On a recent episode of “Respect Your OGs,” Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart paid tribute to an NBA star of yesteryear who some fans may have forgotten.
“He was LeBron before LeBron…” 👀 @smart_MS3 shows love to @realgranthill33 for his elite contributions on and off the court 🏀🙏
📺 Watch the new episode: https://t.co/Mt9vUWKVmG@UNINTERRUPTED's #RespectYourOGs | @statefarm pic.twitter.com/8JP1ZVVqTX
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) May 18, 2021
Grant Hill was a prized member of the legendary Duke University teams of the early 1990s. He was the third overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, just a couple of years after they started rebuilding following the “Bad Boys” era.
Hill quickly matured into one of the league’s better players. He could play both forward positions, and he could handle the ball and initiate his team’s offense as well as most guards.
Unfortunately, he suffered a severe ankle injury in 2000. The ailment and its complications prevented him from playing a full season for several years and effectively cut his viability short.
Hill had a brief renaissance in his mid-30s as a complementary player, helping the Phoenix Suns to reach the Western Conference Finals in 2010.
His ability to do it all served as something of a prelude to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and the current era of positionless basketball.
