As expected, the late Kobe Bryant joins the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan have officially been named to the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2020, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets

They will be joined by Rudy Tomjanovich, Eddie Sutton, longtime WNBA star Tamika Catchings, coach Kim Mulkey, coach Barbara Stevens and executive Patrick Baumann, according to Bontemps.

In essence, every finalist for Hall of Fame consideration this year received enough votes for induction. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Word leaked on Friday that Bryant, Garnett, Duncan and Tomjanovich would be inducted, though it was a foregone conclusion that the late Bryant, Garnett and Duncan — three of the game’s all-time greats — would received the required votes. 

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