Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming and Allen Iverson are among the names eligible for induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

For the first time this year, the Hall switches to a four-year waiting period, rather than five.

"We wanted to get more in line with some of the other Halls, and it just seemed like too long of a wait for some of the individuals," said Hall chairman Jerry Colangelo during an interview on ESPN's SportsCenter.

O'Neal played for 19 seasons in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics as one of his generation's most dominant players. The centre out of Louisiana State was a four-time NBA Champion, 15-time All-Star and the league's most valuable player in 2000.

Iverson was an 11-time All-Star over his 14 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies. Though an NBA Ttitle eluded him, Iverson was the NBA MVP in 2001.

A native of Shanghai, Yao was the first-overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft and spent the entirety of his eight-year career with the Houston Rockets. Eight times an All-Star, the centre is credited with greatly growing the interest in the league in China and Asia as a whole.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes are also candidates for induction.

The finalists will be announced on April 4 before the NCAA Tournament final in Houston.