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Video: Marcus Smart reveals who the original LeBron James was

Published by
Robert Marvi

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.

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.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.

Published by
Robert Marvi

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