SLAM Hardwood Classics Cover Tee - Grant Hill (SLAM 7)
“For a guy that may not always win, Grant Hill rarely seems to lose.”
SLAM 7’s cover story features that bar on the very first page. The words were very true when they were released over two decades ago. Hill had just been named NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (he shared the award with the all-seeing Jason Kidd) and he had recently captured two collegiate national championships. Even as a 22-year-old, his trophy case was nearly full up. The litany of awards he had won as an All-American at Duke was a dizzying list.
It felt as if the very game of basketball itself had grown a brain and an arm and a hand in an effort to see what the next evolution of play was gonna look like, only to select Hill to lead the way into the future. The 6-8 small forward was book-smart and basketball-smart and more athletic than almost anyone in the League–touched by destiny to remix the definition of possibility on the floor. He had point guard sensibilities hidden in his oversized body, was way more competitive than his easy-going smile initially revealed and had been forged in the fire of the Blue Devils’ national gauntlet. The whole League was his to take.
In the time frame that SLAM 7 had been unveiled, Hill seemingly had the whole thing seized. He would consistently deploy an Iverson-like crossover that sent whoever was in front of him flying in the wrong direction. What would follow those killer crosses was either a dart-like pass to an open teammate or a pogo-stick-quick dunk whose ferocity didn’t reflect the public “nice guy” image Hill had crafted. He was the real deal.
Though severe injuries would derail the prime of his career, there’s no taking away Hill’s time in Detroit. He went for 22, 8 and 6 in his six seasons with the Pistons. The quote from SLAM 7’s cover story was perfection.
Product details
- Ships in 7-10 business days
- 100% cotton
- Wash with like colors, hang dry
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