Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to Twitter to express his admiration for Grant Hill, invoking the names of some of the best players to ever lace them up in comparison to the new Hall of Famer.
“If it wasn't for an injury while playing in the NBA, Grant Hill would have gone down as one of the best all-around NBA players the game has ever seen,” Johnson said in a tweet on Friday. “Before his injury, he was doing things that we've only seen from Michael, Kobe and LeBron.”
Hill was thought to be the likely heir to Michael Jordan after he had initially retired from the game ahead of the 1994-95 season, when Hill was drafted with the third overall pick by the Detroit Pistons.
The Duke standout broke barriers in college and in the NBA, becoming the first rookie athlete among all four major sports to lead an All-Star Game voting, edging big man sensation Shaquille O'Neal in the process.
Article Continues Below“Grant Hill was an once in a lifetime type of player because he dominated college basketball winning back to back NCAA Championships with Duke,” added Magic Johnson in another tweet.
Grant Hill played in the NBA for 18 seasons, but only shined during his first six with Detroit, hampered by a myriad of injuries upon his move to the Orlando Magic at the turn of the century, never fully regaining his full strength as a dominant player after playing only 47 games during the next three seasons.
He will be recognized in the Naismith Hall of Fame today, along with other greats like Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Maurice Cheeks.