"I got the date mixed up, I had the wrong date" - Grant Hill shares hilarious story from when he got his Hall of Fame call
The highest individual honor a player can earn in the NBA is a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Only the best can enter that prestigious group, so it's a big deal for them when they do.
The moment when these players find out they are going to get inducted, also known as "The call," is an awesome moment to witness. For Grant Hill, though, it ended up being a stressful experience because of a simple mistake that he made.
Grant admitted he was nervous
The Duke product put together a strong body of work throughout his 18-year career in the league, as he was a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA member. It was a matter of when, not if, Hill would make it into the Hall.
Unsurprisingly, he ended up getting inducted as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. As Grant was waiting for the call, the former Blue Devil became quite nervous because he mistakenly thought there was a chance it could happen during his March Madness broadcasting duties.
"For me, I got the date mixed up; I had the wrong date," Hill said on The VC Show with Vince Carter. "The funny thing was I was actually calling a game during March Madness; it was an Elite Eight game in 2018, Duke versus Kansas. I told Jim Nantz, I told Bill Raftery, 'Look, I might get the call during the game.' During the game in the first half, the phone rang, I didn't recognize the number, so I answered it and it was a telemarketer."
"At halftime, I'm nervous. The game's over, I'm getting on a jet, I'm flying to the Bahamas because it's spring break that week for my kids, so I texted John Doleva, I said, 'Hey man, you can call me whenever. I'm doing a game right now; take your time.' And he's like, 'No, I'm supposed to call you Tuesday,'" Hill added.
Hill eventually ended up gaining entry into the HoF
The retired forward simply had his dates mixed up, and he ended up worrying about nothing. The next day, he received the long-awaited call, and the rest was history, as G-Money was inducted into the 2018 class.
Of course, just getting the call is the first part of the process. Then you have to get inducted, which many guys end up being nervous about. Hill was the same way, and he revealed his biggest worry about his induction once it got underway.
"I think the thing that worried me the most was what I would say because it's hard to encapsulate an entire career and all the people who impact you, all the people who touched you, who've inspired you, who helped you along the way, and do that in eight minutes," he concluded.
Putting your entire career into perspective is tough, especially when you played for 18 years like Hill did. But he prepared for his induction and gave a great speech at his ceremony a few years ago.
Hill is excited as the 2024 class prepares to take the spotlight. Of course, he would have preferred less stress when he received his call back in 2018, but everyone's induction is unique, and that is certainly true for "G-Money."
