The Naismith Memorial National Basketball Hall of Fame inductees for 2018 include three point guards who climbed into the record books for assists, steals and three-throw percentage, a sharpshooting guard who made more three-pointers than any other player in history as well as a forward who could do it all. There is also a player who made a successful leap from the ABA to the NBA, two of the early WNBA stars, a renowned college coach, two basketball executives, a foreign-born player and a trailblazer from the early 20th century. Here is a capsulized look at each member of the class: Steve Nash Advertisement The sharpshooting 6-foot-3 point guard was MVP for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons during his 18-year career, which included seven selection to the All-NBA team. The eight-time All-Star led the league five times in assists and is sixth on the all-time list. He finished with averages of 51.8% shooting from the field, including 42.8% from three-point range, and an NBA record 90.4% from the free-throw line. Jason Kidd The 10-time All-Star climbed to No. 2 all-time in assists during his 19-year playing career that included winning the 2011 title with the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-4 point guard was co-rookie of the year with Grant Hill for the 1994-95 season and earned All-NBA first-team honors five times. The four-time All-Defensive first-team member is also No. 2 on the all-time steals list. Jason Kidd steals the ball from Celtics forward Paul Pierce during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in 2002. (Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images) Grant Hill This seven-time All-Star was co-rookie of the year with Jason Kidd for the 1994-95 season. The 6-8 forward was an All-NBA player five times, including first team in 1996-97. His stellar college career at Duke included back-to-back national titles in 1991 and 1992. Ray Allen Nobody in NBA history made more three-point shots (2,973) than this 6-5 sharpshooting guard who helped the Boston Celtics win a championship in 2008 and the Miami Heat win a title in 2013. He was a 10-time All-Star during his 18 seasons. Advertisement Maurice Cheeks A four-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-Defensive team member, this 6-2 point guard helped the Philadelphia 76ers win the 1983 championship. When he retired, Cheeks had the most steals in league history (2,310, now fifth) and ranked fifth in assists (7,392, now 13th). He was a head coach for nine seasons with Portland, Philadelphia and Detroit. Charlie Scott An ABA All-Star for two seasons when averaging 30.6 points and 5.2 assists a game, he was the league’s rookie of the year in the 1970-71 season. The 6-5 combo guard made a smooth transition to the NBA for eight-plus seasons, playing in three NBA All-Star games. Advertisement Sparks forward Tina Thompson drives to the basket against the Mercury’s Penny Taylor, left, and Kara Braxton, during a WNBA game in 2011. (Jason Redmond / Associated Press) Tina Thompson The first player selected in the inaugural WNBA draft in 1997 she played 17 seasons and led the league three times in minutes per game. The 6-2 forward, who helped the Houston Comets win four consecutive titles, was a nine-time All-Star and earned All-WNBA honors seven times, three on the first team. Katie Smith Advertisement The 5-11 guard was a seven-time All-Star. She ranks in the top 10 in a number of WNBA categories, including three-pointers made (906, second), minutes played (15,725, third), points scored (6,452, fifth) and free throws made (1,440, sixth). She was All-WNBA four times, twice on the first team. Lefty Driesell He is the only coach to win 100 games at four different colleges. At the time of his retirement in 2003, he was the fourth-winningest coach in NCAA Division I history at 786 (now ninth). During his 41 seasons as a head coach, his teams had 20 or more wins 21 times. Rick Welts Advertisement He has worked in a variety of roles as a basketball executive, including 17 years with at the NBA offices. He helped launch the WNBA and is credited with helping develop the NBA All-Star Weekend. He’s currently in his fifth season as president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors. Rod Thorn He had a lengthy career as an NBA player, averaging 10.8 points a game during his nine seasons, a coach and an executive, including 14 years as the league’s vice president of basketball operations. He was the NBA executive of the year when New Jersey went to its first NBA Finals in 2002. He’s been the NBA president of basketball operations since 2013. Dino Radja Advertisement He was one of the best European players of his generation, playing four seasons with the Boston Celtics. The 6-11 Croatian averaged 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds a game in the NBA. He helped Croatia earn a silver medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Ora Mae Washington An excellent all-around athlete, she starred for the Philadelphia Tribune, which won 11 consecutive Women’s Colored Basketball World’s Championships beginning in 1932. She also excelled at tennis, winning eight singles titles from 1929 to 1937 in the American Tennis Assn., the oldest African American sports organization in the U.S.<doc-sep>The GPS device tried to reroute Rod Thorn on his way from suburban New York City to Springfield, Mass., for this weekend’s Basketball Hall of Fame ceremonies. “I’ve made this drive 100 times,” Thorn said. “I know where I’m going.” Of the many times Thorn has made the trip – to see a colleague, friend or former player inducted – the trip Wednesday was different. Thorn headed to Springfield for his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday along with 12 other people in the 2018 class. And what a class it is, perhaps the finest ever inducted: Thorn, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Maurice Cheeks, Charlie Scott, Tina Thompson, Katie Smith, Ora Mae Washington, Rick Welts, Lefty Driesell and Dino Radja. Other years had star power for sure: Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Sheryl Swoopes, Jerry Reinsdorf and Tom Izzo in 2016; David Stern, Alonzo Mourning, Mitch Richmond, Gary Williams and Nolan Richardson in 2014; Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer in 2009; Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Pat Riley, Adrian Dantley, Bill Davidson and Dick Vitale in 2008; Charles Barkley, Joe Dumars, Dominique Wilkins, Geno Auriemma and David Gavitt in 2006; Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas in 1980. MORE NBA: Steve Nash says he would've shot the ball '20 times a game' in today's NBA Gary Payton says Jason Kidd was the 'first LeBron' LeBron James discusses double standard for black, white athletes But this class has an amazing combination of players, coaches and executives who won championships, gold medals, MVPs, and changed the course of the game. Among them: Nash is a two-time MVP who pioneered the way the modern point guard plays with pace and space and scoring and passing. He also is No. 3 on the all-time assist list. Kidd is an NBA champion and No. 2 on the all-time assist list. A triple-double threat who played both sides of the floor at a high level, Kidd made 10 All-Star teams and four All-NBA first teams. Thompson is WNBA royalty as a four-time champion, three-time All-WNBA first team member, nine-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Allen, a two-time NBA champ, is one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history and was at the forefront of the three-point revolution in today’s game. Hill, who is part of one of the most iconic plays in NCAA Tournament history, had a great college career at Duke and underrated NBA career that was hampered by injuries. As general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Thorn, who had a five-decade career in basketball, selected Jordan and changed that franchise. He also was the architect of the 2002 and 2003 New Jersey Nets’ Eastern Conference championship teams. Welts, the president and CEO of the Golden State Warriors, is considered the father of the modern All-Star Game and played a pivotal role in launching the WNBA and marketing the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. Washington was one of the greatest athletes of her time in basketball and tennis in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. You can go on and on. This class is loaded in part because the Hall of Fame shortened its waiting period for induction from five to three years for players, coaches and referees, allowing Nash and Allen to get in this year. Even without Nash and Allen, it’s an impressive class. Add those two, and it’s one of the best. Follow Zillgitt on Twitter @jeffzillgitt<doc-sep>The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony is set for Friday, honoring some of the greatest players, coaches and executives that contributed to the game. NBA.com's staff has used Hall of Fame week to break down the careers of the members of the Class of 2018. NBA.com's Micah Adams wanted to highlight Grant Hill's prime years, often forgotten because of his injury history. Adams suggested that, during Hill's peak, he was on par with some of the greatest to ever play the game. Hill was every bit as productive as Kobe [Bryant]. Maybe not as a scorer, but in terms of overall value, the numbers suggest a peak player right on par with Bryant, even if that peak was substantially shorter. Given most arguments for Hill revolve around an acceptance of advanced metrics not yet in the public eye during his peak or even Bryant's, it's understandable why that might come as a surprise to some. MORE: Ray Allen not waiting to hear from ex-Celtics teammates before induction And the comparisons did not stop there. Adams also addressed how the first couple years of Hill's career were on par with another 6-8 forward who might be considered the greatest player of all time. (Hint: It's LeBron James.) Hill also served as his team's primary scorer, leading the Pistons in each of his first six seasons while topping out at 25.8 points per game his final season in Detroit. Carrying the mantle as his team's top scorer and distributor? Sounds awfully familiar. Hill also sat down with NBA.com's Sekou Smith to explain how the call to the Hall of Fame gave him some much-needed validation. "And maybe I'm getting too deep with this, but the Hall of Fame is very validating for me and I didn't realize how much I needed it, how much I needed that recognition that... I don't always see what I did back in the day, back in the 90s. I remember the end. And I remember the hard times, the struggles." Despite the injuries and questions about what could have been, Hill is certainly a deserving Hall of Fame inductee.<doc-sep>
Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed 13 new members into the sport's most exclusive club during an enshrinement ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Friday night. Icons Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Ray Allen and Grant Hill headlined the class of 2018, along with Philadelphia 76ers great Maurice Cheeks, WNBA legend Tina Thompson and European standout Dino Radja. Other honorees were Charles "Lefty" Driesell, Charlie Scott, Ora Mae Washington, Rod Thorn, Rick Welts and Katie Smith. Below, we'll spotlight the evening's top speeches and look back on the achievements of the players who defined one of the most compelling eras in NBA history. Ray Allen, SG Speech Highlights Video Play Button Videos you might like Bio Ray Allen will forever be remembered as one of the most lethal sharpshooters in NBA history. The No. 5 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, Allen spent 18 years in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. A 10-time All-Star, Allen won two NBA titles (2008, 2013), and his game-tying three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs is likely to be seared into the memories of hoops fans forever. Allen finished his prolific run in the pros with averages of 18.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three. He retired as the NBA's all-time leader in three-point field goals with 2,973. The University of Connecticut product also picked up a gold medal as a member of the 2000 Olympic team that defeated France in the tournament final. Grant Hill, G/F Speech Highlights Bio At his peak, Grant Hill was one of the most dominant and unique playmakers in the NBA. A point forward before the term was en vogue, Hill put together six sensational seasons with the Detroit Pistons after they selected him third overall in the 1994 draft. During that stretch, Hill averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The Pistons traded Hill to the Orlando Magic in 2000, but his career would never be the same. He battled persistent ankle injuries upon arriving in Florida, and he appeared in just 47 games over his first three seasons with the Magic before sitting out the entire 2003-04 campaign. However, Hill returned to All-Star form for the 2004-05 season and churned out quality numbers before signing with the Phoenix Suns in 2007. All told, Hill finished his career by averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field. A member of the Duke Blue Devils fraternity, Hill also threw one of the most famous passes in basketball history when he launched a full-court heave to Christian Laettner—who nailed a turnaround jumper and stunned the Kentucky Wildcats in the 1992 East Regional final. As it turns out, that moment served as a launching pad to a career that included 1994-95 Rookie of the Year honors, seven All-Star nods and five All-NBA selections. Jason Kidd, PG Speech Highlights Bio It's hard to find a resume more impressive than Jason Kidd's. Selected second overall in the 1994 draft, Kidd transformed from a traditional pass-first floor general into an all-around dynamo over the course of his 19-year career that included stops with the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks. Kidd ended up with 10 All-Star nods, five assist titles, six All-NBA selections and nine appearances on various All-Defensive teams. Kidd was also a member of the 2010-11 Mavericks team that stunned a Miami Heat juggernaut led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the NBA Finals. At the time of his induction, Kidd ranks second all-time in assists (12,091) and steals (2,684) behind fellow Hall of Famer John Stockton. Kidd also developed into a steady shooter from long distance and ranks ninth in career three-pointers made (1,988). Steve Nash, PG Speech Highlights Bio Steve Nash helped shape modern NBA offenses as we know them during his time with Mike D'Antoni's Seven Seconds or Less Phoenix Suns. After Nash was traded from Phoenix—who selected him 15th overall in 1996—to Dallas in 1998, he returned to the desert in 2004 as a free agent and solidified himself as one of the most electric offensive players of his generation.