Hatrack River Forum: Grant Hill

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Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :

Sure, the athletes of the day haven't been getting the most positive outlook, with the Pacers-Pistons brawl and Barry Bonds' steroid use.

I don't know how many people are familiar with Grant Hill, but here is a short bio for those interested:

He was drafted in 1994, and played for the Pistons until 2000, when his free agency was taken up by the Orlando Magic, who agreed to pay him $93 million over several years.

quote:
Want to feel good about pro basketball? Think about this: Hill could have retired, could have given up on doctors and wheelchairs and crutches, could have spent his days eating Cheetos and contemplating his navel, and he still would have collected every cent of the $93 million the Magic agreed to pay him in 2000. But he didn't.

"We are doing a lot of talking about what is wrong with professional players, but he is an example of what is right about players," says Orlando coach Johnny Davis. "He could have walked away into the sunset, and nobody would have thought less of him."

What now looks right once looked so wrong. Hill injured his ankle in the 2000 playoffs, after his best pro season. "A lot of people probably just forgot about me or got tired of wondering if I was going to come back," Hill admits. Lord knows, he has tried this comeback thing before. Three times, in fact. The first one lasted four games. The second one made it to 14 games. The third one was the most promising -- Hill lasted until Jan. 16, 2003, before the ankle needed surgery again.

All those comeback attempts involved new surgeries, so Hill is playing on a Franken-ankle. He had screws put in and taken out. He had a steel plate inserted. He had original bones removed and genetically engineered bonelike material inserted. He had his ankle broken so it could be reset. He had skin from his triceps grafted onto his foot.

This season he's one of the Magic's stars, scoring about 20 pts a game.

[Hail]

Grant Hill

Posted by vwiggin (Member # 926) on :

I love Grant Hill. Hill and Brand are two of my favorite Duke players of all time. [Smile]

Too bad T-Mac left Orlando before they had a chance to play a full season together.

Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :

It is nice to see people who are really willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. I only hope I have half the determination.

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

I followed him in Detroit, and hated when the Pistons let him og...he deserved a ring, and they would ahve gotten one earlier with him.

He is a real class act from what some of my parents friends say....they have met him several times, and he was one of the nicest celebrities they had met.

But 93 million is still obscene.

Kwea