Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement rescheduled for May, location moved

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday that it has rescheduled its 2020 enshrinement celebrations to May 13-15, 2021.

The induction ceremony will also be moved from Springfield, Massachusetts, to the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, for what the Hall of Fame is calling a "near-bubble" event.

The Hall said the impact of the delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had "significant financial ramifications," resulting in layoffs and salary cuts.

"These are people who have been a big part of the Hall's success in recent years; it hurts deeply," Hall of Fame president and CEO John Doleva said.

"The decision to reschedule enshrinement into May of next year, along with diminished museum guest visitation and a very uncertain future regarding our multiple collegiate and high school basketball events this fall, has forced us to make these very difficult decisions," Doleva added. "Our goal now is to conserve resources so that we may stabilize in 2021 and return to our growth trajectory in 2022 and beyond."

The Class of 2020 inductees are highlighted by the NBA's cornerstones in the late 1990s and 2000s, including Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant.