Grant Hill interview with Ahmad Rashad after his first win over Michael Jordan and the Bulls

Grant Hill broke into the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and quickly established himself as a superstar. He was dominant and cerebral as the franchise player for the Detroit Pistons, offering a versatile skill-set from the small forward position. On April 13, 1997, he provided an example of his exemplary 2K rating by beating the GOAT for the first time with a triple-double performance.

Playing on NBC in front of a nationally televised audience, Grant went for 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the win over Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. His effort would serve as a swipe at the crown while setting the stage for the postgame interview with Ahmad Rashad.

GRANT HILL POSTGAME INTERVIEW | PISTONS vs BULLS APRIL 13, 1997

“Grant, you said before the game that you never experienced beating the Bulls,” Ahmad Rashad said during the postgame interview after Grant Hill’s first win over Michael Jordan.

“Well, you had beaten them, but it was on a video game that you bought. This had to be a little bit different.”

“This is a lot better than beating them on PlayStation,” Hill replied.

“I’ve never beaten the Bulls before. This organization the last four or five years has lost to them. They’re a great team, and I’m just glad we came out and got the win. Especially since we’ve been struggling as of late.”

“I imagine breaking that four-game losing streak, this has to be a big confidence builder going forward,” Rashad added.

“Yeah, I think so,” Grant said. “I think one of the main things over the last month-and-a-half is our confidence has gone. I think beating these guys here today, playing real well, definitely is a confidence booster. And now we got Orlando tomorrow.”

“Well, another triple-double for you, congratulations on a great game.”

Jordan finished with 18 points and nine rebounds while Scottie Pippen added 21 and five although it wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace with No. 33 and his Pistons that day at The Palace. Detroit built a 14-point lead at halftime before running away with a 108-91 victory. But it wasn’t always that easy when it came to Michael and the Bulls.

Hill went toe-to-toe MJ for the first time ever in an NBA game two years earlier and it would require several swings to effectively stagger the heavyweight champion of basketball. During their first matchup, MJ got the best of Hill by leading Chicago to a 124-113 win. From there, Grant and the Pistons lost to Mike and his dynastic Bulls seven-straight times before Hill met Ahmad Rashad courtside on NBC to talk about his breakthrough victory.

BETTER THAN PLAYSTATION

While Grant was battling Jordan and emerging as a megastar both on and off the court, Tupac Shakur was wearing Hill’s signature FILA sneakers on the inside cover of his platinum-selling record, All Eyez on Me. As one of basketball’s biggest stars, Hill showed his appreciation for one of music’s biggest stars by sending Tupac his soon-to-be released Grant Hill Fila shoes. The legendary MC would lace them up for a classic photo that accompanied his critically-acclaimed album.

Hill’s influence was everywhere at the peak of his career. The Duke product turned himself into a Fortune 500 brand whose earnings always seemed to out-perform expectations. Shoe sales exploded for FILA as Grant continued his rise with Detroit and endorsement dollars poured in from everywhere. Unfortunately, soon after leaving the Motor City in 2000, Grant’s GOAT-like start to his NBA journey would be derailed by a series of devastating injuries.

We’re sometimes so overwhelmed by what those injuries prevented Hill from actually becoming that we forget what he actually did. We don’t always remember that he was the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in voting for the All-Star game. We dismiss the star-power it required to help an underdog apparel company gain relevance and market share in basketball while competing with giants like Nike and adidas, and we overlook the fact that he battled those injuries to still play 18 pro seasons in total during a Hall of Fame career.

But if you witnessed Grant Hill at his apex–if you watched him in Detroit that day vs. Air Jordan–you’ll never forget his overwhelming brilliance. He was like a video game in real life.

Written By Brendan Bowers | @BowersCLE

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