Kidd, Nash, Allen, Hill lead hoops HOF class

SPORTS SHORTS

Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Ray Allen and Grant Hill will headline the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class announced Saturday.

Four-time All-Star Maurice Cheeks and longtime NBA league office and team executive Rod Thorn will also be among those inducted, as well as longtime college basketball coach Lefty Driesell and women’s basketball standouts Katie Smith and Tina Thompson

Kidd and Nash, who rank second and third in career assists, respectively, were among six former NBA players eligible for the first time.

Kidd had 12,091 assists and is eighth all-time with 8.7 assists per game. He averaged 12.6 points per game over 19 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks.

Nash had 10,335 assists and is ninth all-time with 8.5 assists per game. He also averaged 14.3 points per game during an 18-year career with the Suns, Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Hill averaged 16.7 points per game in more than 1,000 NBA contests after a prolific college career at Duke. He played for the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.

Kidd was named an All-Star 10 times during his playing career. Nash has eight All-Star nods, as well as two MVPs to his name. Hill was a seven-time All-Star and co-Rookie of the Year with Kidd in 1994-95 while his career was cut short due to multiple injuries.

Allen is the league’s all-time leader in career three-point field goals made, in both the regular season and postseason. Allen won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, and made 10 All-Star Games. He was also a twotime All-NBA selection and won a gold medal in 2000.

Cheeks averaged 11.1 points and 2.1 steals per game and was the starting point guard for the 1983 champion PhiladelQIJB FST