"I was probably emotional and upset and directed a lot of that anger toward the team" - Hill admits he regrets how his career in Detroit ended

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Grant Hill wasn't ever on the upper end of playoff success during his time with the Detroit Pistons. The 2000 NBA playoffs were no different, and it became his last and the beginning of a long and painful unraveling. Just a week before the playoffs began, the 6'8" forward sprained his left ankle in a regular-season game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Still determined to lead, he pushed through the injury and took the floor for Detroit's first-round battle with the Miami Heat. By Game 2, the pain had become too much. Hill limped off the court, unable to continue. That moment would become his final appearance in a Pistons jersey.
The unraveling
The Heat completed a clean sweep of Detroit, bringing the curtain down on Hill's season and, unknowingly, on his Pistons era. His worsening ankle persisted. What initially seemed like a short-term setback would end up becoming a long-term burden, casting a shadow over the next several years of his career.
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"When I got hurt, I hurt my ankle; it was kind of mismanaged that last year," he said. "I was probably emotional and probably upset and directed a lot of that anger towards the team. In that moment, I started thinking, 'Man, I'm out of here.' Prior to the injury, I wasn't thinking at all about leaving Detroit."
Those emotions came after years of carrying the Pistons' hopes on his shoulders. Drafted third overall by Detroit in 1994, Hill quickly became the face of the franchise and one of the NBA's brightest young stars.
Over his first six seasons, the former Blue Devil racked up 9,393 points, 3,417 rebounds and 2,720 assists — an exclusive statistical feat matched only by Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Luka Doncic and LeBron James at that stage in a career.
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But those numbers tell only part of the story. The Texas native was more than a stat machine. He was Detroit's post-Isiah Thomas era answer. This humble yet magnetic leader kept the Palace of Auburn Hills buzzing with hope. Until the ankle betrayed him.
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Hill's legacy interrupted
Duke alumnus never envisioned leaving. He saw himself as part of the Pistons' future, not just their present. The banners from the 1989 and 1990 championship seasons still hung above the court, casting long shadows and long expectations. He wanted to be the next face of the franchise. But it never worked out.
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"I never thought I'd leave Detroit, and I mean, I obviously did," Hill said. "But my intention to me — it was Isiah [Thomas]. Before every game at the Palace, I looked at his banner. That's the standard, That's what I'm chasing. That's what I want to accomplish."
He believed in the city. Believed in the Pistons' legacy. And, for a while, the franchise believed in him, too. But the losing wore thin. The front office couldn't build a contender around him. And once the injury altered his trajectory and exposed deeper tensions, the bond started to fray.
By the summer of 2000, the seven-time All-Star became an unrestricted free agent, and the writing was already on the wall. He intended to sign with the Orlando Magic, but on August 3, the inevitable became official. In a sign-and-trade deal that gave Detroit something rather than nothing, Hill inked a seven-year, $92.8 million deal and was sent to Orlando in exchange for Chucky Atkins and a then-unknown big man named Ben Wallace.
For Hill, the move promised a fresh start. For Detroit, it signaled a retooling. And for the league, it marked the moment when one of its most promising careers took an uncertain turn.
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What followed was a brutal series of injury-plagued seasons in Orlando, robbing him of his prime years. The smooth, electrifying forward who once shared All-Star ballots with Michael Jordan was limited to a few games. His most games in a season for Orlando was 67 games.
Time has given Hill perspective. His later years with the Phoenix Suns brought redemption, and his legacy eventually found peace, but Detroit still lingers — not for what was achieved but for what never got the chance.
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