Oct
5
The Birth of an Heir Apparent 
All in one motion, the anemic, street-fighter received his instrument, turned his head and launched a sharp note from half court. Sailing into the air, the object looked like it would land five or six rows up in the stands, more likely destined to rim around a tuba in the band section than the cold yet comforting iron goal. An affluent yet polite son took off one foot, with his short, old-school mustache overpowering the youthful flattop and uneven razor fade, and seemingly out of nowhere cupped the ball with his right hand. With momentum taking his body away from the baseline, the freshman defied the wave up against him and powered the sphere through the basket. Grown men and little boys simultaneously jumped in joy as a star was born. – Grant Hill’s amazing dunk against Kansas University in the 1991 NCAA Championship Game
If there ever was a player who had what it took to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, it was Grant Hill, who is amazingly 35 years old today.
The stars were aligned for Hill to be the next closest thing to Jordan, a care keeper who would protect the integrity and sanctity of basketball in the post-MJ era following the former Chicago Bulls’ superstar’s retirement in 1999.
From the looks, personality and star power to more importantly the championship pedigree and all-around game, Hill was on the path to being one of the greatest players in NBA History.Unfortunately for Hill, injuries took his career, and nearly his life; ultimately leaving fans to wonder what if.Like Jordan, Hill was a dominant collegiate force in the Atlantic Coast Conference, each winning NCAA championships as freshmen. Jordan would never return to the NCAA title game or even a Final Four in his two other years at North Carolina; Hill would win another title as a sophomore and lead Duke to a runner-up finish as a senior, outside the shadows of collegiate legends Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley.
Entering the NBA in the 1994-1995 season, Hill captured the imagination of the league just like Jordan had done ten years before him. While not as explosive of a rookie scorer as Jordan, Hill was a more polished team player who could crash the boards and rack up assists. And like Jordan, Hill had a certain presence about him that transcended the basketball court and made him a popular contemporary figure.
Whether on the court or in front of a camera, Hill was classy, easygoing and always in control. While certainly a superstar, Hill was one of those rare great ones who never acted like he was better than or above anyone; that is beyond his amazing talents.
While superstars tend to be loved in certain places and hated in others, Hill was such a popular figure that he finished first in All-Star balloting as a rookie and a second-year player, beating out larger-than-life figures Shaquille O’Neal and Jordan in those two seasons.
More importantly, Hill’s game only continued to blossom after his rookie season. Like an Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and a Jason Kidd, Hill was literally capable of getting a triple-double each and every time he stepped out on the floor.Unfortunately for Hill, his greatness was never matched with the Detroit Pistons, as the team failed to surround him with the right talent and advance past the first round of the playoffs. Detroit fans would sour on Hill, still at his peak, and call him soft. Hill would eventually be traded to the Orlando Magic at the start of the 2000-2001 season.
While the end of his time in Detroit was disappointing, Hill figured to have found the perfect fit with Orlando, a franchise that had surrounded him with a young superstar talent in Tracy McGrady. Hill finally seemed to have the sidekick that he needed to go onto bigger and better things in the NBA; however, his career would take a tragic turn.
An ankle injury from the end of his Pistons career would cause Hill to miss all but four games during his first season with the Magic. Hill would then be sidelined for 68 and 53 games in the next two seasons and miss the entire 2003-2004 season. At one point during his long recuperation, Hill developed a staph infection in his ankle that nearly killed him.During those years without Hill, McGrady showed that he was not a go-to guy capable of leading a team to a championship. McGrady would be traded to the Orlando Magic prior to the 2004-2005 season.
And while Hill would valiantly return that year and put up very solid numbers in two relatively healthy seasons, he would never be nowhere near the same player that he used to be. Now Hill will try to capture that elusive professional championship with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and the rest of the Phoenix Suns.
If there ever was a player who deserved to be a NBA champion, it’s Grant Hill, who was destined for greatness to only have his career seized by a cruel fate. And yet, through it all, Hill never complained and always persevered, further exuding a classiness beyond his years and especially unique in today’s game.
by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com
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