In recent times, the idea of NBA legends owning an NBA team has become a reality. With the help of players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, the dream of superstars to own a franchise is no longer just a dream. Both Jordan and Magic, at one point in time, had a stake in the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers respectively. And, inspired by this, Grant Hill would dip into his own account and invest in a team. Approximately five years after His Airness spent $275,000,000 on the Hornets.
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The year 2010 was huge for the Charlotte Hornets organization. They were up for sale and looking for new owners. In came Michael Jeffrey Jordan, who dropped a cool $275,000,000 to become a majority shareholder in the team. It was a groundbreaking move, one that opened the door to future investment from NBA stars. Moreover, it proved to be a successful decision on MJ’s part. He is now $3,000,000,000 richer, having sold his majority stake around June of 2023.
Grant Hill followed in the footsteps of Michael Jordan
Grant Hill is an NBA legend without a doubt. Hill was incredibly talented, but injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential. Nevertheless, he managed to play 19 seasons in the league, accumulating $141,008,544 in career earnings. And, in 2015, he took the next step, moving from a former NBA superstar to an NBA owner.
Partnering with Tony Ressler, Hill purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850,000,000. It was a huge purchase that made headlines in the NBA world. With this move, Hill joined an elite class of former players. A class that includes Michael Jordan, and Dwyane Wade, a minority owner of the Utah Jazz.
Hill reportedly has a net worth of $250,000,000. His $141,008,544 career earnings aside, G-money earned around $120,000,000 in endorsements. And, soon after he retired, he began a career as a budding entrepreneur. This ultimately led to his interest in purchasing the Hawks, which he completed two years after his retirement.
Since buying the Hawks, Hill, Ressler, and company have done incredibly well. They have finished in a Playoff spot six times and even made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. And, while they’re still yet to make it to the grandest stage of all, their future looks bright. That too with a generational talent like Trae Young leading the lines.
Hill also once reminisced about the time when he faced off against the GOAT on the court.
Hill once recalled facing off against His Airness in 1995
Following his purchase of the franchise, Hill’s Hawks have gone head-to-head with Michael Jordan’s Hornets on several occasions. But, this isn’t the first time Grant Hill has faced the tall task of beating His Airness. Back in his playing days, Hill clashed with Jordan regularly. And, in 1995, he was ecstatic, as he got the better of him.
As he explained on the Knuckleheads podcast, Hill was having a brilliant game against Jordan when they played pick-up ball in the summer of 1995. It was just after his rookie year, and Hill was “killing” MJ. He was crossing him up, knocking down jumpers, and so on. He had such a good game that he called all his friends and bragged about it.
The next day, he regretted his decision. This time around, MJ brought out his GOAT game and completely dominated Hill. And, he learned a valuable lesson that he still remembers to this day. His Hawks may get the better of Jordan’s Hornets, but Michael Jordan was a whole other beast altogether.
