The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill will retire after 19 seasons.
For more than two decades, Hill, 40, has been one of the most recognizable basketball players in the world, highlighted by a standout collegiate career at Duke, an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 1996 Olympics and an illustrious NBA career that saw him earn five All-NBA honors and the 1994-95 Co-Rookie of the Year Award.
“The entire Clippers organization wants to congratulate Grant on an incredible career,” Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Gary Sacks said. “For 19 years, Grant has always been the embodiment of class, a true professional and not only one of the best players - but one of the finest individuals I have been around. We were fortunate to have Grant with us last season, and we wish him all the best in his next endeavor.”
Hill finishes his career with averages of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. In his only season in Los Angeles, Hill appeared in 29 games and averaged 3.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. He appeared in his 1,000th NBA game on Jan. 15, 2013 against the Houston Rockets. Hill played in 1,026 total NBA games (972 starts) and connected on 48.3 percent of his field goals, 31.4 percent from behind the 3-point line and 76 percent of his free throws over his career.
Hill was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award in 2005, 2008 and 2010.
Originally selected with the third overall selection in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Hill was named Co-Rookie of the Year (Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks) after posting averages of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 38.3 minutes in 70 games played. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team that season and made history by becoming the first rookie to lead the NBA in All-Star fan balloting.
After leaving Detroit prior to the 2000-01 season, Hill spent seven seasons with the Orlando Magic in which he was limited to just 200 games due to injuries to his left ankle.
Before joining the Clippers for 2012-13, Hill spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns. In 2010-11, Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average 13 or more points at the age of 38 or older.
A member of the 1996 United States Olympic Team, Hill helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal. He was also selected to the 2000 Olympic Team but did not play due to injury.
Hill entered the NBA after a prolific four-year collegiate career at Duke University (1991-1994), where he helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992. Hill was named the nation’s top defensive player in 1993 and was named ACC Player of the Year in 1994.