The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will induct eight individuals and one team that has contributed to the growth of basketball - domestically and internationally - becoming one of the best, surpassing milestones and having a worldwide impact.
One of the inductees for the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame is none other than head coach Doc Rivers.
Other inductees include Joey Crawford, Mark Few, Amar'e Stoudemire, Mike D'Antoni, Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw, Elena Delle Donne and the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team.
They will be joined by many fellow Hall of Famers, basketball stars and contributors to the game who will gather to celebrate the newest group of the sport’s iconic figures.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be formally enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. The broadcast event begins at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) on NBA TV and streaming on the NBA App.
Doc Rivers career accolades
Rivers has coached for five different franchises including the Orlando Magic (1999-2003), Boston Celtics (2004-13), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-20), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23), and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-26).
He became one of the winningest NBA head coaches of all-time. He has amassed 1,195 wins in 27 seasons as a head coach. Rivers ranks sixth all-time in coaching wins, behind Pat Riley, Jerry Sloan, Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich. Rivers passed George Karl during the 2025-26 season.
He has 114 playoff victories, which ranks fourth all-time, behind Popovich, Riley and Phil Jackson.
Rivers coached the Celtics to a pair of NBA Finals appearances against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008 and 2010, with a team headlined with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. They won the championship in 2008, but lost the title in 2010.
He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000.
First father-son coach-player duo in NBA history
As the Clippers head coach, Rivers made NBA history when the team signed his son, Austin, making them the first-ever father-son coach-player duo in league history.
Austin was traded to the Boston Celtics in a Jan. 12 three-team trade involving the Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies. But days later on Jan. 15, he joined his father on the Clippers after he was traded in a three-team trade involving the Celtics and the Phoenix Suns.
Rivers made his debut for the Clippers on January 16 becoming the first son to play for his father in an NBA game.
They played together for over three seasons until Austin was traded to the Washington Wizards in June 2018.
Doc Rivers NBA playing career
Before he became a Hall of Fame coach, Rivers put together a solid NBA playing career. He played 13 NBA seasons as a point guard, becoming an All-Star in 1988.
Rivers was drafted with the 31st overall pick in the second round of the 1983 NBA Draft to the Atlanta Hawks, after three seasons at Marquette University.
He also played for the Clippers, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs throughout his 13-year career that ended in 1996. Rivers averaged 10.9 points, 5.7 assists in 864 career games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Doc Rivers enters Basketball Hall of Fame: His legacy explained