’90s represented

Having been a captive fan of the National Basketball Association in the 1990s I surely dig the 2018 class set for induction in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, later this year.
Brimming with personalities that took root in the decade of the ‘90s, it certainly brings back a lot of memories of that solid stretch in the history of The Association, apart, of course, from the fact that they are all deserving of the honor to be bestowed on them.
In ceremonies held at the weekend during the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament which came to a conclusion yesterday, saw 2018 inductees Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen and Steve Nash officially unveiled.
The four bona fide NBA stars will be joined in the Hall by champion player Maurice Cheeks, WNBA legends Tina Thompson and Katie Smith, coach Lefty Driesell, American Basketball Association star Charlie Scott, executives Rick Welts and Rob Thorn, former NBA and international player Dino Radja and women’s player Ora Mae Washington.
As most fans of the NBA in the ’90s, I, too, was impressed with Hill and his all-around play.
Actually I was already a fan of “G-Hill” during his NCAA days when he helped Duke University to be the dominant team that they were.
Hill had it solid in his first half decade in the NBA while playing for the Detroit Pistons, with not a few comparing him to LeBron James, which is really not a stretch.
He practically did everything and was a good ambassador for the league for his admirable demeanor both on and off the court, even getting the moniker as “Mr. Nice Guy.”
Unfortunately injuries slowed him down as his career progressed, leaving many what-ifs, but he did enough good to help the game and is certainly Hall-worthy.
Kidd came in the league as the same time as Hill and immediately made a good impression on NBA fans.
He won co-rookie of the year with Hill in 1994 before establishing a solid career as do-it-all floor general for the teams he played for and a one-time champion (Dallas).
Many consider him as one of the greatest NBA point guards there was and it is going to be hard to argue with that as he posted career assist numbers of 12,091, second all-time, which are comparable with the best.
Apart from what he did in the NBA, what stood out for me about Kidd was how he was a true leader on the court, particularly in USA teams he helped anchor in the 2000s — Sydney (2000) and Beijing (2008).
Allen was one of the standouts in the talent-rich 1996 rookie draft, which speaks a lot considering it was the class that also had legend Kobe Bryant and Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson.
“Jesus Shuttlesworth,” as he was known in the movie He Got Game was sweet-shooting and clutch all throughout his 19-year NBA career that had him winning two titles (Boston and Miami) and a 10-time All-Star.
His career was littered with a lot of classic moments of shooting and giving daggers to his opponents, including his game-tying three-pointer for the Heat in Game Six of the 2013 Finals that swung the tide in their favor in the series and eventually defeated the San Antonio Spurs for the title.
And then Nash, also part of the 1996 rookie class and one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history.
He did not win any championship, not even played in the finals, but no one can come up to him and say he did not try hard.
Canadian Nash was a two-time NBA most valuable player awardee and ranks third in assists all-time with 10,335 while also anchoring a fun-to-watch and high-octane offense in Phoenix in the mid-2000s that pretty much paved the way for how the game is played these days.
And, yes, he too was one of the nice guys in the league and surely helped the NBA build its brand internationally.
Relating much to who they were as players and seeing how they elevated the game that many have come to love, I definitely agree with the selection of Hill, Kidd, Allen and Nash as Hall of Famers. Congratulations, all! NBA back in the ’90s, what a time.
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@www.bworldonline.com