Duke's first Hall of Fame basketball player gave his alma mater plenty of credit during his induction speech Friday night.
Grant Hill had Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski seated on stage along with his childhood role model Patrick Ewing in Springfield, Mass., as he spoke for about 14 minutes about the honor of joining the Hall of Fame. Hill played at Duke from 1990-94, winning two national championships, playing in a third title game and earning National Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors as a Blue Devil.
"When I played for you, Coach, your nickname was Coach K. Now, your nickname is the GOAT, and rightfully so. I came to you with this dream, and you gave me the blueprint. I learned how to lead, how to win, how to compete, how to play together as a unit, even how to slap the floor when I’m playing defense, and of course, how to be a champion," Hill said to Krzyzewski. "But most importantly, you taught me to believe in myself. You gave me permission to be great."
Hill went on to credit the rest of the Duke coaching staff when he was in school.
"I also want to thank Tommy Amaker, Mike Brey, Pete Gaudet, the Duke brotherhood and the basketball program and the entire university family. Together, we are a passionate, loyal force of nature," Hill said. "I might be the first Duke ballplayer in the Hall of Fame, but I can promise you I won’t be the last."
After graduating, Hill was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons and earned All-Star recognition in his first four seasons, peaking as a first-team All-NBA selection in 1997. Ankle injuries and several surgeries sidelined Hill for most of four seasons to cut his prime short, but the forward remained a meaningful contributor during an 18-year career for the Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers that featured seven total All-Star selections.
Former Duke player and Davidson and Maryland head coach Lefty Driesell was also inducted as a coach, and he gave Krzyzewski, his former ACC coaching rival, the honor of sitting on stage as one of his presenters during his speech as well. The colorful 86-year-old earned some of the biggest laughs of the night.
"Everybody asks me, why is Mike such a good coach?'" Driesell said of Krzyzewski. "I say, 'I'll tell you why.... He graduated from West Point, and at West Point, you lead guys, and if they don't listen to you, they get killed.' I think that's why he's such a good coach."
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