Grant Hill was ahead of his time when the Detroit Pistons selected him with the No. 3 pick of the 1994 NBA Draft.
The smooth, skilled forward out of Duke was an instant NBA success, averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists during his rookie season. He earned his first of four-straight All-Star selections and was named Co-Rookie of the Year with Jason Kidd in 1995. During his first six seasons in Detroit, Hill averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals as the leader of the Pistons. He looked destined to becoming one of the greatest players in NBA history.
Unfortunately for Hill, and NBA fans, injuries kept him off the floor for the majority of his NBA prime. After being traded to Orlando to begin the 2000-01 season, Hill played only four games in his first season with the Magic, 14 in his second, 29 in his third, and he missed his entire fourth season all due to ankle injuries. Hill finally remained on the floor during the 2004-05 season, earning a spot on his seventh and final All-Star team with averages of 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Hill finished his career as a veteran leader for the Suns and Clippers. He retired in 2013 after 19 NBA seasons with career averages of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals. In 2015, Hill became a partial owner of the Atlanta Hawks as part of a franchise group led by majority owner Tony Ressler. Hill hosts “Inside Stuff” on NBA TV with Kristen Ledlow.
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