“I was surprised at all the fans, because they kept trying to make me the face of the league” - 7x All-Star on being called the next Michael Jordan, says he thought it was foolish

Grant Hill believes that comparing him to Michael Jordan was foolish.

NBA fans compare players to determine how good someone is, was or will be, but Grant Hill believes comparing him to Michael Jordan was foolish. While few would compare them now, Hill received comparisons during his early years.

After graduating from the Duke Blue Devils, Hill was drafted third by the Detroit Pistons in 1994. Hill's path to the NBA and skills were similar enough to those of Michael Jordan, drawing immediate comparisons. Plus, with Jordan retiring in 1993, everyone was searching for the league's next superstar.

Still, Hill was surprised by the comparisons, especially with how his first season went. Hill spoke about it all on "All the Smoke":

"I was surprised at all the fans, because they kept trying to make me the face of the league. I'm thinking, we won 28 games, my friend. I've still got a lot to learn, but that first year was crazy, man. Like it was, you know, new shoes, you got commercials, endorsements. They were trying to call me the next Jordan. I thought it was foolish, but I leveraged that."

For young players entering the NBA, player comparisons can be a gift or a curse. While Hill never reached the level of Jordan, he did take the money that came with the belief that he would be that player.

Still, losing was something Hill was not accustomed to doing. While Hill's wallet grew, his Detroit Pistons were much less successful.

"I didn't turn down the deals, but it was hard, because we were losing," Hill said. "You go in college where, every year you feel like you have a chance to win a championship, and now all of a sudden you're losing more games than you lost in a lifetime."

While all the losses could have deterred Hill and prevented him from reaching his best, he kept working on improving. Despite never becoming the next Jordan, Hill's career was still impressive.

Grant Hill was unsatisfied with his rookie season and the Michael Jordan comparisons, but he still became a young superstar

As a member of the Detroit Pistons, Hill showed his greatness, even if it didn't reach Jordan levels.

While comparing any young player to an all-time great like Michael Jordan can potentially hurt a career, Grant Hill overcame it. Much like Jordan's first year, Hill's was not perfect, but the future was bright. He was the 1994-95 Rookie of the Year.

"That first year was kind of bittersweet, but I felt like with Allan Houston, with Lindsey (Hunter), that we had a promising future," Hill said. "You know, we just wanted to get better the next year."

The seven-time All-Star took steps to get better over the years.

Grant Hill was a bad man 👀 #Pistons https://t.co/bxNXWhFMnx

Hill never became the face of the league, but he had a great career in his own right.