At 37, Grant Hill Restarts His Career

Grant Hill today is like that low-mileage, late-model used car you bought from the little old lady, who parked it in her garage for 10 years and hardly drove, selling it in surprising good condition for as old as it was.

He is a bargain at this age.

"For an old guy, I'm still low mileage,'' Hill told FanHouse last week. "Limited wear and tear.''

Hill, 37, is the fourth-oldest player in the NBA today, but he has given the resurging Phoenix Suns a big boost as they return to their roots as a high-scoring, quick-shooting team on the run. The Suns (6-1) go into tonight's game in Philadelphia tied with the best record in the Western Conference.

Hill, a six-time All-Star and once one of the league's most explosive perimeter players, lost much of five seasons in his prime athletic years to an ankle injury that needed five different surgeries to finally correct.

Although the period he lost was the most frustrating time of his life, he is reaping the benefits now in the twilight years of his NBA career. He isn't what he once was, but he is better and more durable now than anyone could imagine.

"When I was going through all those injuries, I always told myself -- although I'm not sure I believed it -- that I'd make up for it on the back end, down the road,'' he said. "And you know what? I feel great right now.''

Hill is averaging 30.3 minutes, 13.6 points and 8.7 rebounds, leading the Suns in rebounding in four of the seven games they've played. He has four double-doubles, just one fewer than he had all of last season. He has had one dreadful game, last week against Orlando when he failed to score, but he has been surprisingly consistent in the other six, despite playing with a sore right wrist.

A day after coach Alvin Gentry told his team he needed more rebounding, Hill responded with 13 points and 13 rebounds Sunday in the victory in Washington.

"He's like the favorite guy I've ever coached,'' said Gentry, who also coached him more than a decade ago in Detroit. "He's a different player now, not quite as athletic, but he's still pretty dadgum good. He's got a lot of games left in him. I don't see why he can't play until he's 40.''

Hill thought his career was over long ago in Orlando, laboring through seasons of 4, 14, 29, 0 and 21 games, respectively, as doctors struggled to correct his ankle problems with a variety of surgeries. He had signed a $93 million contract to play for the Magic, but he became the symbol of the lowest point in franchise history.

It was a far cry from last week in Miami when Heat star Dwyane Wade was so impressed, after losing to the Suns, that he asked Hill what he was taking that made him look so fresh for someone his age. Hill just laughed.

"During the years I was hurt, I just became fanatical about things, what I ate, my conditioning routine. I take good care of myself. I've become pretty anal about it now,'' he said. "I guess I was paranoid about things. And after I lost all that time, I hate the thought of sitting out. I'm in my late 30's but I feel like I'm back in my 20s.''

Hill was the only Sun who played in all 82 games last season -- the first time in his 16-year career. He was first player over age 36 in the NBA since 2003-04 to play in every game.

He opened this season with three consecutive games of at last 18 points, which is the first time since his final season in Detroit (1999-00) he has done that. And the only game the Suns have lost (in Orlando) was the only game this season he didn't score at least 10 points.

"I'm doing things now that I haven't done out there in a long time. Last season was such a confidence boost, and I'm just building off that,'' he said. "I'm probably going to be one of those guys who plays until they tell me I can't play anymore. I'm just happy to be out there loving the game again.''