The expected amendments to the election process of the Basketball Hall of Fame could see Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming of China among those to be inducted in 2016.

According to the league's official website, the Basketball Hall of Fame changes will include reducing the wait for the player's eligibility for induction to the sporting shrine by one year.

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The wait time would be abridged from five seasons in retirement to four, officials wanting to elude what has become a sixth year of waiting by the time the vote process is completed near the end of the NBA regular season.

Under the new idea, voting and potential enshrinement would come after five calendar years, rather than five NBA seasons and would make Yao, O'Neal, Iverson, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash eligible to be nominated for the Class of 2016.

O'Neal and Yao would not have been on the ballot for another year under the old Hall rules since the two towers of power retired only in 2011.

According to Shanghai Daily, Yao had rejected being nominated as a contributor to the sport, which would have come without the five-year retirement wait.

Yao is one of China's best known athletes, having played in the CBA's Shanghai Sharks for five years before becoming a dominant force in the NBA playing with the Houston Rockets in 2002.

Yao is the 2002 NBA No.1 draft pick. He was an eight-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA second team twice (2007 and 2009) and a three-time member of the All-NBA third team (2004, 2006 and 2008). He was also named to the All-Rookie first team in 2003.

He has three Olympic Games appearances.

In July 2011, Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball due a series of foot and ankle injuries.

 The Class of 2016 finalists will be announced in February with selections in April. The ceremony for the enshrinement will be in September in Springfield, Massachusetts.

TagsYao Ming, chinese basketball association, Shaquille O’Neal, allen iverson, steve nash, Jason Kidd, Olympic Games, Basketball Hall of Fame, Election Process