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NBA Star Shaquille O?Neal has his moments. Sometimes he mocks active and retired players, sometimes he sings praises of his former comrades and opponents. A random moment like this came up when the 51-year-old legend used his social media to share a reel that heaped praise on another NBA Legend.

While this isn’t totally rare for Shaq to do, many fans did not know just how good this forgotten 90s star was. Some even expressed their admiration for the player’s daughter, but mostly, they were left wondering “what if?

Why was this NBA Legend called the “Next Michael Jordan”?

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Detroit Pistons legend Grant Hill entered the league as the third overall pick back in 1994. If that year is familiar, it’s because that was the year of MJ’s first retirement. Michael Jordan had hung up his Bulls jersey in order to try his hand at Baseball. Perfect timing for 6’8” Hill to make his NBA debut.

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Hill averaged 21.6 points, 6.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds in his first six NBA seasons. He also earned five All-Star selections during that time. As people started referring to him as the “Next Michael Jordan”, he seemed to have created the potential to emerge as the NBA’s next big superstar.

That all abruptly changed, however, when Grant developed some injuries in 2000. This seriously affected his game and the Duke graduate had to put his best days behind him. His next 13 years went by playing for the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Shaquille O?Neal pays tribute, Hill’s daughter gets her flowers

The former Los Angeles Lakers athlete took to Instagram to share a reel with his 31.1 Million Followers. The reel was created by Coach Hill, a basketball fan page. It contained archive footage of various matches along with a voiceover.? The snippets highlighted the athletic prowess of Hill. Clip after clip, displaying the small forward’s vicious dunks. Coach Hill himself was in awe of what he saw, emphasizing how the younger generation don’t realize how good Grant Hill was.

 

 

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A post shared by Coach Hill (@coachhillbball)

Shaq wasn’t the only one who showed his appreciation to the man once dubbed the “Next Michael Jordan”. Various NBA Fans dominated the comment section with praises for Hill’s game. There was another interesting comparison made, “I try to tell jokers he was Bron before Bron.” Barring the injuries, Hill would’ve been in his prime when Lebron James was drafted.

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Referring to another injury-riddled star, Penny Hardaway, this fan commented, “Him and penny could’ve run the league,”?

One person commented “Fila?s tore his ankles up. SMH On another note his daughter is an MMA beast!” Not many know this, but Grant Hill’s daughter Myla began her MMA career in 2021. As of May 2023, she was undefeated!

Shaq’s love and the fans’ appreciation help us keep these legends’ legacies alive. Despite the fact that Grant Hill has not played professional basketball in over 10 years, the 7x NBA All-Star will continue to make the basketball community wonder –

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What if Grant Hill never got injured?

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