The Grant Hill story is one of faith, guts, family, friends, commitment and the incredible will to play basketball. He was born with a competitive spirit that sent him to the top of ranks of basketball and into the upper echelon of humanity. Grant has faced adversity head on and will continue to persevere…until further notice. After undergoing three surgeries and two years of extensive and demanding rehabilitation, Grant started the 2002-2003 NBA season with a renewed hope and a re-built left ankle. He didn’t disappoint. In the first several games of the season, Grant made a remarkable return. In game one against the Philadelphia 76ers, Grant played 33 minutes and scored 18 points in an Orlando Magic victory. In the second game, Grant played 27 minutes and scored 17 points and in the third, Grant played 33 minutes and was leading scorer with 27 points. What an inspiring and thrilling debut. However, as the season progressed, his ankle regressed and by mid-January, after consulting with a team of doctors, Grant made his decision to end his season. Although the pain, heartache, and frustration were profound Grant was more determined and committed than ever to be successful and play at a high level and opted for yet a fourth surgery on his left ankle. The procedure consisted of removal of three screws that had previously been placed in Grant’s ankle, removal of the entire non-union bone, and application of a steel plate with screws to reinforce the stress fracture. In addition, a genetically engineered material, which helps make bone form, was added to his ankle to assist in the healing process. Also, an osteotmy of the heel was performed simultaneously to realign Grant’s left leg. After undergoing a fourth surgery and the ongoing hurdle of rehabilitation, most professional athletes would say, “The heck with this,” and just retire to a comfortable lifestyle. However, Grant is exceptional as he is hungrier and more committed than ever. A six-time NBA All-Star, Grant is a coach’s dream. On the basketball court, he amplifies the talents of his teammates and he’s a winner as part of two elusive NCAA Championships. At 6’8”, Grant can play point guard, shooting guard and small forward with equal adeptness. He is unselfish, possessing a strong work ethic, and shows creativity with the basketball. He is a confident leader who rises to the occasion in close ball games. Off the court, Grant is humble and is a true believer in community investment. Grant compiled a most impressive collegiate career at Duke University, winning back-to-back NCAA championships his freshman and sophomore years (1991 and 1992), plus a host of other national collegiate awards including the Henry Iba Corinthian Award as the nation’s top defensive player (1993). In his senior year, Grant was named a unanimous first team All-American, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament and was the NCAA Southeastern Regional MVP. Additionally, Grant was Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year and led Duke in scoring (17.4 per game), minutes (35.7), assists (176) and steals (64). After graduating from Duke, Grant was the number one pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1994 NBA draft. He quickly became one of the most exciting and well-liked players in the league. For his first two seasons in the league, Grant led all NBA players – including Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal – in All-Stars votes. The NBA Rookie of the Year, Grant was also a member of gold medal winning Dream Teams III and IV, representing Team USA at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and 2000 Games in Barcelona. After six highly productive All-Star years with the Pistons, Grant moved on, signing with the Orlando Magic in 2000. Grant hoped to bring his intense play to the Magic, but his efforts were thwarted by an injury to his left ankle, first diagnosed at the end of the 1999-2000 season. His first surgery was in April 2000 to repair his medial malleous on his left ankle. He appeared in just four games in his first season with the Magic before ending the season prematurely with an unhealthy ankle. He had his second surgery in January 2001 and vowed to return for the start of his second season with the Magic. After a nine-month rehabilitation process, Grant returned to the court for the 2001-2002 season. During his time away from the court, Grant developed a new hunger…a desire to be more than a scorer and the desire to win. The time spent away from basketball enabled him to re-evaluate what was important to him and the best way to make use of his talents to achieve the ultimate goal. Grant used his injury as an opportunity to get better, reflecting on how he can be a better team member, watching his fellow teammates, as well as being a good leader. He used the time to dig deep into himself, analyze his game, his leadership, his role on the Magic, as well as his commitment to winning. Grant started the season feeling great and the knowledge of his game was clearly reflected in his play. He competed in 14 games, averaging 16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg. And 4.6 apg., 1.75 steals, in 36.6 minutes per game. He led the team with five double-doubles, and in late November, began to feel the intense pain in his ankle yet again. Testing and x-rays were performed on his ankle and in early December, Grant was placed on the injured reserve list. Shortly after the Magic announced that Grant would be out for the remainder of the season and underwent a third surgery to remove a bone spur in his ankle. As a professional athlete, Grant wanted nothing more than to be healthy and contribute to his team, however, something very positive arose from this difficult experience – Grant used this time to bond with his baby daughter Myla, born in January 2002. The birth of his daughter helped shift Grant’s focus off his own problems onto life’s more important matters – fatherhood and giving back to the community. Grant’s parents, Janet and Calvin Hill, taught him how to use his exceptional talents to reach his goals. The lessons he learned and the encouragement he received from his parents are truly reflective in the way he conducts himself on and off the court and he embraces the responsibility that comes with being considered a role model. Grant believes that he can make a difference and has pledged his time and financial support to a myriad of community investment programs including a $1 million donation to his alma mater Duke University, a $50,000 donation to benefit Child Abuse Prevention, the establishment of the Calvin Hill Scholarship Endowment Fund at the Duke Divinity School in honor of his father and the Grant Hill Achiever Scholarships in Orlando and Detroit (scholarships to assist students in pursuit of an undergraduate education). Additionally, Grant was the awarded the 2001 Richard and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award and served as vice-chairman of the 1999 Special Olympics World Games. With the severity and recurrence of Grant’s injuries, the easy option would have been to yield to the pain and ultimately give up. However, Grant is not one to quit. He has tremendous strength and resilience and is truly an inspirational athlete who continues to overcome tremendous obstacles in the pursuit of his goal of contributing to his team. Grant believes that he will be able to come back and play at a high level and be somebody that his teammates can be confident in.
