50 greatest NBA players from the 1990s –16. Grant Hill
The Detroit Pistons hoped to be starting a new era when they used the third overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft to select Grant Hill of Duke.
He got off to a flying start, sharing NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks in 1994-95.
Hill was a four-time All-Star for the Pistons in the decade as well as a four-time All-NBA selection and finished third in the MVP voting in 1996-97.
He was fifth in the NBA in minutes played in 1995-96 and third in 1997-98 and third in minutes per game in 1995-96 and 1997-98.
In five seasons with Detroit in the decade, Hill averaged 20.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 39.4 minutes per game, shooting .472/.182/.736.
He played one more year with the Pistons before going to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal in August 2000 in exchange for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins.
But plagued by an ankle he first injured in the 2000 playoffs while still with Detroit, Hill’s career was derailed.
He stuck around, though, signing with the Phoenix Suns as a free agent in July 2007 and later signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in July 2012 before retiring in June 2013.
Hill was 15th in the 1990s with an average of 20.7 points per game and 17th with an average of 6.5 assists per game.
In April 2015, Hill was named as part of a group taking over ownership of the Atlanta Hawks.