NBA: Who’s Soon-to-be Hall of Famer? Jason Kidd or Grant Hill

There's no doubt basketball fans have been deprived to relish the brilliance of Jason Kidd and Grant Hill when they announced their retirement from competitive basketball this week.

Kidd and Hill, who were named as the NBA's top rookies in 1994, epitomized excellence and durability despite dealing with serious injuries at some point in their respective career.

As they take on a new chapter of their lives, it's the right time to weigh if their performances are worthy enough for them to be immortalized forever among other basketball greats in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Fact or Fiction - Do Kidd and Hill deserve to be inducted in Basketball Hall of Fame?

In order to settle this issue, a set of HOF barometers is placed to provide a better picture on the respective careers of both Kidd and Hill. These barometers are primarily associated with statistics, individual accomplishments and their overall impact in the game of basketball.

Statistics

Jasod Kidd has always been a triple-double treat ever since he made his NBA debut. He averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 assists, and 6.3 rebounds while doing great work on the defensive end with at almost two steal per game throughout his career.

Grant Hill, meanwhile, was a do-it-all player early in his career as he averaged 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per ball game during his first three seasons with the Detroit Pistons. However, his ankle took away his explosiveness and reduced him to a pretty decent role player. He averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his career.

Accomplishment

Kidd is a 10-time All-Star and a six-time All-NBA team member. He's also nine-time All-Defensive team selectee and led the league in assists five times. He finished his career third all-time in regular-season triple double with 107 just behind Magic Johnson (138) and Oscar Robertson (181). He won his only championship during his second tenure with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Hill is a seven-time All-Star member and five-time All-NBA selection. He also won the Sportsmanship Award three times along with a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He amassed 17,137 points in his career - good for 78^th in All-Time scoring list.

Impact in the game

Both Kidd and Hill have provided significant contribution to the evolution of basketball. Kidd, a prototypical pass-first point guard, ushered the way for young stars like Rajon Rondo and Ricky Rubio, who are non-athletic guards but have above-average basketball knowledge to control the ballgame in different areas.

Meanwhile, Hill is a perfect example of Mr. Nice Guy, willing to bang bodies inside without compromising his reputation as a classy player. Looking at his play before the injury, Hill is the closer version of today's premier cornerman - LeBron James.

Evaluating all these barometers, it's very clear that Jason Kidd's statistics and accomplishment are very much Hall of Fame worthy compared to Hill. However, Hill's perseverance after all the injuries he suffered is something noteworthy.

Kidd is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer while Hill may wait a few more years - probably three years - to get his place in Springfield.