees a trio of point guards making the cut – Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Maurice Cheeks – along with Ray Allen, Grant Hill, WNBA great Tina Thompson and a handful of others. The class will be officially inducted into the Hall this September.

Let’s take a closer look at the more prominent members of the class of 2018.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the finalists for its 2018 class.

The list includes players notable for their performance in both the collegiate and professional ranks - Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Chris Webber and Maurice Cheeks. There are also some names from the coaching ranks (Lefty Drisell, Rudy Tomjanovich and Kim Mulkey), a pair of greats from the women’s game (Katie Smith and Tina Thompson) and a longtime NBA official (Hugh Evans). The Wayland Baptist University squad from the mid-1950s is the lone team finalist.

The official class of inductees – all those from the list who receive 75 percent of the vote from the 24-person honors committee – will be announced during the NCAA Final Four.

While these are all worthy nominees, the lion’s share of the attention is likely going to land on the pair of point guards at the top.