the best college basketball players of all time . He went on to be picked third overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons , but it was while playing for the Orlando Magic from 2000 to 2007 that he really became a household name . Hill ended his career with the L . A . Clippers in 2013 after nine seasons in the NBA , and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 . While it has been 17 years since Hill last played for the Magic , he and his wife , Tamia , still have a foundation based in Orlando , Florida . “ We don ’ t really raise money or do events , we just give money away , and do philanthropy through our foundation ,” he says . “ We ’ ve made some efforts through the years in the area around healthcare , around education , around supporting senior citizens .”
The U . S . men ’ s basketball team has dominated the medal podium for decades dating back to 1936 when the sport was first established as an Olympic sport . The USA has won 16 of the 19 Summer Olympic tournaments , including the 2020 Tokyo Games , which were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and held in 2021 . They are still heavy favorites for gold this summer , but countries like Serbia , France and Canada are also in the medal conversation , especially after the USA stumbled at the recent FIBA World Cup . The U . S . was sent home from the international competition last September empty-handed following a 127-118 loss in overtime to Canada in the bronze medal round ( Germany won gold , with Serbia taking silver ).
One sentiment that is a driving force on the team is that overall team success is all that matters — not personal stats or records . “ You ’ ve got great talent , you ’ ve got great character , you have guys who understand it ’ s only about one thing , and that ’ s winning a gold ,” Hill explains . “ Nobody cares about the leading scorer , who had the most minutes , who took the most shots . Do we win a gold or do we not ? And that ’ s what it ’ s about .”
Grant Hill Presents Anthony Edwards with his Team USA Men ’ s Basketball Jersey
Credit : Nathaniel S . Butler / NBAE via Getty Images
In terms of putting together the puzzle pieces of players ’ personalities and skill sets to achieve that goal , Hill said they took some time , and “ were very thoughtful and deliberate about it … we got insight from those who are involved , those I respect , and ultimately came up with a roster that I ’ m excited about , and a team that will give us every opportunity to have great success .” Hill is clearly thrilled with the group that his selection team has compiled , and the players are also excited about the opportunity for international recognition .
Hill ’ s motivation is grounded in doing the best job he possibly can rather than seeking fame and glory . “ It ’ s definitely not ceremonial in terms of what my role and responsibility is , but I love it , and I ’ m excited and looking forward to both the men and the women , and the 3x3 men and women , to go and represent our country , embody the very best of USA Basketball , and come home with some medals ,” he says .
Hill , 51 , was not short on success in his own playing career . Having grown up in Reston , Virginia , attending South Lakes High School , Hill spent four years at Duke University where he was considered one of
Hill describes Reston , Virginia , as a great place to grow up , “ it was like a planned community . There was everything there : parks , playgrounds , different socioeconomic backgrounds ,” he explains . “ It was a special place and certainly a lot of diversity , and close proximity to Washington , D . C .” Plus , sports and athletics were heavily organized at a young age , so Hill and his friends “ took full advantage of that .” His father , Calvin Hill , was a running back in the NFL from 1969 to 1981 , playing for the Dallas Cowboys , the Washington team and the Cleveland Browns . Calvin also played a season for the Hawaiians in the short-lived World Football League . The Hill family ended up living in Reston during his tenure with Washington ’ s NFL team , which practiced near Dulles Airport . Hill ’ s parents went on to move to Great Falls , MI during his senior year of high school , and while his mom has unfortunately passed away , his dad “ lives in the same house that they were in when I left for college . I still go back , I see how things have grown and evolved ,” he says . “ The traffic is a little more extreme than what it was back in the early ‘ 80s or early ‘ 90s , but I still have a lot of friends , and still have a lot of connectivity to the area .”
Paris is a popular tourist destination for most people , but for Hill , this summer ’ s trip to the City of Light is purely business . “ I ’ ve been to Paris before . I ’ ve done the Eiffel Tower and Versailles , and I even did a pastry class and French bread-making class ,” he says . However , he has never been to the Louvre , so that is on his Olympics wish list . “ I ’ ve been by it , but never actually gone through it . So if time permits , maybe we will get a chance to go there .” The group phase of the men ’ s and women ’ s tournaments will be played at Pierre Mauroy Stadium , which is located 140 miles from Paris in Lille . However , the knockout rounds then move to Bercy Arena in the French capital , which is on the River Seine and only three miles from the Louvre if Hill decides to go visit the Mona Lisa and other priceless works exhibited there .
NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE LEADING SCORER , WHO HAD THE MOST MINUTES , WHO TOOK THE MOST SHOTS . DO WE WIN A GOLD OR DO WE NOT ? AND THAT ’ S WHAT IT ’ S ABOUT .
FLYWASHINGTON . COM 8 SUMMER 2024