Nash, Allen among 13 to join Basketball Hall of Fame

NEW YORK: Former NBA stars Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill and Maurice Cheeks will be among 13 people inducted Friday into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Thehonoreeswill be enshrinedin ceremonies at the sporting shrine in Springfield, Massachusetts, near the game’s birthplace, with a gala gathering of legends serving as presenters as well.

Other inductees will include Croatian player Dino Radja, college coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell, Women’s NBA stars Tina Thompson and Kat ie Smith, contributors Rod Thorn and Rick Welts, pioneer Ora Mae Washington and 1970s star Charlie Scott.

“This is incredible to be here with this group,” said two- time NBA Most Valuable Player Nash. “It’s a Dream Team.”

Canada’s Nash, an eight- time NBA All- Star, ranks third in all- time NBA assists and has the highest career free- throw accuracy percentage, 90.4 per cent, in league history over 19 NBA seasons.

Kidd, a 10-time NBA All- Star in his 18 campaigns, won an NBA crown with Dallas in 2011. He ranks second on the NBA all-time steals list with 2,684 and second on the career assists list with 12,091.

Al len won NBA titles with Boston in 2008 and Miami in 2013, with 10 All-Star nods in his 18 NBA seasons. He is the NBA career leader in 3-point baskets with 2,973 and won Olympic gold in 2000.

“I don’t think as much about my career but the people that have gotten me to this point,” Allen said. — AFP