Grant Hill Reveals “Delusional Confidence” Needed to Be Great in the NBA, Recalls Believing He Was on Michael Jordan’s Level

It’s hard to fathom how difficult it is to become an NBA player. FIBA estimates that there are at least 450 million people who play basketball worldwide, and of those 450 million, only around 540-570 play in the NBA. Grant Hill recently said that it takes a sort of delusional confidence to feel as though you’re a part of the small group, and he took the time to explain why.

That’s right, less than .01% of basketball players worldwide end up in the NBA. It’s a staggering number that might discourage some from even attempting to make it. Most experienced basketball success when they’re young, only to be met with much tougher competition as they get older. 

That’s why Hill believes players need to have a delusional belief when it comes to making the NBA, because the odds are not in their favor. Additionally, to be one of the best, one has to be borderline insane.

“To be great, to be a top 10, top 20, you have to have a delusional confidence, and a delusional belief in who you are and what you can do,” Hill shared on The Dan Patrick Show. 

The former NBA veteran knows all about delusional confidence. He said that he had it for a period of time in the 90s whenever he would face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The confidence made him one of the best players in the league. But injuries ultimately hindered Hill’s career success.

Regardless, he still always felt that he’d beat Jordan and the Bulls when they played. “I talked about going against Jordan. Like you always felt that you were going to win. You have to believe, you have to believe,” Hill stated.

Furthermore, it’s not like he and his Pistons won much against Jordan and the Bulls in the 90s. But he always went into every game believing they could. “Now, we didn’t win much at all back in the ’90s against the Bulls,” he added.

Hill must have a good memory, because Jordan was 12-3 in his career against him and the Pistons. They were a team that owned him in the 80s, but in the 90s, he made them his doormat. So, why was Hill so confident going into every matchup against Jordan? Well, because it’s all about competition. 

“That’s just part of being a competitor. There were some moments where I was able to go at him, and there were a few times we beat them. They beat us more times than we beat them. But you have to believe that, you have to believe in yourself.”

It’s the same type of admirable mindset that earned Hill 3 sportsmanship awards throughout his career. He may have known going into every matchup against Jordan that they didn’t stand a good chance, but he knew that it would’ve been unsportsmanlike not to at least try and believe that they could win. 

So, in the end, the delusions come on several levels. They have to remain present in players’ minds when attempting to make the NBA, but also when they face better competition in the actual league itself. In a sense, the delusions never go away.