Thunder guard George Hill said he had a bit of a shock early in the Oklahoma City training camp.
“When we started to go around room yesterday, it started to be eye- opening for myself, having guys that were born in 2001 and 2000,” he said with a laugh Tuesday.
Hill was born in 1986. Entering his 13th year in the league, Hill is one of the oldest players on the Thunder. Surrounded by younger players, he has been looked to as a leader early in training camp.
Several teammates have already spoken highly about him with media.
“He’s a great guy. A competitor, and you can tell he has your best interest from the moment you talk to him,” said guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Guys like that are always easy to play with and listen to, and that’s why he’s a natural leader.”
Head coach Mark Daigneault said that Hill took on the leadership role willingly, something that not all older players do.
“One mistake … is to expect that every player that’s got a lot of experience wants to take on a verbal and active leadership role. I think that’s something that those guys have to choose,” Daigneault said.
“But George enjoys that. He made that clear to us.”
Hill’s reasoning why he took on that role was simple and, to him, obvious.
“Well that’s my job,” he said. “To be a leader here in this locker room on and off the court as person, as player.”
Hill has only missed the playoffs once in his career. He has made the conference finals four times and appeared in the NBA Finals in 2018 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This year, though, the Thunder are rebuilding. They traded away most of their best players who drove the team to the playoffs last season, and, in the tough Western Conference, Oklahoma City is likely to miss the postseason.
Despite the odds of Hill missing the playoffs — if he doesn’t get traded during the season — he has jumped into his role and been a positive example early in training camp.
“He loves being in the guys’ ears, he loves putting his arm around a guy, he’s got a great way about him,” Daigneault said. “He earns a lot of respect because of the type of person he is and how professional he is. I’ve been very impressed with how he works for a guy that’s as proven as he is.”
Hill has one guaranteed year worth $9.5 million on his contract remaining, and then a non-guaranteed $10 million for next season.
He is a likely starter at guard next to Gilgeous-Alexander and can serve a role as an experienced playmaker to ease the burden on the third-year player and the rest of the group.
“To be that leader out here is much-needed with that young locker room that we have,” Hill said. “I’m looking forward to it, just talking to these guys about what I experienced, good and bad, on and off the floor.”
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