The Basketball HOF induction ceremony is still scheduled for Aug. 29, and HOF CEO John Doleva said that it will "decide this coming week whether to retain the Aug. 28-30 window, which will begin at Mohegan Sun and then return to Springfield for the induction," according to Gary Washburn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Doleva said that the HOF will "move the ceremony from Symphony Hall (capacity 2,611), which has housed the event since 2009, to the MassMutual Center (capacity, 8,319), allowing patrons more room for social distancing." Doleva added that alternate dates would be "over the Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 9-11, or in the spring of 2021." The Hall is "not considering a combined ceremony for the classes of 2020 and 2021." Doleva said every class "deserves its own recognition." One "major change for this ceremony is the reallowance of family members to speak live at the ceremony in the inductees’ honor." It is uncertain whether Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s widow, will "speak at the ceremony, but the Hall will have a representative for Bryant speak on his behalf" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/24).
