OKC Thunder Assistant Coach Mo Cheeks will be inducted to Basketball Hall of Fame Sept. 7
OKC Thunder associate coach Maurice Cheeks counts down the days to September 7 when he’ll be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fall.
Two weeks from yesterday OKC Thunder Assistant Coach Mo Cheeks will visit Springfield Massachusetts and be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Enshrinement Ceremony occurs on Friday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.
It’s a jam filled weekend honoring basketball’s best and the members of the 2018 class. Joining Cheeks are several top players like Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. For Hill and Kidd the induction has a certain symmetry as the duo were drafted in the same year and shared Rookie of the Year honors.
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Hill was a personal favorite who sparked copious arguments among the BBoyz and I on just how much the staff infection in his ankle changed the forward’s trajectory. Long before LeBron James ruled the kingdom. Hill displayed a similar skillset. And, while the former Duke star still managed to achieve a Hall of Fame career the repeated ankle issues dramatically diminished his career path.
For the generation who grew up as Grant Hill fans the biggest ‘what if’ revolves around the Magic trio of Tracy McGrady, Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway and Grant Hill. Punctuating the brilliance of Hill, revisit game film from his final seasons in Phoenix and note the (39 year old at the time) tackling the toughest defensive assignment
Canadian Nash won back to back Most Valuable Player honors quarterbacking the initiation of Mike D’Antoni‘s seven second offense. In many regards that offense was the beta test for the refined version the Rockets and most of the league utilize in today’s game. Ray Allen was one of the NBA’s most prolific perimeter snipers and a member of the Celtics and Heat title winners.
Mo Cheeks – magnificent career defined by team play and two way game:
Current fans know Cheeks as an OKC Thunder associate coach and the Russell Westbrook whisperer. But, there is far more to Cheeks than his good natured demeanor and coaching prowess. Once a member of the 76ers who featured an organic superteam of Dr. Julius Irving, Moses Malone and Maurice Cheeks. Their 1982-83 team won the championship in convincing fashion by sweeping the LA Lakers.
In his 16 year NBA career Maurice Cheeks was on four All-Star teams and made five All-NBA Defensive teams. He played in 1101 games and raked up some surprising stats. Cheeks ranks 13th All-Time in career assists with 7,392 and 5th All-Time in steals with 2,310.
Although he wasn’t the most celebrated 76er he is beloved in Philly having witnessed his jersey raised to the rafters. Cheeks has decided on Dr. J and former coach Billy Cunningham as the two people who’ll present him to the hall.
The other members of the 2018 Hall of Fame Class are:
- Lefty Driesell
- Dino Radja
- Charlie Scott
- Katie Smith
- Tina Thompson
- Rod Thorn
- Ora Mae Washington
- Rick Welts
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Full statistics for 2018 class can be viewed on basketball reference.