1995 Rookies Of The Year Jason Kidd & Grant Hill call it quits on the NBA


Multiple sources have reported in the past few days that 1995 Co-Rookies Of The Year Grant Hill and Jason Kidd are both retiring after 19 years in the NBA. Kidd will make the Hall of Fame, while Hill is unlikely to get in. Once upon a time, Hill had the much bigger future. Hill was the first heir apparent to Michael Jordan (not counting the overhyped Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner), while Kidd toiled on losing teams in Dallas and was as well known for his scorned lover role in his love triangle with singer Toni Braxton and teammate Jimmy Jackson, as he was as a basketball player.

"Un-Break my Heart"
Kidd would get a rebirth in Phoenix and then when he led the forever crappy Nets to the Finals he had joined the NBA elite. He would finally win an NBA title in his 17th NBA season. Grant Hill would never be the same after leaving Detroit for Orlando. He put up some decent years later on in Phoenix, but he was nothing like the player he once was. He also never competed for a title. He had a chance to be on the Celtics Finals team of 2010, but he and his singer wife Tamia chose to stay in Phoenix. I remember talking about how Hill could have been the little extra we needed that year. But then again he might have gotten injured outside the care of the league's top medical staff in Phoenix, as he did this year when he moved on to the Clippers and missed 53 games just like old times.


There was a time when these two guys, along with Shaq and Tim Duncan, were the future of the NBA.    3 of those 4 won rings and will make it into the Hall of Fame. Both players were a joy to watch even though Kidd always seemed like a brat. His passing made up for that though. Father time remains undefeated and the NBA has finally lost these two special talents.

Grant Hill stats via Basketball-Reference


Jason Kidd stats via Basketball-Reference