Remember the Jordan comparisons?
Grant Hill came into the league with a truck full of hype and expectations. In an era where the media eagerly searched for the next Jordan to replace his "Airness" when the time came, Grant Hill was the forerunner.
He won two national championships in '91 and '92 as a member of the Duke Blue Devils, while often leading his team in all the major categories. He was among the few to have his number retired after his stint with Duke. He won an ACC Player of the Year award and the Henry Iba Corinthian Award in 1993 as the top defensive player in college hoops.
Did Grant Hill fulfill the hype?
- Drafted third by the Detroit Pistons in 1994, Grant Hill came in hyped as the next Jordan and heralded as the best all around player in the draft.
- He averaged a balanced twenty points, six rebounds, and five assists and was named co-ROY alongside sure fire hall of famer, Jason Kidd.
- Spurred on by his fabulous play, fans voted for Grant Hill in torrents for the All-Star game, resulting in him becoming the first rookie to receive the most votes for an All-Star game.
Grant Hill earned a reputation as one of the best players in the Motor City's history.
Did Grant Hill receive the many single player awards and recognitions that Jordan received?
- From '96-'00, Grant Hill was a member of either the All-NBA First or Second team.
- In the '95-'96 season, Grant Hill proved his versatility by earning the most triple-doubles in the league, 10.
- Like Jordan, Grant Hill is also a gold medalist, winning the prize in the '96 Olympics in Atlanta.
Grant's potential cumulated in one of his best statistical seasons in the 1999-'00 season, averaging twenty-six points on a 49 percent field goal percentage, seven rebounds, and five assists. The sky was the limit for Jordan's heir apparent. Then it all came crashing down.
Before his mass of injuries occurred, there was one knock on his career that would make him forever inferior to Jordan, but a problem he could rectify should he fully discover and utilize his massive amount of talent. Grant did not push his team anywhere near as far as Jordan did. Grant was not a champion. No heir of his "Airness" could truly be the heir without a ring.
Grant Hill sought to rectify this problem going into the 2000 NBA Playoffs. Hill struggled to play through a series in which his team got swept because of an ankle injury. The injury got worse as Grant tried to push himself to prove his critics wrong. If Grant had one thing that was unlike Jordan, it was conditioning.
After this season, Grant got traded to the Orlando Magic and played a limited amount of games in every season since. Grant Hill's first six years showed great strides, but from '00 to '07, he was a wreck. Injuries limited him so that even when he returned, he was never the same dynamic star he was with the Pistons. Grant Hill's career is a prime example of tremendous talent ruined by brutal injuries.
The full extent of Hill's potential has never been shown. Could he have been Top 50 great? Maybe. Would he have won a championship by now? Maybe. But one thing's for sure. If he wins a championship with the Phoenix Suns, Grant Hill will have bragging rights for the one thing he's been ever since his high school days.
A Champion.
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