Hills Recall Grant’s College Playing Days
While the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament may not be officially underway, last Thursday night’s six-overtime game between the University of Connecticut and Syracuse appeared to tip off March Madness in its own unique way. And although a number of current Suns players have partaken in some unforgettable tournament moments of their own, perhaps none has been involved in a more memorable one than veteran forward Grant Hill.
Back in 1992, Hill was a key part of the Duke-Kentucky East Regional Championship Game that treated fans to one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history. With under three seconds to play and Kentucky leading 103-102, Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski called a timeout to draw up one final play for his Blue Devils. Among those sitting on the edge of their seats that evening, were Hill’s parents, Calvin and Janet. Hill’s parents recently discussed their memories of the game with William C. Rhoden of The New York Times, and As Calvin recalled, Kentucky definitely had momentum on its side following Sean Wood’s clutch shot for the Wildcats.
“The Kentucky side went ballistic,” Calvin Hill told the publication. “They’re high-fiving and hugging. People on the Duke side were crying.”
Those tears quickly turned to cheers, however, when Calvin and Janet’s son launched a 75-foot pass to teammate Christian Laettner who turned and sunk a 17-footer just before the buzzer.
“I remember when he hit the shot, I jumped down on the floor from two rows back and I hit my midsection on the back of a chair,” Hill recalls in the article. “Ordinarily I’d been rolling over on the ground, but I said the heck with that, I’m going to enjoy this moment.”
Grant, as a hoops fan in general and a Duke fan in particular, “The Play” is one of those moments in time that you’ll never forget where you were when it happened.
I was in grad school at UNC in ’92, and my girlfriend and I had left a grad school party to go out to watch the 2nd half of the game at the “Red Baron” restaurant on the outskirts of Chapel Hill on Hwy 54 (we left the party because the game was too intense and the party was too distracting, heh).
The place was packed for the game and oddly enough was split almost 50-50 with Duke fans and diehard UNC fans, who were naturally pulling mightily for UK. Thing was, too, although I was a Duke fan, my girlfriend was a UNC fan, so that added a little more fireworks to the situation as well.
Well, when Sean Wood hit that miracle running bank over Laettner, the UNC half of the bar just ERUPTED, went absolutely bonkers, while we Duke fans stood there in utter shock and despair. My girlfriend, being the UNC fan, was also celebrating and doing very little to mute her obvious joy over the situation, much to my displeasure of course.
I was so disconsolate I turned to walk out of the bar right then and there because I was sure the game was over (and of course I was also a little ticked at my girlfriend for so brazenly celebrating in my presence). But a fellow Duke fan standing beside me stopped me as I turned and said, “Hey wait, just stay, you never know.”
Well thankfully I took his advice and stayed. And then THE PLAY began to unfold-you made that terrific pass to Laettner (why UK didn’t guard the inbounds pass we’ll never know, eh) and miracle of all miracles, Laettner hauled it in, dribbled, spun and launched the shot…
And then, with Vern’s call of “YESSSSSS!” thundering out over the speakers, the Duke half of the bar EXPLODED, went ABSOLUTELY NUTS. We were probably leaping around as much as you guys on the actual floor were, just going BONKERS.
What was so utterly surreal about it, though, was the total reversal of emotions-though the UNC fans had only moments before been beside themselves with joy, they were now in total despair, and we Duke fans were now in pure ecstasy when we had just been in the depths of misery only seconds before. Talk about the thrill of victory, agony of defeat encapsulated so amazingly, so perfectly in that one moment!
And of course my girlfriend, forgetting in her despair that only moments before the roles were reversed, was now fuming that I was wildly celebrating and was herself threatening to leave. I was in the doghouse for a few days because of that!
So I just want to say thanks for your part in providing one of the most memorable “I’ll always remember where I was when…” moments in time ever for me.
Thank you, Grant.