3 Suns Legends Named Hall of Fame Finalists

The Suns could be well represented in this year's Basketball Hall of Fame class.

Oct 22, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Amar'e Stoudemire prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns were very well represented in the finalists for the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class.

Former Suns forward Amar'e Stoudemire, guard Kevin Johnson and coach Mike D'Antoni were among 21 finalists for the Hall of Fame with Stoudemire and Johnson being part of 11 North American finalists, and D'Antonio among two contributors alongside Tal Brody.

The Naismith Hall of Fame finalists have been announced: pic.twitter.com/JWzn2R4KmC

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 12, 2026

The Class of 2026 will be announced on April 4 at the Men’s Final Four. Nominees need 18 of 24 final votes by the Honors Committee to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

More on Suns' Nominees

Stoudemire, who played for Phoenix from 2002-2010, was most recently inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor in 2024, while Johnson, who was with the Suns from 1988-2000, was placed in Phoenix's Ring of Honor in 2001.

D'Antoni coached the Suns from 2003-08 and helped usher in a new era of basketball with his "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns team that notably featured Stoudemire and Steve Nash.

Here's more on all three inductees from the Basketball Hall of Fame:

Stoudemire: "A six-time NBA All-Star (2005, ‘07-11) and 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, Stoudemire averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds during his first eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2002-10) before signing with the New York Knicks (2010-15). The ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft directly out of high school, Stoudemire earned five All-NBA selections and was a key figure in Phoenix's 'Seven Seconds or Less' era. He successfully returned from microfracture knee surgery that limited him to three games in 2005-06 and averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds in each of the next three seasons, including a career-high 25.2 points in 2007-08. Stoudemire finished his 14-year NBA career (2002-16) averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds."

Johnson: "One of the most dynamic point guards of his era, Johnson spent the majority of his 12-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns, earning three NBA All-Star selections (1990, ‘91, ‘94) and four All-NBA Second-Team honors (1989, ‘90, ‘91, ‘94). Johnson was the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 assists, a .500 field goal percentage, and two steals per game for an entire season (1990-91), and the third all-time to post 20 points and 10 assists per game in three consecutive seasons, following Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas. The NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1989, Johnson was the first player at the University of California, Berkeley to have his jersey retired (1992) and was inducted into the Suns’ Ring of Honor in 2001."

D'Antoni: "An important figure in the evolution of modern basketball, D’Antoni influenced the game through innovation via his up-tempo, space-and-pace philosophy that helped redefine offensive strategy, emphasizing ball movement, shooting and efficiency and shaping the analytics-driven era of the sport. D’Antoni’s impact spans continents, having coached professionally in Italy for eight seasons before bringing his ideas to the NBA, where he amassed nearly 1,200 career wins. He was named NBA Coach of the Year twice (2005, ‘17), served as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, and was recognized as one of the 50 Greatest Contributors in EuroLeague history in 2008."