Grant Hill understands an NBA lockout
Jun 28, 2011, 6:26 PM | Updated: 7:39 pm
Grant Hill has been through a lockout before, as he was a member of the Detroit Pistons when the NBA lost games in the 1998-99 season.
With the league on the verge of another work stoppage, Hill told Yahoo Sports he has no regrets over what happened 13 years ago.
“It’s always worth it. I think you learn a lot,” Hill said. “…I think it’s worth it. I think the game recovered. The game is in great shape now.”
Now is the operative word, as the league could only suffer from another lockout, especially in a world where people are struggling to pay their bills. Watching more athletes and owners argue over billions of dollars? Yeah, that won’t end well.
For his part, Hill is confident a deal will get done. He says both sides are smart and realize what’s at stake.
That said, he’s made sure to help the younger players understand what a lockout is like and how they need to prepare for one.
“You want to stay in shape. You want to stay mentally and physically ready. You want to be wise with purchases and you want to make sure financially you can weather the storm. The young guys have been really good in terms of asking [questions].”
While the young guys need to learn how to get through a lockout financially, the 38-year-old Hill may struggle to get through it physically.
“It’s tough, especially for an older guy,” Hill said. “You got certain benchmarks you try to reach in the offseason to get ready for training camp. You could do too much or do too little just in terms of staying in shape, staying sharp.”
The second-oldest player in the league last season, Hill could be like fellow veteran Jason Kidd and call it a career if the league is facing an extended layoff.
