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When asked what type of coach he’d like to hire for USA Basketball, Hill said: “Someone who understands and has a healthy respect for the international game. The dynamics are a bit different in that environment than they are in the NBA regular season. You’re going to be dealing with some tough love of players, and being able to mentor them. That’ll check the boxes, if you will. “Someone who can manage a locker room, who understands the international play, obviously can coach, and understands this isn’t over. Spending the last year just really studying the international game, it’s different. It’s a different game than our game, and understanding that and respecting that is vitally important and not just for the staff but for the players as well.” -via The Undefeated / September 16, 2021
Hill said that USA Basketball will probably host a minicamp with its national team next summer. Despite the daunting pressures and challenges that come with USA Basketball keeping its power status, the new managing director says he is embracing the tough golden opportunity. “We’re all alone in terms of what those expectations are,” Hill said. “You don’t run from that. That’s something you welcome, you embrace, and you recognize that you’re supposed to win. There’s a tremendous amount that goes into the process, and the other teams have been together for years, they have continuity, it’s a different game, there’s a little bit more physicality … -via The Undefeated / September 16, 2021
In discussing his new role as Managing Director of USA Basketball, Grant Hill said a mouthful when looking back at what transpired this summer with the United States men’s national team and the Tokyo Olympics. He called Kevin Durant “maybe the best offensive player of all time.” That may not sit well with his old rivals in Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal, among others, but anyone who watched Durant lead the American team to the gold medal would at least say that Hill has a valid argument as he plunges into his newest job. -via basketballnews.com / August 18, 2021