Grant Hill Is Out for 2000-01 Season

ByABC News
December 27, 2000, 3:15 PM

O R L A N D O, Fla., Dec. 28 -- After spending most of the past two monthswondering when he would play again, Grant Hill finally has ananswer. Hes gone for the season.

Hill will have season-ending surgery on his ankle, a devastatingblow to the Orlando Magic, who signed the five-time All-Star andyoung star Tracy McGrady in a bid to win an NBA title.

I feel good in that at least were getting to the root of theproblem, and were going to get this thing right. Im going to beback out there playing next season, Hill said Wednesday.

The Magics team physician said Hill should make a fullrecovery.

Were very confident that he will heal completely and get backto playing the way he was playing before, Dr. Joe Billings said.

Sustained Injury Last Season

Hill, acquired from Detroit in the offseason, is expected to besidelined for 6-to-8 months, general manager John Gabriel said.

Our focus is to put Grant Hill in the best possible positionto return as the player that we all know he is, Gabriel said.We have great confidence in the outcome and wish Grant a speedyrecovery.

The 6-foot-8 forward was originally injured at the end of lastseason. He had surgery April 28 to repair a broken bone in his leftankle. Five screws and a plate were inserted.

You dont ever really want to have surgery unless you have to,and I guess in this case I do, Hill said.

He appeared in only four games for the Magic, who are 12-16 andthird in the Atlantic Division. He averaged 13.8 points, 6.3rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.25 steals in 33.3 minutes.

Hill was acquired by Orlando on Aug. 3 in a sign-and-trade dealwith the Pistons for Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace.

Injury Became a Distraction

Hill, whose ankle injury forced him to miss the Sydney Olympics,said his injury created uncertainty for his teammates.

Can he go? Can he not go? he said. Is he injured? Can he practice? Whats the deal? It just kind of became a distraction,and thats the last thing I want to become, a distraction to theteam.