Janet Hill, Grant's mother, cried with Tamia when they learned of her condition. "I am amazed by her stamina as well -- they are unusual people, they are very much alike in their determination," said Janet, a consultant in Washington. "They refuse to let life's ups and downs get in the way."
Suddenly, Grant Hill had turned from being cared for to being a caregiver for an illness out of the realm of sports.
"For most of us athletes, we're selfish, things are catered to us, we're the center of our universe," said Hill, who had grown up observing a privileged sports culture. His father, Calvin, was a star running back for the Dallas Cowboys.
"It puts it in perspective, since we both went through something," Hill said. "Hers made us stronger as a family. Whether I play another 10 years or another day, there's more to life than putting the ball through the basket."
And Hill has lived that lesson. During his rehabilitation, he gathered his 46-piece collection of African-American art and negotiated a five-city tour for a show titled, "Something All Our Own," which stops in Springfield, Mass.
In two weeks, Hill's name will be installed there at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Last season, he kept busy by taking local real estate classes, investing in commercial properties in Orlando, Phoenix and New Jersey, and building two houses with Habitat for Humanity.
"It helped me in terms of laying the foundation when my career is over," he said. But he quickly added, "Just not yet."
Hill was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after his 32-point and 29-point performances last week. He is also averaging 5.2 rebounds and 4 assists a game.
"This year, unlike any of the other seasons, I haven't put the pressure on myself to be an All-Star, or to be something I was in the past," he said. "I just want to go out and have fun.
He played four games in his first season with Orlando, 14 and 29 the next two seasons. Each time after surgery, Hill would arrive at the Magic's practice facility at dawn and immerse himself in a pool for rehabilitation.
"I never saw him without a smile; he was jumping into pool at 6 in the morning until he could run on solid ground," said John Gabriel, the former Orlando general manager. "He never flinched. He never asked why."
Lon Babby, the longtime agent for Hill, said: "He has dealt with the adversity with complete grace. When bad things happen, he's peaceful."
Hill incorporated the rehabilitation into family vacations, bringing along a shooting coach or a trainer at all times, Tamia said.
"He was upbeat," his father said. "There were times when I said, `Why him?' I don't think he ever wallowed in pity. He's handled it a lot better than I would have."
Some scouts and opposing coaches notice that Hill does not have the same lift, but he compensates with accuracy (48 percent shooting) and leadership.
"It's tough to tell whether he's as physically explosive," Weisbrod said. "The one thing that's come out of his time off is that he's been a lot smarter."
Fourteen games into what Hill has termed his last comeback, the Magic know the test begins in January.
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