Game

March 28, 2022
“Doubting my sincerity about the game like questioning my existence,” proclaims seven-time NBA All-Star Hill in this stellar account of his remarkable career. He begins by briskly charting his prodigious rise through the ranks of high school basketball in Reston, Va., in the 1980s, before arriving at Duke University, where, in the early ’90s, he led the Blue Devils to two National Championships. Following Duke, Hill was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and went on to make his name over 18 seasons as one of the NBA’s most talented players. As he revisits “lightning-in-a-bottle” moments on and off the court, Hill conveys his deep reverence for the sport, vividly evoking its febrile draw—where, he writes, “the ball possesses its own kinetic energy”—and bringing to life the inimitable spirit of his mentor and coach Mike Krzyzewski, who, Hill recalls, “spliced carefully, almost artfully.” However, Hill’s achievements came at the cost of a number of injuries, and multiple ankle surgeries led to his retirement in 2013; in closing chapters, where his family life provides a contemplative denouement, he remarks that some days “each stride feels like a timid probe on fiery coals.” Even so, his passion for the court never wavers—as he confesses, “My life still revolves around it.” Hoops fans shouldn’t pass this up.

April 1, 2022
A fast-paced and reflective account of an extraordinary career in basketball. There's a certain melancholic feel that runs through Hill's memoir, especially because basketball glory often comes with debilitating injury. "I have spent most of my life running, jumping, starting, and stopping," writes the author, a star at Duke and in the NBA. "Now I do not jump. I cannot run....If I golf too much, I am laid up the following day....It saddens me knowing that I will never play [basketball] again. I wish I loved golf as much as I loved basketball." However, that down note follows scores of memorable, sometimes iconic moments, foremost among them the 1992 NCAA playoff game against Kentucky in which Hill launched a long-distance pass to Christian Laettner, who buried the game-winning turnaround shot at the buzzer. Many experts consider the game to be the greatest in college basketball history. Growing up in Reston, Virginia, with a retired NFL player father and a mother active enough in political circles to count Hillary Clinton as a friend, Hill writes that he was suspected of growing up so privileged that he lacked hunger and was categorized as a "softie" in NBA training camp even though he was the third draft pick in his class. He puts the lie to that with an evident ethic of hard work and constant self-improvement, all of which he brought to his post-NBA career as a successful TV commentator, entrepreneur, and eventual team co-owner (Atlanta Hawks). Hill is also generous in praising both teammates and opponents, among them an Arizona Wildcat squad "whose entire roster was seemingly seven feet" and delivered a rare loss to Duke. He also has plenty of kind words for the often disliked Laettner. Hill writes affectingly of all the physical injuries he suffered while playing for four NBA teams, establishing a record of excellence in each. This is a perfect complement to Coach K, Ian O'Connor's recent book on Hill's college coach. An illuminating exploration of a demanding game by one of its greatest players.

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April 1, 2022

Most sports fans will remember Hill's highly successful college basketball career at Duke in the '90s, where he won two NCAA championships, and his early NBA career in Detroit in 1994, where he earned an astonishing $45 million in his rookie year and was voted a starter in his first two NBA All-Star games. Hill's autobiography details these well-known years of his early career, but also goes into his later basketball career and his life post-retirement, when after nearly 20 years playing basketball, Hill pivoted to successful network announcer and part-owner of an NBA franchise. Here Hill discusses not only his triumphs but also his many heartbreaks and setbacks, including a devastating ankle injury that derailed his playing career in its prime, and later a nearly fatal infection brought on by surgery. This detailed account gives readers great insight into Hill's character and reveals a motivated and driven, yet honest and humble man who has emerged triumphantly and stronger after defeats, who's clear about the goals and values he wants to live by. Even casual sports fans will find this autobiography inspirational and fulfilling. VERDICT Highly recommended and essential for public and school library collections.--Steve Dixon

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