Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill to enter Basketball Hall of Fame

[Rock Strongo]

Sources: Kidd, Nash, Hill to enter hoops HOF

 

[Rock Strongo]

Kidd and Nash rank second and third in career assists. Kidd, who ranks third in NBA history with 107 triple-doubles, was a 10-time All-Star and won a championship with the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks. Nash, one of 12 players to win two MVP awards, was an eight-time All-Star.

Nash made the All-NBA first team three times during his 18-year career with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, and helped kickstart the development of the sport in Canada with his freewheeling style. He was also a two-time WCC Player of the Year in 1995-96 at Santa Clara and engineered a memorable upset of second-seeded Arizona in the NCAA tournament.

Kidd was the 1994-95 NBA Rookie of the Year, setting the stage for a 19-year career in which he made the All-NBA first team five times and All-Defensive first team four times. Kidd won an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011 and is second all time with 2,684 steals. He also was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1993 and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1994 during his two seasons at California. He won gold medals with the United States at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Hill was a two-time national champion and two-time All-American at Duke, but injuries kept him from reaching the same heights in the NBA during his 19-year career. He still made seven All-Star appearances and was an all-NBA first team honoree in 1996-97.

Maurice Cheeks will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, sources told Wojnarowski. Cheeks was the starting point guard for the 1983 champion Philadelphia 76ers and was both a four-time All-Star and a first-team All-NBA defensive selection four times. At the time of his retirement in 1993, he was the all-time leader in steals, averaging more than two per game for his career.

Other finalists for induction into the Hall of Fame are Ray Allen, Chris Webber, Charles "Lefty" Driesell, Rudy Tomjanovich, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, longtime NBA official Hugh Evans and the 1953-58 Wayland Baptist University teams.

During his visit to ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut on Thursday, Allen said he had not heard whether he had made the Hall of Fame.

Asked what the honor would mean to him, Allen said: "It would be the culmination of my whole life, everything coming together."

 

[blstoker]

Agree that Nash and Kidd should be in there. I wouldn't've put Hill in there, but I don't have a vote.

 

[CitySushi]

Agree that Nash and Kidd should be in there. I wouldn't've put Hill in there, but I don't have a vote.

It's a basketball hall of fame, which means collegiate accomplishments matter. Grant Hill is probably one of the most decorated Collegiate basketball players of all time, in addition to being a multiple time all-star and potential top 20 player (easily) of all time, if injuries had not derailed his career.

 

[shopson67]

Kidd and Nash got in there largely because they had long enough careers to establish their greatness. Grant wasn't afforded that, but was able to still contribute after his game was limited after injury. Look at Hill's stats before injury 94-98, he was really on track for greatness:

20.6 ppg (47%), 6.5 apg, 8.3 rpg, 0.7 bpg, 1.6 spg

He later added the 3 pt shot to his game (much like Kidd); really didn't have that early on. Of course, he was integral to Duke's 2 championships during his time there as well.

 

[Sportsguy9695]

I agree with Kidd and Nash but Hill I’m a little iffy about. But being only 28 maybe I was too young to really watch him in his prime

 

[CitySushi]

I agree with Kidd and Nash but Hill I’m a little iffy about. But being only 28 maybe I was too young to really watch him in his prime

Youtube clips of him on the Pistons. Guarantee you'll be watching clips of him all day. He was phenomenal. He had an amazing handle, good court vision, could take the ball to the hoop any time he wanted and had a nice mid-range. Only thing missing really in his early years was a 3 point shot. But he was the guy the NBA thought was going to take the torch from MJ.

He was Lebron before there was Lebron.

 

[msgkings322]

Youtube clips of him on the Pistons. Guarantee you'll be watching clips of him all day. He was phenomenal. He had an amazing handle, good court vision, could take the ball to the hoop any time he wanted and had a nice mid-range. Only thing missing really in his early years was a 3 point shot. But he was the guy the NBA thought was going to take the torch from MJ.

He was Lebron before there was Lebron.

Agreed until you brought up LeBron. Not a great comparison. Frankly LeBron is one of those unicorns it's hard to compare his game with another player. Start with size alone and go from there.

 

[CitySushi]

Agreed until you brought up LeBron. Not a great comparison. Frankly LeBron is one of those unicorns it's hard to compare his game with another player. Start with size alone and go from there.

I said he was Lebron, before there was Lebron. Obviously Lebron has since surpassed, but at the time, Grant Hill was a unicorn himself.

If you could go back in his era, and build a player from scratch with a skill set, height, weight, etc., Grant Hill would have been it. He was fast, athletic, good build, tall, great handle, great in the open court, great passer, rebounder, and he couldn't be stopped going to the basket. He was also great with his back to the basket in post up situations.

I'm saying he was Lebron BEFORE there was a Lebron. He did it all. He was the proto-type for a player of his era. Just like Lebron was someone engineered in a science lab for today's game.

 

[msgkings322]

I said he was Lebron, before there was Lebron. Obviously Lebron has since surpassed, but at the time, Grant Hill was a unicorn himself.

If you could go back in his era, and build a player from scratch with a skill set, height, weight, etc., Grant Hill would have been it. He was fast, athletic, good build, tall, great handle, great in the open court, great passer, rebounder, and he couldn't be stopped going to the basket. He was also great with his back to the basket in post up situations.

I'm saying he was Lebron BEFORE there was a Lebron. He did it all. He was the proto-type for a player of his era. Just like Lebron was someone engineered in a science lab for today's game.

Ok fair enough

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

I really hate that it's the Basketball HOF and not the NBA HOF.

 

[The Derski]

 

[The Derski]

 

[Wamu]

Rings are the only way to judge a players career.

-Jason whitechocolate Williams > Steve Nash
-Mario Chalmers > Jason Kidd
-Adam Morrison > Grant Hill

 

[JohnShadows]

Mo Cheeks was the quickest player of his time. Great defender.

 

[trojanfan12]

I really hate that it's the Basketball HOF and not the NBA HOF.

I think it kind of has to be the Basketball Hall of Fame though.

Considering how many fewer players, coaches, etc. are on a basketball team compared to football or baseball and how many of those players, coaches, etc. end up being Hall of Fame worthy...if it were just the NBA Hall of Fame, you could probably have it in one storefront in a strip mall somewhere. lol