Grant Hill Responds To Fab Five Doc

On Monday, we detailed the controversial statements made by Jalen Rose and the rest of the Fab Five in ESPN's documentary that aired Sunday night. Among other things, Rose called Duke's African-American recruits "Uncle Toms" and Christian Laettner a "p---y."

Today, Grant Hill penned a response that ran on the New York Times's sports blog, The Quad. It was by turns thoughtful and strongly-worded, and it may just be the last word on this mini-saga.

Hill begins by saying that Rose turned the definition of "Uncle Tom" on its head, disparaging black two-parent households and saying that successful people like Hill's parents and teammates ever "sold out their race."

I come from a strong legacy of black Americans. My namesake, Henry Hill, my father’s father, was a day laborer in Baltimore. He could not read or write until he was taught to do so by my grandmother. His first present to my dad was a set of encyclopedias, which I now have. He wanted his only child, my father, to have a good education, so he made numerous sacrifices to see that he got an education, including attending Yale.

This is part of our great tradition as black Americans. We aspire for the best or better for our children and work hard to make that happen for them. Jalen’s mother is part of our great black tradition and made the same sacrifices for him.

Hill's closing remarks, though, are a dagger to Rose's comments. He warns the former Michigan star to refrain from stereotyping Duke athletes in the same manner that the Wolverines were in the early-90s.

I caution my fabulous five friends to avoid stereotyping me and others they do not know in much the same way so many people stereotyped them back then for their appearance and swagger. I wish for you the restoration of the bond that made you friends, brothers and icons.

I am proud of my family. I am proud of my Duke championships and all my Duke teammates. And, I am proud I never lost a game against the Fab Five.