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Duke Basketball Legend Grant Hill Talks With FanSided

By Chris Brown

Sep 10, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils former basketball player Grant Hill is introduced during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Wallace Wade Stadium. Wake defeated Duke 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils former basketball player Grant Hill is introduced during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Wallace Wade Stadium. Wake defeated Duke 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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FanSided recently had an exclusive interview with all-time Duke great Grant Hill to discuss the Blue Devils, the NCAA Tournament, and his life after basketball.

Our FanSided Network editorial director Michael Collins recently had the opportunity to interview former Duke Basketball star Grant Hill. They discuss a variety of topics, including “The Shot” by Christian Laettner, this year’s Duke team, Mike Krzyzewski, and taking on a leadership role after basketball.

Hill is considered one of the all-time great Duke Basketball players, helping lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992. For his career, the All-American forward averaged 14.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. In 1992, Hill made the full court pass to Christian Laettner to create one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history. “The Shot” recently celebrated it’s 25th anniversary, and Hill opened up on the aftermath of that play and playing with Laettner, saying “I don’t think I’m loved to this day in Lexington because of that play”.

Duke Blue Devils Basketball
Duke Blue Devils Basketball /

Duke Blue Devils Basketball

This year, Duke entered the season with extremely high expectations and were the favorites to win the championship. The team earned numerous preseason accolades and praises, including a comparison to Hill’s 1991-92 team from former Blue Devil Jay Bilas. Bilas made the comparison in terms of talent and the preseason expectations, but Grant Hill doesn’t think that was a fair assessment.

While this year’s Duke team had very talented players, Hill notes the ’92 Blue Devils just won the title the year before, and were returning a majority of their players, and “had the experience of winning a championship” together in ’91. This year’s team was young, did not have much familiarity playing together, and struggled throughout the season with injuries and inconsistent lineups.

Duke was unable to form continuity for the entire season, leading to an early tournament exit in the 2nd round. However, Hill still believes head coach Mike Krzyzewski can win another title before his career is finished.

Grant Hill retired from the NBA in 2013 and currently works as a basketball analyst for the NCAA and NBA. He was recently awarded with the 2017 NCAA Ford Award for leadership in college sports. Hill is still very active in the Duke community and participates in several other community service outreach projects.

Related Story: FanSided Previews NCAA Tournament with Dick Vitale in Interview

Be sure to check out the entire discussion with Duke legend Grant Hill here, and stay tuned to Ball Durham on FanSided for all your Blue Devil sports news and updates.

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