As you may have heard, Grant Hill has announced his retirement from professional Basketball at the age of 40. It is a funny statement to make, that injuries prevented him from having the career we thought he should have had, but Hill was able to play until the age of 40, which is a statement only a handful of players can make. With all of this being said, does Grant Hill have the makings of a Hall of Fame calibre player? We would say that he does.
First off the Basketball Hall of Fame encompasses the International and Collegiate accomplishments of a player. Prior to joining the NBA, Grant Hill was a top player for Duke, where he twice won the National Championship and took the Blue Devils to another finals appearance. Hill was voted the defensive player of the NCAA in 1993, and was a First Team Selection in 1994.
Upon turning pro, Hill was the co-rookie of the year (with Jason Kidd), and was one of the most popular players in the NBA in the late 1990’s. He actually led the NBA in All Star Votes in his first two years, an impressive fact considering in his first year he was a rookie, and in his second season, Michael Jordan had returned to the league. As a Detroit Piston, Hill posted his best numbers and showcasing his complete game. He was able to score, defend, steal, pass and rebound, and was essentially a “Point Forward”. In those six years in Detroit, Grant Hill was a First Team All NBA Selection once and a Second Team Selection four times; which is perhaps one of the best accolades that reward elite players in their respective positions. In that span, Hill was part of “Dream Team II” and brought the United States a Gold Medal in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.
With all of that on his resume, Grant Hill could be considered a Hall of Fame player, and those are the years that will be looked at to make his Hall of Fame case. He would be traded to the Orlando Magic, but injuries to his ankle reduced his effectiveness and caused him to miss a slew of games. He would return as a regular productive player eventually, but never to the level that made him one of the most dangerous players in the NBA, though considering how severe his ankle issues were, the fact that Hill made it to the age of 40 is nothing short of a minor miracle.
We would like to thank Grant Hill for a wonderful career, and we wish him the best in his post on court activities.
Comments powered by CComment