by Russ Bengtson

Does anyone remember the last time Grant Hill was truly healthy? If it seems like a long time ago, that’s probably because it was. He was still in Detroit then, back in the days when the Pistons were wearing those stupid teal jerseys with the chrome horse on them. He’s actually never played a full 82-game season in his career—and the 67 games he played in ’04-05 were the most he’d played since ’99-00, before his initial ankle injury. Many assumed, especially after he was limited to 21 games last season, that the ’04-05 season was simply an anomaly. Hell, a miracle.

So, when the headline Hill: I Feel Great Now appeared in today’s Florida Today, well, the first reaction was fear. After all he’s been through, isn’t that pushing it? I half-expect to see a follow-up headline tomorrow. Something like, “Hill: Um, Never Mind, My Leg Just Fell Off.” And hasn’t he felt great before? And hasn’t it just led to more misery? Not to mention the guy’s turning 34, and has had more surgery than Jocelyn Wildenstein. His leg been the subject of more headlines than Barbaro’s.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see the old Grant Hill back. Hell, I even hope he comes out with the Fresh Prince high-top fade. But I don’t want to be getting my hopes so high just yet. Good luck, Grant.