The mother of two with the angelic voice already had held a morning meeting with Santa Claus and would be shopping for presents in the afternoon.

Her husband was slated to compact his tall frame at a cafeteria table for the chicken fajita lunch with their older daughter’s kindergarten class.

But at this point, the couple convened cozily on the couch – 5-year-old Myla was at school – along with resting 4-month-old Lael and Sweetie, the family’s Maltese. The husband and wife talked about life, love, laughs and lessons when she noticed that they both were wearing jeans with silver shirts.
“I got dressed before you,” she said.

“I wore this to take Myla to school,” he retorted in the first of a few playful debates, such as how she saw his eyes slightly open – though he didn’t offer to get up – when Lael cried in the middle of the night.

More glamorous days often are the norm for the Valley’s newest celebrity couple, as Grant Hill is enjoying a career renaissance with the Suns and Tamia maintains her career as a Grammy-nominated songstress with four albums.

The real glamour is in their everyday romance. It is a bond forged out of a 1996 blind date arranged by Anita Baker. It is a bond strengthened by helping each other through scares and recoveries caused by his life-threatening staph infection after one of five ankle surgeries and her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

They put the “power” in power couple. Grant took charge of his basketball career, passing on residential roots, better money and deeper bonds to join the Suns for what has proved to be the right situation. Tamia took charge of her music career, starting her own label, Plus 1 Music Group, and working more than ever to run it.

Less than six months ago, Grant said, “Maybe we should move,” to Tamia after they had bought their “forever” home in Orlando, where he played for the Magic from 2000 to 2007. The Hills have barely stopped moving since then. He signed with the Suns in July and bought their Paradise Valley home with Tamia’s approval by video because she carried Lael until August.

“The one thing all of this – the surgeries, moving, everything – has really taught us is to be open to change,” Tamia said, with Grant adding, “I’ve noticed people move here and don’t move back.”
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By Jerry Brown

WASHINGTON — Dec. 8 Tonight against the Timberwolves, Grant Hill will play his 21st straight game for the Suns.
That might not sound like anything extraordinary. But for Hill, it will represent the longest regular-season run of health since he was a Detroit Piston eight years and a halfdozen surgeries ago.
Not only is Hill playing, but he’s playing at a level few thought they would see again. Over the past 13 games, Hill was averaging 18 points and shooting 57 percent from the floor. His 3-pointers are starting to drop (7-for-13 over the past five games) and his athleticism belies his 35-year-old birth certificate — injury history or not.
To watch Hill flash from the deep corner to the hoop on one dribble or race ahead of the pack on the fast break is becoming more and more common.
“There have been a few moments here lately when I said, ‘Wow, that’s a move I haven’t made since Detroit.’ I can’t tell you how good that feels,” Hill said after collecting 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds in front of his dad, former NFL star Calvin Hill, and about a dozen other friends and family Friday night.
Hill grew up in nearby Reston and starred at South Lake High School before moving on to Duke and the NBA.
“I wanted to keep trying, keep coming back because I really felt like this was still there. And to play with players who are so talented, unselfish and enjoy playing together, with a guy like Steve (Nash) orchestrating … even if two or three guys are off on a given night, we have the firepower to keep going. I don’t know how teams go about preparing for that.”

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By KAREN CROUSE
PHOENIX, Nov. 29 — It was a rare day off from basketball, but there was no rest for Suns forward Grant Hill. On a recent Saturday morning, Hill had seen his mother off to the airport and visited the barbershop. Now he was seated at the kitchen table, thumbing through the latest issue of Vanity Fair while cradling his crying 3-month-old daughter, Lael, in his lap.

Off in the corner, Hill’s other daughter, Myla, 5, sat in front of the computer, with the volume turned way up to drown out her squalling sister. His wife of eight years, Tamia, came to the rescue with a bottle. As he handed Lael to her, he said, “I do like the noise and the activity.” (more…)

They were Phoenix’s two significant offseason veteran acquisitions — the two biggest reasons why the Suns felt like they were a better team than the one that walked off the floor in San Antonio last May feeling close, yet still short, of a title run.
And while they will cost Phoenix less than $3 million this year, Grant Hill and Brian Skinner have proven in the first 17 games their value will be far greater.
They were the first and second star in Sunday’s 115-104 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Hill took over the offense with nine of his season-high 28 points in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, and Skinner provided key defensive stops on big men Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry.
As a result, Phoenix took charge with an 11-0 run while Steve Nash and Amaré Stoudemire were resting on the bench — traditionally the white-knuckle portion of any game for Suns fans. Skinner was rewarded by staying on the floor the entire fourth quarter and showed some good chemistry playing alongside Stoudemire — something that turned coach Mike D’Antoni’s head and could lead to future combinations.
“It looks like they can play together because Amaré becomes the shooter,” said D’Antoni, who admittedly had doubts about such a grouping. “I’m feeling more comfortable with it every game. Now we have eight good guys in the rotation. We just have to figure out the minutes.” (more…)

NEW YORK – The Suns were expecting Grant Hill to be a valuable piece when they signed him a two-year deal at just more than the league minimum salary over the summer. But the bargain is getting bigger all the time.
In his best game with Phoenix, Hill scored a season-high 28 points Sunday, including the first nine of the fourth quarter, when the Suns turned a one-point lead into a boat race and ran away from the embattled Knicks 115-104 at a very testy Madison Square Garden.
“I’m feeling more and more comfortable with my role here and the way I can help us win,” said Hill, who’s happier with his decision to come West with every passing day. “Sometimes you need new scenery. Coming here is a great environment, great coaching staff and guys. It was a way to break away from all the ankle (injury) talk and my past and just concentrate on basketball and helping this team win.” (more…)

NEW YORK, Dec. 2 (AP) — Grant Hill scored a season-high 28 points, nine during a fourth-quarter flurry that broke open a close game, and the Phoenix Suns pulled away to beat the New York Knicks 115-104 on Sunday night. (more…)

Quickly becoming a fan favorite because of his ability in the post, Suns forward Grant Hill recently proved again that he is equally savvy in print after his appearance in the November/December issue of Post PHX magazine. The NBA veteran, who signed with the Suns during the offseason, not only discusses his transition to a new team filled with new personalities, but he and his family’s transition to the city of Phoenix as a whole. (more…)

When NBA all-star Grant Hill married Tamia, a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, in 1999, the couple looked forward to years of health and happiness. Little did they know, their promise to stand together in sickness and in health would be put to the test shortly after saying “I do.” (more…)

Teams Raise $65,000 for NBA Cares’ Community Partners

Burbank, CA, Nov. 5, 2007– For the first time in its 30-year history, FAMILY FEUD is hooping it up and fast-breaking for charity with the special sweeps event premiere of NBA Players vs. NBA Mothers Week. The first of five daily episodes will begin airing in national syndication on Monday, November 12th (check local listings), just two weeks after the tip-off of the NBA’s 62nd season. (more…)

We just sort of assumed since Grant Hill’s mom, Janet, is a former teacher who now is vice president of a business consulting firm and sits on the boards of three companies and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke, that she probably hasn’t had much time to watch television game shows like Family Feud.

Turns out we were mistaken.
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