It’s been a while since Grant Hill played basketball for a living. No longer on the court, Hill has talked a good game off it as an analyst during his post-basketball career.
But his interest these days goes beyond the basketball court. Several weeks ago at the annual American Century Championship, Hill discussed the state of his golf game and his skiing. He’s a novice in both sports.
SKIING LAKE TAHOE: Despite a fractured left ankle in 2000 that required surgery and led to multiple subsequent surgeries and a right ankle fracture in 2005, once in retirement Hill began skiing with his family that includes his wife (Tamia) and two daughters (Myla, Lael).
Although Hill has never skied in Lake Tahoe, it’s definitely on his must-do list, especially after his July golfing visit this summer to South Lake Tahoe.
“My daughters are older, into sports now. It’s taken them away from the mountains,” Hill told Nevada Sports Nets in a recent interview. “My winters are busy and we haven’t been able to work it (skiing) out. We used to go skiing as a family once or twice a year. We’ll be empty nesters soon. And so, my wife and I will hopefully check out the slopes here in Lake Tahoe.”
A Hall of Fame basketball player, Hill’s introduction to skiing came at Vail after he retired from the NBA in 2013. A total beginner, he was cautious during his stay at the famed Colorado resort.
“I had a bunch of injuries in my career and I thought I would never ski. But I didn’t want to deprive my children,” Hill said. “Our family went to Vail and I was on the magic carpet and bunny slopes the whole week. We came back the following year and I graduated off the bunny slopes – nothing reckless, just greens and blues. I’m locked in now, I love it. No moguls, no black diamonds, I just keep it simple – I want to cruise.”
STRUGGLES ON THE GOLF COURSE: Hill, 52, is a relative beginner on the slopes and the golf course. He used to make light of golfing and admits hating it, but once he started playing around 2019 at the urging of announcing partner Jim Nanz, Hill quickly got the golf bug.
This was Hill’s first year playing in the Tahoe tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, which can be nerve-racking for beginners, since the crowds are large. Hill struggled at the three-day tournament, where he finished 87th (-54 total in Stableford scoring system) out of a field of 90 players.
Yet his poor play didn’t ruin his stay in Tahoe with his wife and youngest daughter.
“It’s been spectacular,” Hill said of the Tahoe golf experience. “I’ve admired it from afar, watching it on TV. The weather, the views, I see why everyone wants to come here. To get here up close and personal, it’s been fantastic. The volunteers, the fans, the weather, everything is great. And of course Lake Tahoe – it’s breathtaking. The only thing that hasn’t been great is my game. It is what it is.”
BASKETBALL LEGEND: What was once spectacular was Hill’s basketball skills. He was a four-year starter at Duke University, where he played a major role in the Blue Devils winning two NCAA championship titles (1991-92). He’s been touted as one of the greatest college basketball players ever.
In the NBA, Hill played for the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Mostly playing small forward, Hill was a seven-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, and a three-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award. In 2018, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 2015, Hill and Tony Ressler were part of an ownership group that purchased the Atlanta Hawks. In 2023, Hill and his wife became part owners of MLS club Orlando City and NWSL club – Orlando Pride. Hill was USA Basketball’s managing director of the USA Men’s National Team that captured an Olympic gold medal last summer.
Hill has worked as a basketball analyst for CBS, NBC and Turner Sports. In the upcoming 2025-26 season, he will be part of the NBC crew that takes a primary role covering the NBA following the network’s long absence from the sport.
