Jason Kidd, Steve Nash Among 2018 Hall of Fame Candidates

Two of the greatest floor generals in NBA history, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, are among the eligible candidates for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2018.

Kidd and Nash rank second and third in career assists, respectively. Both should be an automatic selection for the Hall of Fame.

Kidd is third in NBA history with 107 triple-doubles, was a 10-time All-Star and won a championship with the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks. Nash, arguably one of the best point guards every, is just one of 12 players to win two MVP awards; and he was an eight-time All-Star.

In addition to Kidd and Nash, there's six former NBA players who are first-time candidates, with 179 eligible candidates altogether.

First-timer include (via ESPN):

• Ray Allen, a 10-time All-Star who won titles with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics and the 2012-13 Miami Heat and made the most 3-pointers in NBA history (2,973);

• Grant Hill, a seven-time All-Star and co-Rookie of the Year (along with Kidd) in 1994-95 who overcame a career-threatening ankle injury to play 18 seasons;

• Chauncey Billups, a seven-time All-Star who earned the nickname "Mr. Big Shot" and played a key role on the Detroit Pistons' 2003-04 championship team;

• Richard "Rip" Hamilton, who co-starred with Billups on the Pistons' last title team and was selected to three All-Star teams.