While the official Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018 won't be announced until Final Four weekend, four former greats have reportedly been told they will be enshrined.
Here are those four former NBA stars (three of whom will make the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility).
Grant Hill
Hill was the third overall pick by the Detroit Pistons out of Duke in the 1994 NBA Draft. His all-around game quickly helped him become one of the best players in the league. He won Rookie of the Year in 1995, made six All-NBA teams (one first, five second), and finished in the top-nine of MVP voting five times in his six seasons with Detroit.
Unfortunately, injuries helped to derail his superstardom once he left for the Orlando Magic. He appeared in just 47 games in his first four years with the team. Hill still found a way to play 18 seasons in the NBA until he was 40 years old.
In 1,026 career games, he posted per game averages of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals.
Jason Kidd
The second overall selection by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994, Kidd lasted 19 seasons in the NBA. His list of accolades include being named to 10 All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams (five first, one second), and nine All-Defensive teams (four first, five second). He won an NBA title in 2011 with the Mavericks.
His impressive career included leading the league in assists five times.
He averaged at least 8.2 assists per game for 16 straight seasons. Kidd also had a stretch of eight straight years averaging at least two steals per game.
In 1,391 career games, Kidd averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. He is currently second all-time in assists (12,091) and steals (2,684) while also having the ninth-most made three-pointers (1,988).
Steve Nash
Nash was taken 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1996. It wasn't until his second tenure with Phoenix though that he was known as an all-time great point guard.
He won back-to-back MVP awards with the Suns in 2005 and 2006. He was named to All-NBA teams seven times (three first, two second, two third). Nash led the league in assists five times and Free Throw Percentage twice.
In 1,217 career games over 18 seasons, he had per game averages of 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists. All-time, Nash ranks first in free throw percentage (.904), third in assists (10,335), and ninth in three-point percentage (.428).
Maurice Cheeks
Twenty-five years after his playing career ended, Cheeks will finally be a Hall of Famer. He was the 36th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1978.
He ended up playing 15 seasons and accumulated four All-Star appearances, five All-Defensive teams (four first, one second), and was a member of the 1983 76ers team that won the NBA title. Cheeks averaged at least 2.1 steals per game in each of his first 10 seasons.
In 1,101 career games, Cheeks finished with averages of 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 2.1 steals. He is fifth all-time with 2,310 steals and 13th in league history with 7,392 assists.
