Grant Hill: The Megastar Who May Never Make the Hall Of Fame

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Grant Hill?

If you're young or just started following the NBA within the last few years, you might refer to him as an old role player for the Phoenix Suns. 

But if you know your history, you definitely know Hill was quite a player years ago. 

After helping Duke capture back-to-back-national championships, Hill was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the third overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, right behind Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson and Jason Kidd.  

G-Hill was quickly labeled the "Next Michael Jordan" and was expected to make the rebuilding Pistons relevant for the first time since the Isiah Thomas "Bad Boy" days. He never reached Jordan's level. Who has? But he did prove to be an NBA household name from Day One.

In his first year in the Motor City, Hill became the first rookie in league history to collect the most votes for the All-Star Game. He went on to average 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, five assists, and 1.8 steals per contest, and ended up sharing Rookie of the Year honors with Kidd.

Hill would put together five more memorable seasons with the Pistons. The 6'8" "point forward" was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1996-1997 and averaged a career-best 25.8 points per game in 1999-00.

During the summer of 2000, Hill became one of the league's most sought-after free agents, joining the likes of Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady. He was then shipped to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins.  

In Orlando, Hill was supposed to form a potent one-two punch with fellow newcomer McGrady and elevate the Magic into instant title contenders.

However, Hill would appear in only four games during his debut season with the Magic due to an ankle injury. He would go on to play just 43 games the following two years and miss the entire 2003-04 campaign.

Hill made a triumphant return in 2004-05, playing 67 games and averaging 19.7 points per contest. He was also voted by the fans as an All-Star starter. 

A free agent again in 2007, Hill left Orlando after seven years with the team, to sign a deal with Phoenix.  At age 38, Hill is currently in his fourth season with the Suns and is still a starter and a valuable contributor to the team.

The big question is though, once he finally decides to hang up his sneakers and retire, will he later be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame? 

The 16-year NBA veteran owns an impressive resume which includes seven All-Star selections, four All-NBA teams, an Olympic gold medal, and three NBA Sportsmanship awards.   

During the first part of his career, Hill was one of the league's most complete players. He was basically LeBron James before LeBron James, or in other words, a nightly triple-double threat who could carry a team on his shoulders.  

Unfortunately though, Hill just might never become a Hall of Famer because of the amount of time that he missed with injuries.

And plus, he doesn't have a very impressive track record in the postseason, getting out of the first round of the playoffs just once, which was a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season.

But it's pretty much a guarantee that if Hill didn't get hurt, he'd be a lock for the Hall as he might have added a championship or MVP to his resume.

Hopefully he'll get in someday. He definitely deserves it.