Grant Hill

No. 33 – Phoenix Suns
Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1972-10-05) October 5, 1972 (age 39) Dallas, Texas
Nationality	American
High school	South Lakes (Reston, Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (1990–1994)
NBA Draft	1994 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career	1994–present
Career history
1994–2000	Detroit Pistons
2000–2007	Orlando Magic
2007–present	Phoenix Suns
Career highlights and awards
NBA co-Rookie of the Year (1995) 7× NBA All-Star (1995–1998, 2000–2001, 2005) All-NBA First Team (1997) 4× All-NBA Second Team (1996, 1998–2000) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1995) 3× NBA Sportsmanship Award (2005, 2008, 2010) 2× NCAA Champion (1991–1992) ACC Player of the Year (1994) Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1994) Consensus NCAA All-American Second Team (1993)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's Basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta National team Pan American Games Bronze 1991 Havana National team FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 1990 Montevideo National team

Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often leading his team in points, rebounds and assists. His time in the league has been hampered by career-threatening injuries, notably during the prime of his career. At age 39, Hill is the second-oldest player in the NBA, one day younger than the oldest player, Kurt Thomas.^[1][2]

Early life[link]

Grant Hill was born in Dallas, Texas. His father, Calvin Hill, graduated from Yale University with a degree in history, later attended Southern Methodist University and was a three-time All-Pro running back for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 1969. His mother, Janet, is a Wellesley College graduate. After his father's NFL career ended, the family settled in Reston, Virginia, where Grant became a high-school superstar at South Lakes High School and he was selected for the 1990 McDonald's All-American Team.

College[link]

When the time came to choose a college, Hill's mother states in the Fox Sports documentary Beyond the Glory that she wanted him to attend Georgetown University, while his father preferred the University of North Carolina. Hill chose a neutral path and decided to attend Duke University. Hill played four years with the Duke Blue Devils, winning national titles in 1991 and 1992. Duke became the first Division I program to win consecutive titles since UCLA in 1973. Despite losing two of the biggest contributors on the Blue Devils, Christian Laettner (in 1992) and Bobby Hurley (who both went on to play in the NBA), Hill led Duke to the championship game once again in 1994, but ended up losing to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Hill won the Henry Iba Corinthian Award as the nation's top defensive player in 1993, and in 1994 he was the ACC Player of the Year. During his collegiate career, Hill became the first player in ACC history to collect more than 1,900 points, 700 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots. As a result of his successful college career, he became the 8th player in Duke history to have his jersey number (33) retired. After his freshman season at Duke, Hill played on the bronze medal-winning U.S. team at the 1991 Pan American Games, held in Havana, Cuba.

Hill also is widely known for his role in a desperation play in an NCAA tournament regional final against Kentucky in 1992, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest college basketball games of all time. With Duke down 103–102 in overtime and only 2.1 seconds remaining after Kentucky's Sean Woods hit a floater, an unguarded Hill heaved the in-bounds pass 75 feet across the court into the hands of Laettner, who dribbled once and spun before pulling up to make the game-winning jumper from just outside the free-throw line as time expired.

As of March 28, 2010, he was tied for sixth-most career double-figure scoring games at Duke with Mike Gminski, behind Jon Scheyer.^[3]

NBA career and Team USA[link]

Detroit Pistons (1994–2000)[link]

Grant Hill was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the third pick in the NBA Draft after graduating from Duke in 1994. He entered the league to high expectations, where many expected him to be the future face of the league in a time when Michael Jordan was retired. In his first season, he averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.77 steals per game, and became the first Pistons rookie since Isiah Thomas in 1981–82 to score 1000 points. Hill ended up sharing NBA Rookie of the Year Award honors with Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first Piston since Dave Bing in 1966–67 to win the award. Hill also won the Sporting News Rookie Of the Year award. He was named to the all-NBA First Team in 1997, and all-NBA Second Teams in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Hill also regularly played in the NBA All-Star Game, where he made history by being the first rookie ever to lead an NBA All-Star fan balloting in (1994–95) with 1,289,585 votes,^[4] narrowly defeating Shaquille O'Neal. In fact, Hill became the first rookie in all major sports to get the most votes for an All-Star game.

In his second season (1995–96), he once again led the All-Star fan balloting, this time edging Michael Jordan (Jordan's first All-Star game after returning since retiring in 1993). During the 1995–96 season, Hill showcased his all-round abilities by leading the NBA in triple-doubles (10). He also won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team, where he had the team's fifth highest scoring average (9.7) and led the team in steals (18). Hill's 1996–97 season was his finest yet, with averages of 21.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He became the first player since Larry Bird in 1989–90 to average 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in a season, an accomplishment that has not been duplicated since. Once again, Hill led the league in triple-doubles, where his 13 triple-doubles represented 35 percent of the league's triple-double total that season. He was the league's Player of the Month for January and was also awarded NBA's IBM Award, given to the player with the biggest statistical contributions to his team. He finished third in MVP voting, behind Karl Malone and Michael Jordan.

Much like Scottie Pippen with the Bulls, Hill assumed the role of a "point forward" in Detroit, running the Pistons offense. As a result, between the 1995–96 and 1998–99 NBA seasons, Hill was the league leader in assists per game among non-guards all four seasons. In the lockout-shortened 1999 season, as he led his team in points, rebounds and assists for the third time, Grant Hill joined Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players in NBA history to lead their teams in scoring, rebounding and assists more than once. Hill and Chamberlain are the only two players in league history to lead their teams in points, rebounds and assists per game three times. Hill was selected to play in the 1998 FIBA World Championship, but in the end no NBA players played in this tournament due to the lockout.

Hill's 1999–2000 season showed that he could be one of NBA's truly dominant scorers. He averaged 25.8 points while shooting 49% from the field, the season's third highest scoring average, behind MVP Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. He maintained solid overall numbers, averaging 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. However, despite Hill's individual accomplishments in Detroit, the Pistons never made it far in the playoffs, either losing in the first round (1996, 1997 and 1999), or missing the playoffs entirely in the 1994–95 and 1997–98 seasons. The 2000 playoffs would be no different. On April 15, 2000, 7 days before the start of the playoffs, Hill sprained his left ankle in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He continued to play until the first round playoff series against the Miami Heat, in which his injured ankle got worse and Hill was forced to leave halfway through game 2. Eventually, the Heat swept the Pistons 3–0. Hill was initially selected for the 2000 Olympics U.S. team, but could not play due to his ankle injury, which would prove to be a major liability for many years to come.

After the first six seasons of his career, before his ankle injury, Hill had a total of 9,393 points, 3,417 rebounds and 2,720 assists. Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and LeBron James are the only three players in league history to eclipse these numbers after their first six seasons.

Orlando Magic (2000–2007)[link]

As an unrestricted free agent, Hill had planned to sign with the Orlando Magic. On August 3, 2000, however, a sign and trade deal allowed Hill to receive a slightly more lucrative contract while Detroit received at least some compensation for losing him. The Pistons traded Hill to Orlando for Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace. The Magic hoped he would team up with budding superstar, Tracy McGrady, who had been signed away from the Toronto Raptors at that time, to return Orlando among the NBA elite. But Hill was hampered by ankle injuries ever since his arrival in Orlando, playing in only four games in his first season with the Magic, 14 games in his second and 29 in his third. He was forced to sit out his entire fourth year with Orlando (2003–04). Meanwhile, the Pistons, who had defeated the Magic in the 2003 Playoffs, but ended up losing to the New Jersey Nets in Eastern Conference Finals, won the championship the following year in 2004.

In March 2003 Hill underwent a major surgical procedure in which doctors re-fractured his ankle and realigned it with his leg bone. Five days after the surgery was performed, Hill developed a 104.5 °F (40.3 °C) fever and convulsions, and was rushed to a hospital. Doctors removed the splint around his ankle and discovered that Hill had contracted a potentially fatal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. He was hospitalized for a week and had to take intravenous antibiotics for six months.

The 2004–05 season saw a return to the old Grant Hill, who was so popular earlier in his career. Hill, though hampered by a bruised left shin that caused him to miss several games, started and played 67 games for the Magic, well over the combined amount of games he played for the Magic the previous four seasons. He was named the Eastern Conference player of the week for the week between November 15–21, 2004. Over the season, Hill averaged 19.7 points per game on a .509 field goal percentage. Fans voted him an All-Star starter again, and he led the Eastern Conference All-Star Team to a victory over the West. In addition, at the conclusion of the season, Hill was awarded the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the NBA Sportsmanship Award Winner.

During the 2005–06 season Hill was once again injured frequently as nagging groin injuries kept him sidelined for much of the first half of the season, limiting him to 21 games. He got a sports hernia that was caused by an uneven pressure on Hill's feet while he was running, due to concerns that he could re-aggravate the injury on his left ankle if it got too much pressure. Hill underwent surgery for the hernia and has since stated that he would consider retirement if he has to get another surgery.

In the 2006–07 season Hill returned from injuries despite numerous rumors surrounding his retirement. Hill received ankle rotation therapy from specialists in Vancouver, BC during the off-season and has stated that he has regained much motion in his left ankle. Hill returned to the Magic lineup, starting at the shooting guard position. Despite having problems with injuries on his left knee and a tendon in his left ankle, Hill managed to play 65 games, two short of the highest number of games he played over a single season as a member of the Magic. He finished the season with averages of 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. This season would see Hill return to the playoffs for the first time since 2000, his first playoff appearance with the Magic. The 8th seed Magic would meet Hill's old team, the Detroit Pistons, in the first round. The Pistons' vast playoff experience would prevail over the inexperienced Magic, who had not seen significant post-season action for some years, and despite having some close games, the series would end with a 4–0 Pistons sweep, leaving Hill undecided on whether to return for the 2007–08 season with the Magic, sign with another team, or retire.^[5]

Phoenix Suns (2007–present)[link]

Hill became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2007. On July 5 Hill's agent, Lon Babby, said Hill intended to sign with the Phoenix Suns on July 11 (the first day free agents can officially sign contracts).^[6] Hill earned $1.83 million for 2007–08 with a $1.97 million player option for the next year. Hill was named captain along with Steve Nash. Hill was given permission by Suns Ring of Honor member, Alvan Adams, to wear his familiar No. 33 with the Suns. Hill adapted well to the Suns' up-tempo style, averaging double figures in points as a key role player for Phoenix in the early months of the 2007–08 season. He played in the team's first 34 games before an emergency appendectomy on January 9, 2008, sidelined him for two weeks. Despite being bothered by multiple injuries throughout the season, Hill had his first 70-game season since leaving Detroit, averaging 13.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.9 apg in the process.

Playing for the Phoenix Suns in the 2008–2009 season, Hill appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his career and averaged 12.0 ppg, 4.90 rpg, and 2.3 apg, scoring 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Suns' season finale.

On July 10, 2009, the Associated Press reported that Hill decided to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns for a 2-year deal, despite an offer from the New York Knicks for the full mid-level exception and the Boston Celtics offering Hill the bi-annual exception.^[7] The first year of the contract is believed to be worth around $3 million with the second year at Hill's option.

In 2010 the Phoenix Suns advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals, marking Hill's first playoff series victory, and making him the first NBA player in history to win his first playoff series after 15 years in the league. After sweeping the San Antonio Spurs 4-0, the Suns then moved to the Western Conference Finals to face the Los Angeles Lakers, but lost in six games (4-2).

On June 8 Hill exercised his option for the 2010–11 season.^[8] The Suns underwent two major roster changes in 2010–11. During the pre-season teammate Amar'e Stoudemire left for New York while Hedo Türkoğlu, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick joined the Suns; within a year they also were traded for three other players. Hill became one of seven all-time NBA players to average 13 or more points at 38 years of age or older. On January 15, 2011, Hill passed the 16,000 career points milestone in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

On December 9, 2011, Hill decided to stay with the Phoenix Suns for one year, accepting a $6.5 million contract.^[9] By the end of the 2011-12 season, Hill had reached 17,000 career points, ending the season 78th on the all-time NBA scoring list (82nd NBA/ABA), 79th in career assists (83rd), and 66th in career steals (71st).

Career transactions[link]

• June 29, 1994: Drafted 3rd overall by Detroit Pistons in 1994 NBA Draft.
• August 3, 2000: Signed and traded by Detroit to the Orlando Magic for Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace.
• July 11, 2007: Signed as a free agent by Phoenix Suns.^[10]

Sponsorships and paid endorsements[link]

• In the 1990s, one of the soft drink Sprite's longest-running advertising campaigns was "Grant Hill Drinks Sprite" (overlapping its "Obey Your Thirst" campaign), in which Hill's abilities, and Sprite's importance in giving him his abilities, were humorously exaggerated.^[11][12]
• Hill was a spokesperson for McDonald's restaurant, watchmaker TAG Heuer and sportswear companies Fila, and later Adidas and Nike.

In television and film[link]

• In 1995, Hill appeared in an episode of the FOX sitcom Living Single. In the episode, Hill (portraying himself) has a whirlwind romance with magazine owner/publisher Khadijah James (Queen Latifah).
• In 1998, he was in an episode of Home Improvement on the show inside a show Tool Time.
• Grant Hill is featured in the video of the song "Rockstar" by Nickelback.
• Hill presented an award at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards with talk show host Ricki Lake.
• The March 13, 2011 airing of the ESPN films 30 for 30 documentary The Fab Five sparked national outrage that led to a series of media exchanges between members of the press, Michigan Wolverines players and Duke Blue Devils players, especially Hill, in forums such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18]}

Personal life[link]

In Detroit, Michigan he was introduced to Tamia by singer Anita Baker. Hill and Tamia married on July 24, 1999. Their daughter, Myla Grace Hill, was born on January 23, 2002. On August 9, 2007, Tamia gave birth to their second child, Lael Rose Hill.

In 2003, they announced on Extra that Tamia had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In an interview with Smooth magazine, Tamia reported that the disease is seemingly in remission and that she has occasional symptoms but they are controlled.

In 2003, Hill contracted a life-threatening methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, from which it took him six months to recover.^[19] He has since become an advocate for the awareness and prevention of MRSA and has appeared in public service announcements for Stop MRSA Now!, a non-profit organization.^[20]

Charitable activities[link]

• Hill had been a Vice-Chairman for the Board of Directors of the Special Olympic World Summer Games in 1999 which were held in Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.^[21]
• Grant Hill, his mother Janet Hill and grandmother Vivian McDonald established a scholarship at the Dillard University in New Orleans. This scholarship is in memory of Hill's grandfather, who supported this University consistently.^[21]
• Hill was featured on a poster "READ" that supported libraries, literacy, and advocated reading.^[21]
• Hill contributed to the day care center established by his father, Calvin Hill, in New Haven, Connecticut in 1972, by donating funds. This day care center was established after Calvin graduated from Yale University and the goal was helping children and families in the local community.^[21]
• Hill funded an organization in his hometown, Reston, Virginia, in order to help needy students of any ages pursue education.^[21]

Other interests[link]

• Hill owns a substantial collection of African-American art, centering on the work of Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett. A selection of 46 works from the collection were featured in a touring exhibition at a number of American museums from 2003 to 2006. The exhibition was last shown at the Nasher Museum of Art at Hill's alma mater, Duke University.
• Hill has established ties with the Democratic Party. His mother was a college roommate of current U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On the night Hill was drafted in the NBA, he received a congratulatory phone call from U.S. President Bill Clinton. Hill publicly supported John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid.

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Grant Hill

• Grant Hill at NBA.com
• Grant Hill at Basketball-Reference.com
• GrantHill.com – Official Site
• Grant Hill YouTube Highlights Channel
• Interview with Michael Tillery of The Starting Five
• Complete Pro and College statistics and Game Logs for Grant Hill
• Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art
• Stop MRSA Now! - Grant Hill is a member of the Stop MRSA Now Coalition
• Berri et al.; Schmidt, Martin B.; Brook, Stacey L. (February 2004). "Stars at the Gate: The Impact of Star Power on NBA Gate Revenues". Journal of Sports Economics 3 (1): 33–50. DOI:10.1177/1527002503254051. http://www.csub.edu/~dberri/BerriSchmidtBrookJSE2004.pdf. 

Links to related articles v t e 1994 NBA Draft First round Glenn Robinson Jason Kidd Grant Hill Donyell Marshall Juwan Howard Sharone Wright Lamond Murray Brian Grant Eric Montross Eddie Jones Carlos Rogers Khalid Reeves Jalen Rose Yinka Dare Eric Piatkowski Clifford Rozier Aaron McKie Eric Mobley Tony Dumas B. J. Tyler Dickey Simpkins Bill Curley Wesley Person Monty Williams Greg Minor Charlie Ward Brooks Thompson Second round Deon Thomas Antonio Lang Howard Eisley Rodney Dent Jim McIlvaine Derrick Alston Gaylon Nickerson Michael Smith Andrei Fetisov Dontonio Wingfield Darrin Hancock Anthony Miller Jeff Webster William Njoku Gary Collier Shawnelle Scott Damon Bailey Dwayne Morton Voshon Lenard Jamie Watson Jevon Crudup Kris Bruton Charles Claxton Lawrence Funderburke Anthony Goldwire Albert Burditt Željko Rebrača v t e NBA Rookie of the Year Award 1953: Meineke 1954: Felix 1955: Pettit 1956: Stokes 1957: Heinsohn 1958: Sauldsberry 1959: Baylor 1960: Chamberlain 1961: Robertson 1962: Bellamy 1963: Dischinger 1964: Lucas 1965: Reed 1966: Barry 1967: Bing 1968: Monroe 1969: Unseld 1970: Alcindor 1971: Cowens & Petrie 1972: Wicks 1973: McAdoo 1974: DiGregorio 1975: Wilkes 1976: Adams 1977: Dantley 1978: Davis 1979: Ford 1980: Bird 1981: Griffith 1982: Williams 1983: Cummings 1984: Sampson 1985: Jordan 1986: Ewing 1987: Person 1988: Jackson 1989: Richmond 1990: Robinson 1991: Coleman 1992: Johnson 1993: O'Neal 1994: Webber 1995: Hill & Kidd 1996: Stoudamire 1997: Iverson 1998: Duncan 1999: Carter 2000: Brand & Francis 2001: Miller 2002: Gasol 2003: Stoudemire 2004: James 2005: Okafor 2006: Paul 2007: Roy 2008: Durant 2009: Rose 2010: Evans 2011: Griffin 2012: Irving v t e Phoenix Suns current roster 1 Childress 2 Price 3 Dudley 4 Gortat 8 Frye 11 Morris 13 Nash 15 Lopez 21 Warrick 22 Redd 26 Brown 31 Telfair 33 Hill Head coach: Gentry Assistant coaches: Cartwright Majerle Kokoškov Turner Gillespie v t e NBA Sportsmanship Award 1996: Dumars 1997: Brandon 1998: Johnson 1999: Hawkins 2000: Snow 2001: Robinson 2002: Smith 2003: Allen 2004: Brown 2005: Hill 2006: Brand 2007: Deng 2008: Hill 2009: Billups 2010: Hill 2011: Curry v t e 1996 Olympic Champions Men's Basketball team – United States 4 Barkley 5 Hill 6 Hardaway 7 Robinson 8 Pippen 9 Richmond 10 Miller 11 Malone 12 Stockton 13 O'Neal 14 Payton 15 Olajuwon Coach: Wilkens v t e Duke Blue Devils Men's Basketball 1990–91 NCAA Champions 5 Billy McCaffrey 11 Bobby Hurley 21 Antonio Lang 22 Greg Koubek 23 Brian Davis 25 Thomas Hill 32 Christian Laettner (MOP) 33 Grant Hill 34 Crawford Palmer Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski Assistant Coaches: Mike Brey Tommy Amaker Jay Bilas v t e Duke Blue Devils Men's Basketball 1991–92 NCAA Champions 11 Bobby Hurley (MOP) 12 Thomas Hill 21 Antonio Lang 23 Brian Davis 32 Christian Laettner 33 Grant Hill 44 Cherokee Parks 52 Erik Meek Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski Assistant Coaches: Mike Brey Tommy Amaker Jay Bilas v t e 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans First Team Calbert Cheaney Anfernee Hardaway Bobby Hurley Jamal Mashburn Chris Webber Second Team Terry Dehere Grant Hill Billy McCaffrey Eric Montross J. R. Rider Glenn Robinson Rodney Rogers v t e 1994 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans First Team Grant Hill Jason Kidd Donyell Marshall Glenn Robinson Clifford Rozier Second Team Melvin Booker Eric Montross Lamond Murray Khalid Reeves Jalen Rose Corliss Williamson v t e NABC Defensive Player of the Year Award winners 1987: Amaker 1988: King 1989: Augmon 1990: Augmon 1991: Augmon 1992: Mourning 1993: Hill 1994: McIlvaine 1995: Duncan 1996: Duncan 1997: Duncan 1998: Wojciehowski 1999: Battier 2000: Battier & Martin 2001: Battier 2002: Linehan 2003: Okafor 2004: Okafor 2005: Williams 2006: Williams 2007: Oden 2008: Thabeet 2009: Thabeet 2010: Varnado 2011: Faried 2012: Davis v t e Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year 1954: Hemric 1955: Hemric 1956: Shavlik 1957: Rosenbluth 1958: Brennan 1959: Pucillo 1960: Shaffer 1961: Chappell 1962: Chappell 1963: Heyman 1964: Mullins 1965: Cunningham 1966: Vacendak 1967: Miller 1968: Miller 1969: Roche 1970: Roche 1971: Davis 1972: Parkhill 1973: Thompson 1974: Thompson 1975: Thompson 1976: Kupchak 1977: Griffin 1978: Ford 1979: Gminski 1980: King 1981: Sampson 1982: Sampson 1983: Sampson 1984: Jordan 1985: Bias 1986: Bias 1987: Grant 1988: Ferry 1989: Ferry 1990: Scott 1991: Monroe 1992: Laettner 1993: Rogers 1994: Hill 1995: J. Smith 1996: Duncan 1997: Duncan 1998: Jamison 1999: Brand 2000: Carrawell 2001: Battier & Forte 2002: Dixon 2003: Howard 2004: Hodge 2005: Redick 2006: Redick 2007: Dudley 2008: Hansbrough 2009: Lawson 2010: Vásquez 2011: N. Smith 2012: Zeller

Allen Iverson

Free Agent
Point guard / Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1975-06-07) June 7, 1975 (age 37) Hampton, Virginia
Nationality	American
High school	Bethel (Hampton, Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
College	Georgetown (1993-1996)
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	1996–present
Career history
1996–2006	Philadelphia 76ers
2006–2008	Denver Nuggets
2008–2009	Detroit Pistons
2009	Memphis Grizzlies
2009–2010	Philadelphia 76ers
2010–2011	Beşiktaş (Turkey)
Career highlights and awards
NBA Most Valuable Player (2001) NBA Rookie of the Year (1997) 11× NBA All-Star (2000–2010) 4× NBA scoring champion (1999, 2001–2002, 2005) 3× NBA steals leader (2001–2003) 3× All-NBA First Team (1999, 2001, 2005) 3× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2002–2003) All-NBA Third Team (2006) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1997) 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2001, 2005)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975) is an American professional basketball player, playing both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Iverson attended Bethel High School and was a dual-sport athlete; he earned The Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both football and basketball, and won the Division AAA Virginia State Championship in both sports.^[1] After high school, Iverson attended Georgetown University for two years, where he set the school record for career scoring average (22.9 points per game) and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards both years.^[2]

Following two successful years at Georgetown, Iverson declared eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft, and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick.^[3] He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season. Iverson is an eleven-time NBA All-Star which includes winning the All-Star MVP award in 2001 and 2005.

Winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2004–05 seasons, Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his small stature (listed at 6 feet, 0 inches). His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks sixth all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game is second only to Michael Jordan. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 season and led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals the same season. Iverson represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies, before returning to the 76ers for part of the 2009–10 season.

He was rated the fifth greatest NBA shooting guard of all time by ESPN in 2008.^[4]

Early life[link]

Allen Iverson was born to his single 15-year old mother, Ann Iverson, in Hampton, Virginia, and was given his mother's maiden name after his father Allen Broughton left her.^[5]

Allen attended Bethel High School, where started as quarterback for the school football team,^[6] while also playing running back, kick returner and defensive back.^[7] and started as point guard for the school basketball team. During his junior year, Allen was able to lead both teams to Virginia state championships, as well as earning The Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both sports.^[8]

On February 14, 1993, Iverson and several of his friends became involved in an altercation with a group of white teenagers at the Circle Lanes bowling alley in Hampton, Virginia. Allegedly, Iverson's crowd was raucous and had to be asked to quiet down several times, and eventually a shouting duel began with another group of youths. Shortly thereafter, a huge fight erupted, pitting the white crowd against the blacks. During the fight, Iverson allegedly struck a woman in the head with a chair. He, along with three of his friends who are also black, were the only people arrested. Iverson, who was 17 at the time, was convicted as an adult of the felony charge of maiming by mob, a rarely used Virginia statute that was designed to combat lynching.^[9] Iverson and his supporters maintained his innocence, claiming that he left the alley as soon as the trouble began. Iverson said, "For me to be in a bowling alley where everybody in the whole place know who I am and be crackin' people upside the head with chairs and think nothin' gonna happen? That's crazy! And what kind of a man would I be to hit a girl in the head with a damn chair? I rather have 'em say I hit a man with a chair, not no damn woman."^[10]

Iverson drew a 15-year prison sentence, with 10 years suspended. After Iverson spent four months at Newport News City Farm, a correctional facility in Newport News, Virginia, he was granted clemency by Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder, and the Virginia Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in 1995 for insufficient evidence.^[10] This incident and its impact on the community is explored in the documentary film No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson. Iverson said of his time in prison, "I had to use the whole jail situation as something positive. Going to jail, someone sees something weak in you, they'll exploit it. I never showed any weakness. I just kept going strong until I came out."^[10]

The prison sentence forced him to complete his senior year of high school at Richard Milburn High School, a school for at-risk students, instead of competing in sports at Bethel.^[10] However, the three years Iverson spent there were enough to convince famed Georgetown University Coach John Thompson to come out and meet Iverson, and offer him a full scholarship to join the Georgetown Hoyas basketball team.^[10]