After organizing, inviting and promoting tonight's All-Star Charity Basketball game, which is set to begin at 7 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Grant Hill will not be playing.
The most celebrated player in the National Basketball Association to have worn a Duke uniform during his collegiate years will serve as a coach for one of the teams, but because of fear of reinjuring his ankle, which caused him to miss almost all of last season, Hill will not play.
Although Hill has been rehabilitating his ankle for quite some time, his employer, the Orlando Magic, are being very cautious with their superstar, and do not want to see him re-injure his ankle. Tonight's contest was supposed to be his first game back after going down with the injury. However, it remains unclear as to whether Hill had some say or rather, the decision was entirely the Magic's.
"We're proud of Grant's continued loyalty to his school, as well as his vast charitable endeavors," Magic General Manager John Gabriel said in a statement. "I, however, feel that after seeing him workout at the RDV Sportsplex, his return to professional basketball should come within the context of his current rehabilitation and on-the-floor regiment. With all due respect to the Duke Charity Game, our season and Grant's return to his All-Star level is more important at this time. I spoke with Grant and he said he was excited to still be able to participate in the weekend's activities in Durham. Every aspect of Grant's progress since his second surgery has been positive and we look forward to him being 100 percent as we head toward training camp."
Without Hill's athletic presence on the floor, this inauguaral event, which was announced over the summer and whose proceeds will benefit the Duke/Durham Neighborhood Partnership and the Burch Avenue Family Center, will still be packed with former Duke greats.
Highlighting the list of those playing in the game include William Avery, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, all of whom bolted Duke after 1999 to pursue careers in the NBA. In addition, all three members of the Duke assistant coaching staff--associate head coach Johnny Dawkins and assistants Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowski--will don Duke uniforms once again. The game also features many members of Duke's first two national championship squads, including Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Brian Davis and Thomas Hill. And of course, Cameron favorites like Jay Bilas, Chris Carrawell, Nate James, Danny Ferry, Mike Gminski, Roshown McLeod, and Trajan Langdon will return as well.
The players will be divided into two teams, a Blue Team and a White Team, which will be coached by former Duke players and assistant coaches. Michigan coach Tommy Amaker, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey and Fairfield coach Tim O'Toole will be on the bench for the Blue squad, while Delaware coach David Henderson, Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Billy King and Grant Hill will coach the White squad.
The event, which was conceived by Hill, who also serves as the chair of the Duke Basketball Legacy Fund, was approved by the NBA as one of their official charity events for this year. Although the two teams don't square off against each other until tonight, a players reception and a charity auction was held Thursday night and this morning, a charity golf event was scheduled.
"It's nice that the NBA is helping college," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "In fact it's really nice. It doesn't usually happen."
Grant Hill echoed his former coaches comments concerning this feel-good event.
"It is a new way to help the Durham community and bring the Duke basketball family together," Hill said.
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