"Something All Our Own", The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art.
Tamia is a chart-topping R&B artist with four Grammy nominations. 
Phoenix Suns F/G Grant Hill, a seven-time NBA All-Star, will co-host ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m. ET M-F) on Monday May 18.
The Detroit Pistons’ 1994 first-round Draft selection and NBA Rookie-of-the-Year will join Mike Greenberg in ESPN Radio’s Bristol, Conn. studios.
Hill, a member of the gold medal winning Dream Team III at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, is subbing for “Greeny’s” regular co-host Mike Golic, who is off.
By Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
Posted: May 1, 2009 When he signed with Phoenix in the summer of 2007, all the naysayers believed that Grant Hill was washed up. Riddled with injuries the six years he played in Orlando, no man alive would’ve thought that the Suns would be inheriting their most durable performer.
Arriving in the Valley as a 35-year-old-small forward, uncertainty circulated around a player that had previously thrived by using his physical gifts and athleticism. Would be still be productive despite the accumulation of injuries that had battered his body? Would he be able to hold up over the course of a season. The answers turned out to be a definitive “yes” to both of those questions. Hill suited up for 70 games in 2007-08, the most since he played in 74 for the Pistons during the 1999-2000 season. Even then, the majority of the games he missed were because due to a fluke appendectomy. But the former Duke Blue Devil outdid that mark this past season, suiting up and playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. A man who knows a little something about health, Suns Head Athletic Trainer Aaron Nelson, told Hill before his 82nd contest, “Whether you’re 19 or you’re 36, to play in all 82 games is pretty amazing.” Nelson was absolutely right; it’s more unique than one thinks. In fact, Hill was the only Sun to accomplish that feat this season. What impressed Nelson and anyone else who spends time around the game is that players routinely battle the flu, viruses and injuries and Hill was able to avoid those pitfalls – all at 36 years-old. But what’s even more impressive is that Hill was able to avoid those pitfalls playing at his level of intensity.
Hill, who won the Majerle Hustle Award last season, is known for spending more time polishing the floor than a janitor. He constantly take life-threatening charges, is the first to dive for loose balls and drives to the basket with the ferocity seldom seen.
Playing with that sort of reckless abandon exposes Hill to the possibility of injury more than the average player, but Hill refuses to change his style. Read the rest of this entry »
By Bob Baum
Associated Press
Posted: April 15, 2009
PHOENIX (AP) — Grant Hill completed his most durable pro season by scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds Wednesday night to lead the Phoenix Suns past the depleted Golden State Warriors 117-113.
Hill, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his 15 NBA seasons, appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his career. His 27 points matched his season high. Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Shaquille O’Neal scored 15 for Phoenix.
Anthony Morrow wrapped up his strong rookie season with 33 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who had eight players in uniform and used only seven. C.J. Watson had 20 points and 12 assists. Kelenna Azubuike added 18 points for Golden State.
Hill was only 7-for-25 from the field but made 13-of-16 free throws.
After the 36-year-old forward made one of two from the line to make it 113-108 with 44.3 seconds to go, he stole the ball in Golden State’s frontcourt, then scored on a layup after a pass from Steve Nash to put Phoenix ahead 115-108 with 25.4 seconds to play. Read the rest of this entry »
The Suns ‘ playoff push turned into more of a shove Wednesday when Phoenix extended its season-high winning streak to six games with a 118-114 home victory over the talented Utah Jazz. Grant Hill turned back the clock as he scored eight of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a huge jumper with 31.5 seconds left to clinch the all-important W.
Hill was ubiquitous the entire game, but particularly so in the fourth period. Hill threw down an impressive flush on a fast break with 4:55 ticks left in the game and then followed it up on the next play with a crowd-pleasing block on Utah’s Carlos Boozer. After another block by Hill on Utah’s Paul Millsap with 2:46 left, Hill literally wrapped up the game in his hands with a huge defensive rebound with five seconds left.
“I’m just amazed by him,” Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry said. “He’s a just a big-time competitor and such a smart player. He really is playing like he’s 25 years-old.
“He still has so much of his athleticism left that we went to him at the end of the game and he made a big shot for us. I’m happy for him because he’s played in every single game we’ve had this year.”
What did the 36 year-old Hill attribute his stellar play towards?
“I watched the movie ‘Cocoon’ last week,” he said.
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.”
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), in collaboration with the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) and sanofi pasteur (the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group), today announced the launch of Vaccines for Teens, a national multimedia campaign designed to educate teens and their parents about the importance of vaccination against serious, potentially life-threatening diseases. Vaccines for Teens tipped off today at an event at Cordova Primary School in Phoenix, Arizona with Grant Hill, a seven-time NBA All-Star and member of the Phoenix Suns, who will serve as a spokesperson for the campaign. Hill, who will appear in the nationally broadcast public service announcement (PSA), was on hand for a special screening of the initiative’s first PSA. The PSA will debut nationally during the Friday, February 27 broadcast of the Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic game on ESPN at 7:00 pm EST.
Along with the PSA featuring Hill, a version featuring Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie will also air nationally while Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton and NBA Legend and Hall of Famer George Gervin will appear in PSAs that will be distributed in Detroit and San Antonio areas respectively.
Play long enough, and you’ll hear the strangest things. Like young opponents trying to pay respect to Grant Hill.
“Hey man, you’re playing great!”
And before Hill can smile or even respond, the caveat appears.
“I had your shoes when I was in seventh grade.” Or: “I didn’t know you had gray hair!”
“I don’t know if it’s an insult or if they’re being genuine,” Hill said. “But I know what I’m thinking when I hear that stuff: I’m going to beat them downcourt every time.”
Look hard enough, and you can find some great stories inside this turbulent basketball season. Hill is one of them. He will turn 37 in October. He was the team’s best defensive player during the Terry Porter train wreck, often guarding players 10-15 years younger.
“The perception when Grant Hill signed with the Suns was, ‘Can he keep up?’ ” Hill said.
Keep up? For the first 50 games of the 2008-09, he was one of the few Suns who actually were playing hard, running fast, trying to make it all work. Behind the scenes, he was the guy trying to get Porter to loosen the reins.
Now that the last gasp of an era has begun, Hill will have another platform on which to shine. His playing time had diminished under Porter, down almost three minutes a game. Hill is best in the open court, when the game becomes a sprint. The return to a “breakneck” style can only help. So will his relationship with new head man Alvin Gentry.
Hill was with the Pistons in 1998 when Gentry took over as interim coach for the fired Doug Collins. They’ve done this dance before.
Read the rest of this entry »
By Stefan Swiat, Suns.com
Posted: Feb. 6, 2009 It was the one-year anniversary of the Suns’ acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal and the Suns celebrated it by capturing a 115-105 home victory over the Warriors. Grant Hill played inspired basketball, leading five Phoenix players in double figures and shooting 12-of-17 from the floor to finish with a season-high 27 points.
“We did a good job of moving the ball offensively, getting attempts at the basket and had a good mix of things,” Suns head Coach Terry Porter said. “I just thought defensively we did a much better job of taking the challenge really making those guys work for everything that they had at the offensive end.”
A game after a dispiriting performance against Golden State, Phoenix bounced back with vigor, racing out to a 15-2 lead in the first quarter. Despite Shaq being saddled to the bench with two quick fouls, the Suns reverted to their fast break-ways, running all over the small-ball-playing Warriors. The Suns received nine points apiece from Amar’e Stoudemire and Hill, posting 31 points in the opening period.
“I was upset with myself the last game in Golden State because I felt that I didn’t play hard,” Hill said. “I was kind of waiting for this game. I couldn’t sleep today.”
Most people complain long and loud if they have to work on Christmas Day. Veteran NBA forward Grant Hill isn’t among them. “This is probably my fourth or fifth
time, believe it or not, doing it,” says the 36-year-old Hill, whose Phoenix Suns will square off at home against the San Antonio Spurs in the opener of ABC’s NBA doubleheader on Thursday, Dec. 25, “and I think it’s better, of course, when you’re home. Playing on Christmas last year in L.A., it was tough – on the road, with the children, celebrating Christmas, and having that early game. But at least now we have that early game, and we can go home and spend the rest of the day opening presents and enjoying ourselves. “But yeah, it’s one of those things where it’s an honor and it’s certainly a privilege to be playing on Christmas Day,” he continues. “And when they say it’s a little bit of an inconvenience, hey, it truly is an honor. And to celebrate Christmas, to spend time with family and to play basketball, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.”
The Spurs/Suns game is but one of five broadcast nationally Thursday in what amounts to a yuletide basketball smorgasbord. Things get going at midday (ET) on ESPN, when Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic play host to the Chris Paul-led New Orleans Hornets in a battle of first-place teams. Following the Spurs-Suns game, a rematch of the 2007-08 NBA Finals ensues on ABC when Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics visit Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. That night, the action switches to TNT, where Caron Butler and the Washington Wizards challenge LeBron James and the homestanding Cleveland Cavaliers. The evening ends in Portland, where Greg Oden and the Trail Blazers take on Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks.
As for the Suns’ game against the Spurs, Hill sees it as yet another test in the his team’s quest for an NBA title. “It’s going to be great,” says Hill, a seven-time All-Star with a 19 points per game scoring average over 13-plus seasons. “You know, we beat them (103-98) opening night for them, in San Antonio this year. They’ll have Tony (Parker) back and Manu (Ginobili), who wasn’t in that game. “Anytime we play them, it’s heated,” he says. “It’s heated, it’s a great matchup, I think certainly because of the fact that we’re playing on Christmas Day and playing each other. I think the public and television realize that the two franchises have a history, so it should be an exciting game. And usually those games are good games to watch, especially if the Suns win.”
At this writing, the Suns had won 11 of their first 18 games under new coach Terry Porter to stand in second place in the Pacific Division behind the Lakers. Coming on the heels of last season’s 55-win campaign under Mike D’Antoni, the Suns aren’t quite where they wanted to be, but Hill recognizes that there is a period of adjustment with a new coach and a new system. “I think it’s just different in the sense that guys were accustomed and used to a certain way and had success, and guys are trying hard to adjust, so it’s a work in progress,” Hill says. “You know, we’re not going to be judged by what we do in November, but rather what we do in April, May and June. And hopefully, we’ll continue to work hard and get better and be one of those teams at that period of time who’s playing and ultimately competing for a championship.”
Of course, part of the championship equation has to include 14-time All-Star center Shaquille O’Neal, who was acquired by the Suns in February. “He’s a big target, he’s a big body and a big personality,” Hill says, laughing. “Having the opportunity to start off the season with him, as opposed to thrusting him into the mix midway through, is good. So we’re just figuring it out. He’s certainly playing better than he played last year for us, and we’re just starting to work through the pieces we have and the weapons we have and try to make it all come together and jell.” And making the parts mesh for Phoenix is point guard Steve Nash, a two-time league MVP and six-time All-Star. “Oh, it’s a lot of fun,” Hill says of playing with Nash. “He’s just a great teammate, a great player and person, unselfish, works hard. I consider him a good friend. … A guy who just likes to play and does things the right way, just has a lot of good energy. A good person.”
Growing up in the Washington D.C. area, Suns forward Grant Hill was used to digesting politics with his meatloaf at the dinner table. With a mother that was once suitemates with Hillary Clinton at Wellesley College, it only seemed natural that Hill would be not only monitoring Tuesday’s election, but playing a role in it.
As Hill posted 11 points in the Suns’ 114-86 road victory of the Nets, he paid close attention during timeouts as the in-arena PA announcer provided updates of the presidential race. But it wasn’t until he was on the bus to the airport that he finally heard that Barack Obama had won his bid for the White House.
“It’s like, wow, I can’t believe it,” Hill said. “Even until the last minute, even though he was up in the polls and projected to win, there was still a nervous energy there on my part that it was almost too good to be true.”
It was on the bus, via cell phone, that he and his wife, Tamia, were able to soak in the historical significance of the first African-American to be named President of the United States. But to the Hills, the election was more personal than that.
Hill’s mother, Janet, who acts as a vice president of a D.C. corporate consulting firm, first took notice of Obama some years ago, when she was mentoring his wife, Michelle. Janet would actually help Michelle get appointed to her first corporate board.
Besides Janet’s relationship with Michelle, Janet’s business partner had a son serve as a chief consultant on Obama’s campaign. And although the Suns forward had heard rumblings about Obama for some time, Obama registerd his first real imprint on Hill’s consciousness when he delivered a sizzling keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, a speech that would eventually thrust him into the national spotlight.
In May of 2007, when Obama was far from the frontrunner as the nominee for the Democratic Party, Hill decided to co-host a fundraiser for him in Washington D.C. At that moment in time, the crowd was filled with supporters of Hillary Clinton and undecided Democrats that wanted to hear what Obama’s ideas were. It was there that he became more familiar with Obama on a personal level.
“He just had the ability to connect,” Hill said. “Amidst all of that chaos (of his campaign), when you’re shaking his hand and talking to him, he made us feel like we were the most important people in the world.
“We were just really stunned and we were in awe of him and how he just made us feel very important. He had that ‘it’ thing and it certainly came across in my first meeting.”
That quality would be reiterated a few months later when Hill and his wife were driving in Arizona and he received a phone call from the Illinois Senator, who had called him to thank him for the fundraiser and his support. As Hill was talking on the phone, he attempted to whisper to his curious wife that it was Obama on the phone.
“He’s got my cell phone number,” Hill recalls whispering to his wife. “That was the kid and fan in all of us that certainly came out at that point in time.”
As the campaign marched on, Hill became more and more attracted to his message, and although Janet was friends with Hillary Clinton back in college, the entire Hill family threw their support behind Obama.
For the former Rookie of the Year, it was his similarities to Obama’s views on health care and the war in Iraq that earned his vote. He also admired his intelligence and judgment, believing that Obama will provide a refreshing voice that will lead the country in the right direction.
“Just to see the momentum slowly develop and get to a point to where he is now, what he has been able to accomplish, how he has run an unbelievable campaign while refraining from going dirty in the process,” Hill said. “He handles himself with class and respect. It just has been a long process, but it certainly has been a fun one to follow and to witness something truly special.”
Hill, who won the 2007-08 NBA Sportsmanship Award and is known as one of the more respected and eloquent players in the league, seems primed for a career in public service once his playing days are over. But the former Duke graduate is reluctant to commit himself to such a path.
“As an adult and taxpayer, I’ve enjoyed following and participating in the whole political process,” he said. “But I’ll have to wait and see.”
To Hill, the desire to hold office seems to have skipped a generation.
“My first-grader wants to be President and that’s all she talks about,” the seven-time All-Star said.
His daughter, Myla, can often be found asking fellow classmates whether or not they are Republican or Democrat, most likely in preparation for her presidential bid in 2048. For Hill, he believes much of his daughter’s enthusiasm should be credited to none other than Obama.
“Fortunately for her, she now has that example,” Hill said. “Here’s a 6-year old that is surprisingly pretty passionate about politics. But, I think maybe she talks to her grandmother too much. Who knows?”
