The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the group of finalists for its 2018 class on Saturday afternoon. The list of people up for enshrinement is really impressive, especially among the six players whose names will make it onto the ballot for the first time.
Here are the first-time former NBA and WNBA players on the ballot:
- Ray Allen
- Grant Hill
- Jason Kidd
- Steve Nash
- Katie Smith
- Tina Thompson
It’s an absolutely loaded field of first-time finalists, which includes NBA and WNBA champions, an MVP, a whole bunch of All-Star Game and All-NBA/WNBA selections, and a number of Olympic gold medals. Whether they make it in on the first ballot or not, it’s hard to argue that any of these former stars do not deserve to be enshrined in Springfield at some point.
Beyond those six, the Hall of Fame’s final ballot will feature a handful of names that have been up for consideration in the past. Here is the list, which includes players, coaches, and a women’s basketball team famous for winning 10 AAU national championships.
- Maurice Cheeks
- Charles “Lefty” Driesell
- Hugh Evans
- Kim Mulkey
- Rudy Tomjanovich
- Chris Webber
- Wayland Baptist University
The Hall of Fame’s 2018 class will be announced on March 31 prior to the Final Four, and those selected will be enshrined in Springfield during the various enshrinement ceremonies from Sept. 6-8.
