NBA’s Maurice Cheeks Enters Naismith Hall of Fame

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. – Mo Cheeks never thought about playing professional basketball, let alone being selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame when he was growing up in Chicago.

But he has achieved both dreams.

The 6-2 Cheeks, the quiet hero of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 1983 NBA Championship Team, was named to the Hall’s Class of 2018 along with 10-time NBA All Star guard Jason Kidd, three-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, guard Charlie Scott from the Veteran’s Committee and two-time NBA Champion guard Ray Allen. The rest of the class includes 86-year old former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell, four-time WNBA champion Tina Thompson, three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith, seven-time NBA All Star forward Grant Hill, center Dino Radja from the International Committee, Ora Mae Washington from the Early African American Pioneers Committee and Rod Thorn and Rick Welts from the Contributor Committee.

Cheeks, who is currently an assistant with the NBA Oklahoma City Thunder, found out he made the grade Thursday before they played San Antonio. He walked out to the practice court, saw coach Billy Donovan and GM Sam Presti, and then broke down in tears. This was the third time he had been a finalist and the Thunder wanted to start a campaign lobbying for his induction.

But Cheeks had no interest. “I wanted to make it if I deserved it, but because of what someone else did for me,’’ he said.

Cheeks may not have had the flash of some of these superstars, but he will always be remembered for his efficient play and the way he always tried to make accomplished scorers and superstars like Doc Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley and Andrew Toney better with his unselfish play and excellent defensive skills.

“I think today’s game the point guard is more of a scorer, although he can still facilitate,’’ Cheeks said. But today’s game has more of a scorers’ attitude. When I was playing it was just making sure I was taking care of the players. That was my prime job and I got joy out of that.

“In order to be a great point guard, you always need to be more in tune with your teammates, knowing when a guy is not going well, knowing when he is going well and the things you can do to pick your team up. That was mostly my job. That’s why I’m here, because of a lot of players I played with. They made my job easier. The coaches I played for made my job easier.’’

Cheeks was a relative unknown before he made the league. When he was at DuSable High, he had one Division One offer from West Texas State in the tiny town of Canyon, Tex. Cheeks was a first team All Missouri Valley player for three years, averaging 16.7 points and shooting 57 percent for his career but his team went 6-20 his senior year. That did not stop the late Sixers’ assistant Jack McMahon from spotting him and then convincing Pat Williams to draft him after McMahon and another one of Billy Cunningham’s assistants, the late Chuck Daly, watched him play in a Pizza Hut All Star game in Vegas.

The Sixers took Cheeks with the 36th pick in the second round of the 1978 draft and he became an instant contributor.

Cheeks played 15 years in the NBA, including 11 with the Sixers. He earned four trips to the NBA All Star game and was named to the NBA All Defensive Team four straight times from 1983 through 1986. In NBA history, Cheeks ranks fifth all-time in steals and 11th all time in assists. He averaged 11.7 points per game for his career and two steals.

“I remember one year I was selected to the All-Star game and I was talking with the coach K.C. Jones and he asked me how many minutes I wanted to play,’’ Cheeks recalled. “And I told him ‘Just run me out there, then take me out.’ My game wasn’t tailored to spectacular plays in All Star games.’’

Cheeks did have a moment to remember when the Sixers swept the Lakers in the 1983 NBA Championship series. He punctuated the Sixers’ 115-108 victory in Game 4 with a slam dunk, one of the few of his career. “I had a breakaway and Doc was running on the side, but I didn’t see him. ‘’

Cheeks has never been totally comfortable in the spotlight. He was a head coach with Portland, Philadelphia and Detroit. But his finest moment came before a game in Portland April 25, 2003 when he assisted a 13-year old girl Natalie Gilbert after she struggled to find the correct words to the national anthem.

Cheeks came to her side on the floor and initially suggested the lyrics to Gilbert and then joined in on the singing. Soon the Rose Garden Arena crowd sang with them, turning a small disaster into a touching moment. Cheeks and Gilbert received a standing ovation when the song ended.

It was later revealed the young Gilbert had been fighting the flu and was still sick the day of the performance. “I think as I saw her stumble on the words, she looked helpless and I just started walking. I had no idea what I was going to do or say. But as I approached her, I wanted to help her and I didn’t even know if I knew the words, just wanted to help her out.’’