“Michael Jordan Will Cut Your Throat Out.”: Former Bulls HC Listed What Separated 6ft 6″ GOAT From the Rising Star Grant Hill

The 1990s was a great time in the NBA. It was an era dominated by some of the best players in league history. Chief among them is Michael Jordan.

MJ is easily one of the best and was and is considered by many to be the GOAT. And, given his success at the time, every team was looking to draft the next Jordan.

In 1994, the Detroit Pistons believed they got him when they picked Grant Hill. However, Hill’s coach at the time, Doug Collins, who had also coached His Airness felt otherwise.

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Grant Hill was hailed as the next Michael Jordan but Doug Collins knew the difference between them was night and day

In 1995, Doug Collins was the coach of the Detroit Pistons. Having previously coached the Chicago Bulls, Collins had the pleasure of witnessing the greatness of Michael Jordan.

So, when he was given the chance to coach Grant Hill, Collins jumped at it. After all, Hill was hailed as the next Jordan. However, upon working with Hill, he realized that while he, like MJ, was very skilled, their personalities were like night and day.

To the point where Collins revealed in Roland Lazenby’s Michael Jordan: The Life, that Michael would “cut” Grant’s “throat”.

“Later that season, Jordan would score 53 against the league’s hottest young star, Grant Hill, who was coached by Doug Collins. Collins immediately understood the difference between the two. “Grant is more inclined to want people to like him and to make people happy,” Jordan’s former coach observed. “Michael will cut your throat out.””

Safe to say that Collins was right. While extremely talented, Hill was unable to live up to his potential due to injuries. The fact of the matter is Jordan was a different beast.

Grant Hill was bothered by all the comparisons between him and MJ

It’s true, that Hill was called the next Michael Jordan. But, it was something he wasn’t particularly fond of. The former Piston felt he did not deserve such lofty comparisons, especially considering his team at the time was losing profusely.

It’s always hard to live up to your true potential when people have unrealistic expectations of you. Nevertheless, Grant Hill had a heck of a career.

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