Class of 2021 to be Inducted Saturday, September 11 at MassMutual Center
Springfield, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, Anthony Hamilton, will perform at the Class of 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony held at MassMutual Center on Saturday, September 11. The ceremony will be hosted by Ahmad Rashad and the television broadcast schedule will be announced next week.
“As we celebrate this exemplary Class, we are equally excited to welcome to the festivities, Anthony Hamilton, who has made a tremendous impact on R&B music, as our performer for Class of 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony,” said John Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “Enshrinement weekend is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all attendees, fans, and inductees, and without a doubt Anthony Hamilton will amplify this weekend.”
“Being a part of this year’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Ceremony means a great deal to me. Celebrating the greats of this sport is without a doubt a dream for the dreamers. Doing it on 9/11 adds even more heart felt emotions,” said Anthony Hamilton. “Thinking of the greats we lost and the legacies they left with us to hold dear. Gives it a whole new meaning. One of a proud people who on that day stood for something bigger than self.”
The Class of 2021 inductees are ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith and seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Lauren Jackson.
As the health and safety of Hall of Famers, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame is working with the Mohegan Tribal Health Department to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and provide appropriate health and safety measures for all events. For more information, visit www.hoophall.com/Enshrinement.
About Anthony Hamilton
GRAMMY® Award winning singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Anthony Hamilton has achieved global sales of over 50 million albums. The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductee notably performed for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle, cementing his place in the history books as the "narrator of love." Introduced by way of the iconic 2003 smash "Charlene," his raw, awe-inspiring performances garnered the attention of NPR where he starred in their Noteworthy documentary series. He made his film debut in the critically acclaimed American Gangster, and lent his vocals to the song "Freedom" from the Academy® Award-nominated film Django Unchained. Hamilton now adds author and publisher to his list of accomplishments with the unveiling of his first self-published book, Cornbread, Fish 'n Collard Greens, where he shares the inspiration for some of the iconic songs in his illustrious career and his love of southern food. Hamilton recently starred as Kyle Kirby in the feature film Carl Weber's Influence, now streaming on BET+.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #21HoopClass or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.