Hill Doubts Savior Status As Gq’s Latest Cover Boy

Detroit Pistons rookie Grant Hill is embarrassed by a cover photo in the April GQ magazine that includes the caption, “Can Grant Hill Save Sports?”

“I don’t know anything about hockey and baseball,” Hill said.

It’s not even a given that he can save the Pistons, although he is a strong candidate for rookie of the year and undoubtedly is the cornerstone of their rebuilding.

Hill’s clean-cut, All-American image, to say nothing of his magnificent basketball talent, gives young fans a responsible icon, according to GQ.

The magazine lists Hill second to media magnate Rupert Murdoch among the 50 people who will have the most impact on sports through the final half of the 1990s. NBA commissioner David Stern was ranked third.

“That is a little too much,” Hill said. “That doesn’t make any sense. I’m ahead of the commissioner?

“The question should be: ‘Can Grant Hill save the Pistons?’ That’s a lot of pressure right there.

“Of all the things that have been said and written about me (saving sports) seems the most absurd.”

But Pistons captain Joe Dumars is convinced that Hill can save, if not all of sports, at least the Pistons with a little help from Allan Houston. The second-year player, whom the Pistons tried to bury earlier, has made the most of increased late-season playing time (25.6 points in a recent eight-game stretch).

“Things are going to change next year for Allan and Grant,” Dumars said.

“Teams aren’t building game plans around them now. I see Allan with wide-open shots and I go, ‘Oh my God, that’s two.’ And I see teams guard Grant one-on-one on the wing and I’m saying, ‘What?’ That probably won’t happen next year. Teams are going to design defenses around stopping these guys.”