YouTube Gold: Grant Hill’s Duke Highlights

A spectacular talent, Hill won two national championships at Duke and barely missed a third.

If you asked most people who the greatest player in Duke history is, they’d probably say Christian Laettner, and he’s got a strong argument. But you could also make a strong argument for Grant Hill.

When Hill got to Duke in 1990, the Blue Devils had become a regular Final Four presence but had never won a national championship. At that time, they were sort of seen as a bunch of admirable overachievers and, notably, broadly liked.

That would change after Hill arrived and helped take Duke to the next level, winning back-to-back titles in 1991-92 - but it wasn’t his fault.

It was Laettner, who memorably “stomped” Kentucky’s Aminu Timberlake in 1992. It contributed to a sense of arrogance from Laettner and it was the birth of Duke’s unpopularity among many fans.

That never really touched Hill, though. He was always admired and on a personal level, was an elegant and decent presence. Indeed, he still is.

Today, he runs USA Basketball and so far, he’s helped the U.S. to Olympic gold. And, as always, he’s admired and appreciated.