dailyloe.com – In the 1994-95 NBA season, Grant Hill averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He became the first rookie to lead All-Star fan balloting, indicating a dominant debut. Hill shared the Rookie of the Year award with Jason Kidd, who averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists that season.
Thirty-one years later, Hill candidly expressed his feelings during an appearance on the VinceAndTmac show. Asked about the 1995 Rookie of the Year announcement, Hill stated, ‘Yeah, I got robbed. I got robbed. J-Kid knows that, like I got robbed.’ He emphasized his friendship with Kidd, saying, ‘That’s my guy. We came in together.’
Hill recounted their history, noting that they were teammates at the Nike camp in high school. He humorously remarked, ‘I don’t think he passed me the ball one time.’ Hill was a rising senior, while Kidd was a rising sophomore, already demonstrating his skills as a playmaker.
Vince Carter, also present, confirmed his observations of Kidd, saying, ‘I saw high school J-Kid. He had bounce.’ Hill continued the narrative of perceived injustice by recalling a significant tournament matchup against Kidd, where they lost. He pointed out that he had a broken toe during that game.
Hill reflected on their draft positions, mentioning that Kidd was selected second overall by Dallas, while Hill went third to Detroit. Glenn Robinson was the first overall pick by Milwaukee. Hill expressed surprise at the tie for the Rookie of the Year award, saying, ‘The idea of sharing that was probably foreign to all of us.’
