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NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 24: Team 23Xi co-owner Michael Jordan on pit road prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 on June 24, 2023 at Nashville SuperSpeedway in Lebanon, TN. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 24: Team 23Xi co-owner Michael Jordan on pit road prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 on June 24, 2023 at Nashville SuperSpeedway in Lebanon, TN. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan devoted 16 years of his life to professional basketball. In those 16 years, he created a legacy for himself that remains the talk amongst NBA enthusiasts two decades after his retirement.
With so many people around the world being obsessed with the former player, many wondered if there was someone whom he was obsessed with. A former player?s quote helps to reveal the answer to that question.
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Grant Hill reveals Michael Jordan’s ‘obsession’ with his father
Michael Jordan?s legacy has led to many books being written about the NBA star. There Is No Next is a book by Sam Smith that is made up of interviews with other former players and people who were closely associated with ‘His Airness’.
Along with interviewing his teammates like BJ Armstrong and Horace Grant, Smith took quotes from his one-time rivals as well. One of them was Detroit Pistons small forward Grant Hill.
During an excerpt in the book, Hill talked about how Jordan seemed to have taken a liking to his father, former NFL player Calvin Hill. Devoting his life to a career in professional football, Hill had gone on to earn numerous accolades and establish himself as a prominent player.
Grant Hill recalled how Jordan used to come up to him on various occasions and asked about his father. During an All-Star game for baseball that took place in Baltimore, Jordan and the former Dallas Cowboys player were seen to spend a considerable amount of time together.
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WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: From left to right: Calvin Hill, wife Janet, Grant Hill and wife Tamia, arrive for the formal Artist’s Dinner honoring the recipients of the 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors hosted by United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the US Department of State in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, December 2, 2017. The 2017 honorees are: American dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade; Cuban American singer-songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan; American hip hop artist and entertainment icon LL COOL J; American television writer and producer Norman Lear; and American musician and record producer Lionel Richie. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)
After the 7x NBA All-Star retired back in 2013, he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame after a few years. During the ceremony, Grant remembered how he ran into Jordan. ?He came up to me (and) my parents, told me that he loved my wife?s new single, always asking about my dad. He was that way.?
Grant maintained that he wasn?t sure whether the Bulls legend was a fan of his dad or not. No one can deny, however, that a level of respect existed between the former NBA and NFL players.
Jordan’s other obsession: Being the best of the lot
The rivalry between Michael Jordan and the Pistons ‘Bad Boys’?used to dominate the 1980s. With the advent of the 1990s, however, the 14x NBA All-Star found his competition in the up-and-coming Grant Hill.
With fans and analysts desperate to find ‘the next Michael Jordan’ among the many NBA players, Hill stood out as the cream of the crop. In just six seasons, the player had averaged a score of 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Having earned five All-Star selections within the same duration, he was set to be the next superstar of professional basketball.
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Talk of Hill?s popularity reached the ears of ‘His Airness’. He wasn?t ready to give up the title of the best NBA player yet. During a match against Hill back in 1996, Jordan went on to score 51 out of 102 points for his team. Marking his third-best performance against Detroit, it helped the Bulls to win the game by 21 points.
Hill, on the other hand, was only able to secure 13 points for his team. Jordan?s prowess went on to show that if challenged, directly or indirectly, the 6x NBA champion was not one to back down.
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WATCH THIS STORY |?Sunbathing Her Way Through the Weekend, ?Traumatized? Larsa Pippen Officially Moves on From Michael Jordan?s Comments With 32YO Marcus
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