Review: Grant Hill

Why am I posting about Grant Hill? First of all, he has one of the more under-appreciated names in sports. It rolls off the tongue: Grant Hill. Second, he was a bad-ass basketball player (still is) who had a bunch of endorsements, but never had a supporting cast around him, so then he went and signed to a team in Florida with another superstar. At this point I should come out and say this is a myopic, cautionary tale for LeBron James.


Grant Hill is an unlucky son of a bitch. Mostly in that, he played during the Jordan dominated years, and then when he didn't- he was injured. When Grant first came into the league, he (co-) won Rookie of the Year and then became the premiere point forward in this league. So then came the burden of hype. Hell, in his rookie season he was the most popular player in the NBA leading the all-star fan vote. He 3 times (3!) led his team in the major categories of points, rebounds, and assists (only Wilt did that as much- WILT!). That's carrying a team. They modernized the Pistons logo for Grant (much like Cleveland did for LeBron). Sprite did a campaign where the slogan was "Grant Hill drinks Sprite" (much like the Sprite Campaign for a LeBron). Hill even presented a VMA (LeBron too), and dated Queen Latifah's character on Living Single (LeBron wishes, as we all do). Grant Hill basically was the whole Fila brandand when he went down, Fila never recovered. And they're smooth!


Then he signed with Orlando, but it by far wasn't a big a traitorgate as LeBron's. In fact, Pistons fans rode Grant out of town calling him soft and Grant played on an injured ankle in a playoff series his final year in Detroit. Oh that ankle. And the ankle did him in. He played in 47 games combined his first 3 years, sat out the 4th, was awesome in his 5th, and groin injured in his last final 2 with Orlando. And this was the guy who was ganna save the franchise. Remember LeBron's elbow/shoulder problem from the playoffs? LeBron is Grant Hill with more hype, and a bit more playoff success. I mean Grant was on the path to greatness, was greatness, and then poof! Ankle. LeBron's been great, and I don't wish him any injury whatsoever, but- things fleet. Fleet all the time. 24/7 Fleet. So it's probably smart he signed with the 2 best possible players he could. Grant signed with Tracy McGrady, who then carried the franchise and then eventually injured himself while not winning his own playoff series all the while. I'm just saying- Grant Hill was a special player, and despite all the shitty luck he had, has still had a remarkable career. It's just that the future, and what we don't see in it, can define us as much (if not more so) than the past.