NBA Legend Thinks He Could've Surpassed Michael Jordan During Their Prime

NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill believes he could have surpassed Michael Jordan in his prime had he been healthier and played at his peak for longer.

Looking back at his phenomenal seasons in the NBA, the 47-year-old recently said on “The Carlos Watson Show” that there was a chance that he could have eventually beaten Jordan's records and become even better than him.

“Well, of course in my mind, yes it was a possibility (to surpass MJ). I mean who knows. When I came into the NBA, I had success right away. Certainly, there was a void because Michael had retired and a lot was sort of dumped on me,” Hill said.

Hill was one of the highly-rated, all-around NBA players who were once perceived as Jordan’s successor. In 1995, Hill was drafted by Detroit Pistons as the third overall pick. It didn’t take long before Hill made his own name in the league, earning the ‘95-96 co-Rookie of the Year Award alongside then-Dallas Mavericks rising star Jason Kidd.

In the 1996-97 season, Hill progressed into an MVP candidate. He finished at the third place in MVP voting, establishing his name on the same footing as MJ.

After six successful seasons, the former Pistons star suffered a series of injuries that turned his career upside down. For Hill, he was remembered as an all-time great, but the story of how he fought his way back to his prime self was not as talked-about.

“I got hurt after my sixth season. It was really, for obvious reasons so disappointing. But it was interesting because certainly for me having some fight to get back to play. What I went through with my injuries and missing four years, that story hasn’t really been told,” he added.

Hill’s first six NBA seasons were the glory years of his professional career. During this stint, he averaged 21.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. After the infamous “Bad Boys” Pistons team led by Isiah Thomas, Hill successfully created his own era in the history of the franchise.

But unfortunately, he suffered a major ankle injury in 2000 that forced him to miss the next several seasons. Since then, his career completely went downhill.

In 2007, Hill managed to somehow regain his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns. He went on to play actively for almost five consecutive seasons for the team before officially calling it a career in 2013 as a Los Angeles Clipper.