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Inductees to the 2018 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame were announced in March at the NCAA Final Four, and on Friday, they were officially entered at the Induction Ceremony. It's always a touching scene during the event, as former players and coaches take the floor to thank those who helped them reach the highest level of basketball.
The following 13 players and basketball characters are now officially part of the 2018 Hall of Fame class:
2018 Hall of Fame class Naismith
- Ray Allen
- Maurice Cheeks
- Lefty Driesell
- Grant Hill
- Jason Kidd
- Steve Nash
- Dino Radja
- Charlie Scott
- Katie Smith
- Tina Thompson
- Rod Thorn
- Ora Mae Washington
- Rick Welts
Strong points
Grant Hill kicked off with a strong speech with Patrick Ewing, Mike Krzyzewski, Isiah Thomas and Alonzo Mourning. Hill was sure to thank Coach K, who helped start his career at Duke.
Then, former NBA rookie of the year, Rod Thorn, credited Jason Kidd for turning the fortune of the Nets. Thorn was joined on stage by his Hall of Fame colleague and Virginian West Jerry West.
Mo Cheeks then took the stage with Julius Erving and Billy Cunningham. The cheeks choked on her mother, who was there to witness the enthronement.
Katie Smith then spoke with former teammate and opponent Dawn Staley. Smith paid tribute to her home state of Ohio and recounted how she dropped out of a career in dentistry to play professional basketball.
NBA leader Rick Welts then spoke with many friends, including the legendary Bill Russell and former NBA commissioner David Stern. Welts read a letter that he wrote to his young self, talking about the trip that he would be taking to the basketball game.
Coach Lefty Driesell then took the floor and breathed some humor into the debates, telling jokes about his age and telling stories from that time. He made everyone in the room laugh, including coaches Krzyzewski, John Thompson and George Raveling, who joined him on stage.
Then there was Charlie Scott, who took the opportunity to dazzle some of the former Duke who spoke before him.
Staley then went back on stage to pay tribute to Ora Mae Washington, a basketball and tennis player who made his way in 1971.
Croatian superstar Dino Radja then spoke, thanking his family.
After Radja, one of the best goalkeepers of the game took the stage. Kidd joked about wearing Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 with the Mavericks, and shouted to fellow Hill, with whom Kidd shared the title of Rookie of the Year in 1995.
The focus was then on the WNBA. Tina Thompson, the first-ever No. 1 pick in WNBA history and the league's second-leading scorer, made her podium debut. She thanked and shared a heartfelt moment with her family.
Steve Nash, another legendary leader, was next. In addition to shouting at his former teammates, coaches and other inductees, Nash recounted how he fell in love with basketball from an early age.
Finally, Ray Allen, the league's three-point shooter, took the floor. He had a lot of good words for the man who introduced Allen at the ceremony, and another of the league's great shooters, Reggie Miller.
Jerry Colangelo then closed the ceremony, as all the inductees were welcomed on stage and received an ovation for all their achievements.
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