Steve Nash & Jason Kidd top the list of 2018 Hall of Fame nominees

What's the story?

Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are on top of the list of the eligible candidates for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

In case you didn't know...

Kdd and Nash were teammates for the Phoenix Suns for a couple of years from 1996 to 1998.

The heart of the matter...

Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, who are second and third respectively on the all-time assists list, are among the six former NBA players who are first-time candidates.

Kidd is a 10-time All-Star and ranks third on the most career triple-doubles list with 107 triple-doubles. He won his first and only championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2010-2011. Nash is amongst the 12 players to win 2 MVP awards and is an 8-time All-Star.

The other NBA players who are eligible for the first time include:

Ray Allen: He won 2 titles, one with the Boston Celtics in 2007-2008 and other with Miami Heat in 2012-2013. He is one of the greatest shooters of all time as he has made the most 3-pointers in NBA history (2,973) and is also a 10-time All-Star.

Grant Hill: A seven-time All-Star who overcame a career-threatening ankle injury to play 18 seasons in the league.

Chauncey Billups: Also known as the ‘Mr. Big Shot”, won a ring with the Detroit Pistons in 2003-2004 and was also the Finals MVP. He is also a seven-time All-Star.

Richard “Rip Hamilton”: Co-starred with Billups on the Pistons' last title team and was selected to three All-Star teams.

When asked about his nomination for the Hall of Fame, Billups told ESPN’s The Jump "I'm humbled and honored to be nominated, I played really hard my entire career and left it on the floor."

What's next?

Finalists will be announced in mid-February, during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 will be unveiled six weeks later, at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio followed by the enshrinement ceremony in September in Springfield, Illinois.

Author's take

Both Steve Nash and Jason Kidd revolutionized the game of the basketball, from a guard point of view, in their own sense, and they both truly deserve to be among the nominees for the Hall of Fame Class 2018.