Naismith Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki and Sue Bird lead the 2026 FIBA Hall of Fame class, which the international basketball organization announced Sunday in celebration of World Basketball Day.<\/p>\n
In May, Bird took on a new role as the managing director of the USA Women\u2019s National Team. During her 19 WNBA seasons, she was a member of four WNBA championship teams with the Seattle Storm and is the league\u2019s all-time assists leader. A mainstay of the Team USA roster throughout her career, Bird was a vital contributor to national teams that won four FIBA World Cup championships and five consecutive Olympic gold medals between 2002 and 2020.<\/p>\n
Brighter than the bright lights on them \u2728 <\/p>\n
Introducing\u2026 the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2026 \ud83c\udf1f#FIBAHallofFame<\/a> x #WorldBasketballDay<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/HCQLkx1UrB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) December 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n This has been a year filled with honors for Bird. On Dec. 7, the UConn Huskies held a jersey retirement ceremony<\/a> for Bird at Gampel Pavilion. In an interview on NBA TV\u2019s \u201cThe Association,\u201d<\/a> Bird reflected on that moment. \u201cThe best part by far,\u201d she said, \u201cis that it has forced all my friends, all my family, all my former teammates, coaches, to come hang out with me.\u201d<\/p>\n Bird added, \u201cYou ask an athlete what are your favorite memories \u2014 championships are great, of course, I wouldn\u2019t trade them \u2014 but it\u2019s all the off-the-court memories that stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n Bird was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in September. In her acceptance speech,<\/a> she said, \u201cHall of Fame induction isn\u2019t just about individual achievement, it\u2019s about joining a community where I\u2019ll always belong. A belonging that can never be taken away.\u00a0\u00a0In other words, I\u2019ll close with something point guards don\u2019t often get to say. Thank you for the assist.\u201d<\/p>\n Nowitzki, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023, headlines the 2026 FIBA class alongside Bird. In addition to a 21-year NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks in which the sweet-shooting German 7-footer won the 2006-07 NBA MVP award and led Dallas to the franchise\u2019s sole NBA championship in 2011, Nowitzki had a decorated career in international competition. He was named MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Cup and the 2005 EuroBasket. At the 2002 FIBA World Cup in Indianapolis, he led Germany to the bronze medal and the nation\u2019s first-ever podium finish at the world level.<\/p>\n Other members of FIBA\u2019s 2026 Hall of Fame class include former Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings forward Hedo T\u00fcrko\u011flu, from Turkey; former NBA center Wang Zhizhi, from China; retired women\u2019s basketball stars C\u00e9line Dumerc and Clarisse Machanguana, from France and Mozambique, respectively; Ludwik Mi\u0119tta-Miko\u0142ajewicz, a longtime coach of the Polish women\u2019s national team; and pioneering Chilean women\u2019s basketball star Ismenia Pauchard, who died in 2004 and is being inducted posthumously.<\/p>\n The induction ceremony will be held on April 21, 2026, in Berlin.<\/p>\n World Basketball Day, officially recognized by the United Nations in 2023, is intended to honor the global impact of the sport and the players who have shaped its history. In a statement<\/a>, FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis called the day \u201cthe perfect time to encourage our family, friends and colleagues who are not yet engaged to pick up a ball or watch some action as we continue growing the sport around the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n