Grant Hill
The All-Star who arrived in Orlando to play alongside Tracy McGrady but faced a career-altering ankle injury.
Grant Hill joined the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal on August 3, 2000, after his first six seasons with the Detroit Pistons. The move came shortly after he suffered a broken left ankle during the 2000 playoffs—just days after the regular season ended. While the Magic hoped Hill would team up with Tracy McGrady to return the franchise to elite status, his tenure was immediately complicated by the injury that had plagued him since that playoff series.
- Role
- Small Forward
- Draft Year
- 1994
- All-Star Selections
- 7 (including one with Orlando)
- Status
- Retired
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Hill's time with the Magic began under difficult circumstances. Although he signed a lucrative seven-year contract as an unrestricted free agent via sign-and-trade, his first season saw him play only four games due to the ankle injury that had worsened during the 2000 playoffs. The surgery in March 2003 was followed by life-threatening complications, forcing him to miss the entire 2003–04 season. Despite these setbacks, Hill made a remarkable return to form in 2005, earning his seventh and final NBA All-Star selection as a member of the Orlando Magic during the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
In Their Own Story
The narrative of Grant Hill's Orlando tenure is defined by resilience rather than the immediate dominance fans expected. After the sign-and-trade deal that brought him to Florida alongside Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace leaving Detroit, the plan was for Hill and Tracy McGrady to lead the Magic back to glory. However, the ankle injury from his final Pistons game followed him into Orlando. He played just four games in his first season there and 14 games in the following campaign before undergoing major surgery. The turning point came years later when he finally recovered enough to make an All-Star team again in 2005, proving that even after life-threatening complications and missing a full season, he could still perform at an elite level for the franchise.
Reader's Guide
Grant Hill's Orlando Magic era (2000–2007) was a story of recovery and adaptation. He arrived via sign-and-trade with Tracy McGrady as the cornerstone, but his first six years were marred by a severe ankle injury that started in April 2000. The injury led to surgery in March 2003 with life-threatening complications and caused him to miss the entire 2003–04 season. Over the twelve seasons following this injury, Hill averaged 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game across his career. His resilience was rewarded in 2005 when he made the Eastern Conference All-Star Team while playing for Orlando, adding to his seven total career selections. He played a crucial role in the 2010 Western Conference Finals with Phoenix after leaving Orlando, but his time in Florida remains a testament to overcoming physical adversity.
Did You Know?
- Hill's first season with the Magic was limited to just four games due to an ankle injury sustained in the 2000 playoffs.
- In March 2003, Hill underwent ankle surgery that resulted in life-threatening complications, forcing him to miss the entire 2003–04 NBA season.
- Hill made the Eastern Conference All-Star Team in 2005 while playing for the Orlando Magic, his final All-Star selection of his career.
- The trade to Orlando was a sign-and-trade deal where Detroit received Chucky Atkins, Ben Wallace, a 2001 first-round draft pick (which Detroit used to select Jason Richardson), and a 2001 s