After a lengthy wait, former Sixers player and coach Maurice Cheeks will finally - and deservedly - be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarwoski.
Cheeks will reportedly be inducted into the Class of 2018, which includes Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill.
The four-time All-star and five-time All-Defensive team selection played in 16 seasons, guiding the Sixers to their last championship in 1982-83.
Never the flashiest player, Cheeks played a steady, all-around game, leaving behind an astonishing 52.3 career field goal percentage and was the NBA's all-time steals leader at the time of his retirement in 1993.
Cheeks spent his first 11 years with the Sixers, averaging 12.2 points, 7.3 assists, three rebounds and 2.3 steals per game during that span.
After retiring from the league in 1993, Cheeks turned his attention to coaching, catching on as a Sixers' assistant from 1994-00 before taking over as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2001-05.
Cheeks was fired following the 2005 season, opening the door for a return to Philly as the head coach. In four seasons at the helm, Cheeks went 122-147 including a playoff series loss to the Pistons in 2008.
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Cheeks is currently in his third season as an assistant coach for the Thunder.
