While the majority of the inductees was leaked two days ago the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has officially announced the Class of 2018.
The Class is:
Jason Kidd, a ten time All Star and former NBA Champion with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and two time U.S. Olympic Champion. Kidd retired second all-time in Assists and Steals and is a five time Assists Champion. He is also a five time First Team All-NBA and four time First Team All-Defensive Selection. He is likely to be the headliner for the class.
Another Point Guard, Steve Nash was also chosen. Born in South Africa and raised in Canada Nash is a two time NBA MVP. He also boasts eight All Star Game appearances, five Assists titles and a three time First Team All-NBA Selection.
Ten time All Star Ray Allen also enters the Hall. From UConn where he was a former National Player of the Year, Allen would win two NBA Titles and is the all-time leader in three pointers.
Coincidentally, Jason Kidd’s Co-Rookie of the Year winner, Grant Hill also was chosen. Hill was a two time NCAA Champion at Duke and was a seven time All Star in the NBA. He is also a one time First Team and four time Second Team All-NBA Selection.
In what could be pegged as a mild surprise, four time All Star Maurice Cheeks will also be inducted. The former Point Guard was a four time First Team All-Defensive Selection and was a champion with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973.
Katie Smith is the all-time leading scorer in Women’s Professional Basketball through her career in the ABL and the WNBA. She is also a three time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist and a two time WNBA Champion with the Detroit Shock.
Four time WNBA Champion with the Houston Comets and two time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Tina Thompson was also chosen. Thomson was a nine time WNBA All Star and is one of the most dominating female players of all-time.
Retired College Coach Lefty Driesell will be entering the Hall as well. Currently 11th all-time in Wins, Driesell has a 786-394 record and coached at Maryland, Davidson, James Madison and Georgia State. He would take the Terrapins to a NIT Championship in 1972.
Rod Thorn enters as a Direct Elect Contributor. A decent player in his own right, Thorn was the General Manager for the Chicago Bulls for six years and was the man responsible for drafting Michael Jordan. He would later serve as the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and would later win the Executive of the Year while with the New Jersey Nets in 2002.
Rick Welts also enters as a Direct Elect Contributor. Welts is the current President and Chief of Operations for the Golden State Warriors. Previously he worked for the NBA and is credited for the creation of the NBA All Star Weekend and the marketing of the 1992 U.S. Dream Team.
Charlie Scott is this year’s Direct Elect Veteran. Scott was the 1971 ABA Rookie of the Year and was a two time ABA All Star and three time NBA All Star. He also won an NBA Title with the Boston Celtics in 1976.
Entering the Hall as the Direct Elect International inductee is Dino Radja. Radja played three and a half years for the Celtics, but in Europe he was a two time EuroLeague Champion and a EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1989). He also won two Silver Medals in the Olympics for Yugoslavia as well as a Gold Medal in the 1990 World Cup.
Ora Mae Washington was also chosen. More known for her tennis she played Basketball throughout the 1930’s and early 40’s where she was considered one of the greatest female athletes of her day.
Of the Finalists, Chris Webber was the most notable name not chosen.
With this announcement we will begin work on the revised Notinhalloffame Basketball List, which will reflect the subtraction of the new inductees and the addition of those who will now be eligible next year.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
Prior to the NCAA Final Four, this Sunday the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will be announcing the Class of 2018.
With the mandatory waiting period reduced to three from five years a loaded ballot emerged with promises to see a very talented group of inductees, four of which could be first ballot entries. The anticipation certainly makes us want to speculate as to just who will be chosen this Sunday, which we most certainly do because that is what Notinhalloffame.com was built for.
Of the thirteen Finalists, six of which are former NBA stars all of which have a case for enshrinement, with two Point Guards that according to MyTopSportsBooks.com consider a lock.Steve Nash is a former two time NBA MVP, worth mentioning as there has never been a MVP who did not receive the call from Springfield. With eight All Star appearances, eight post season All-NBA selections and five assists titles the Canadian likely has his Hall of Fame speech ready.
Amazingly, fellow Point Guard Jason Kidd who has never been named a league MVP actually brings forth a better resume than Nash. Kidd is also a five time Assists leader but went to more All Star Games (10) was an All-Defensive member four times and is a former NBA Champion with the Dallas Mavericks (2011). They are both going to get in this year with the only question being who will be named the headliner.
Ray Allen is being pegged by many as a sure thing, although we aren’t so sure. With Allen being a ten time All Star and two time NBA Champion, he will leapfrog Chris Webber who while has a stronger case as a more dominant NBA player suffers from his University of Michigan career being declared vacated following the scandal where he accepted money from a booster. Essentially, his Naismith College Player of the Year Award does not exist to the voters. Coincidentally, his college rival, Grant Hill from Duke makes his first appearance as a Finalist. If anyone can upset the Allen applecart it is Hill whom despite serious injuries carved out a 20 year NBA career. It will be interesting to see if both can get in.
Maurice Cheeks is definitely on the outside looking in for this class.
In terms of the rest of the Finalists we think former four time WNBA and nine time WNBA All-Star Tina Thompson should be getting in as will referee Hugh Evans and coach Kim Mulkey.
Unlikely to get in this year are Rudy Tomjanovich, Katie Smith, Charles “Lefty” Drissell and the Wayland Baptist University team.