Grant Hill
(Born 1972)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2018
Card Shown:
2016-17 Panini Revolution
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6’8″
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Grant Hill was the man expected by many to become the next great NBA superstar after Michael Jordan. In his first six seasons in the league Grant tallied 9,393 points, 3,417 rebounds, and 2,720 assists. At the time of his Hall of Fame induction only Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and LeBron James had surpassed those numbers in their first six years.
Although injuries hampered his career going forward, Hill had played at an elite level that made him one of the top players in the game for a number of years. His courage, fight, and struggle to return to a high level of play in the NBA were an inspiration for many. Through it all Grant Hill was a class act.
Awards and Honors
- Grant starred at Duke University where he helped lead the Blue Devils to two NCAA Championships (1991 and 1992) and three Final Four appearances during his time in Durham. Hill was three-time All-America selection at Duke.
- In 1994-95 Hill shared NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Jason Kidd.
- Grant was a seven-time NBA All-Star selection, including six of his first seven years in the league before injuries slowed down his career. In 1994-95 Grant’s became the first rookie to lead the fan voting for the All-Star Game. He started that game for the East along side Shaquille O’Neal, Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, and Penny Hardaway.
- Hill was a five-time All-NBA selection, making All-NBA First Team in 1996-97 and All-NBA Second Team on four other occasions.
- In 1996, Grant won an Olympic gold medal in Atlanta as part of a team that featured eleven Hall of Fame basketball players.
Points of Interest
- Grant’s father is former NFL running back Calvin Hill. Calvin starred for the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
- Grant threw the pass that led to Christian Laettner’s iconic shot (see video below) to defeat Kentucky in the Elite Eight of the 1992 NCAA Tournament. Duke went on to defeat Indiana and Michigan to win the title.
- Hill was a “point-forward” in the NBA before that term became well-known. He possessed terrific handles, especially for a big man, which enabled him to be an effective distributor as well as a top scorer.
- During his 19-year NBA career, which was interrupted on numerous occasions by ankle injuries, Hill averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
- In 2015, Grant became a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks. He has also stayed involved in the game of basketball as a television analyst for Turner Sports’ NBA and in covering the NCAA Tournament.
Statistics
Grant Hill Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Personal Autograph Interaction
At the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, Joshua and I were able to get Grant Hill’s autograph after the Awards Gala. Apparently, Grant, who had already left the room, forgot his phone and returned to retrieve it. This gave us a small window to ask him to sign our cards. I was thrilled to get Grant’s autograph and add another signed 2012-13 Panini Signatures card to my collection.
Thank you, Grant!
In-Person Autograph Photo
Grant Hill signed my 2012-13 Panini Signatures Stars card.