Joe Berry
Kosmopolitische NBA-Koryphäe
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- Hill's ankle issues, as is well known, began midway through the 2000 regular season. At the time of injury, Dr. Ben Paolucci ordered an MRI, which generally deals with soft tissue injuries. Nothing of note appeared and Paolucci at one point suggested the pain could be in Hill's head. When Hill went down again in the playoffs, Arnie Kander was shocked to hear he hadn't had an x-ray since sustaining the injury. Kander insisted he get one, which revealed a broken ankle.
- Joe Dumars, who'd taken over team operations by 2000, didn't make much of a free agent pitch to Hill, telling him to go have his fun talking with other teams and that the Pistons would be ready when he was prepared to talk. Hill was confused and taken aback, taking that as a sign that the Pistons were lukewarm on his retention.
- Orlando had zero rehabilitation plan for Hill upon his arrival, so he just started playing immediately. His surgeon was later dumbfounded, stating he'd sent explicit instructions to Orlando to ease Hill back in by mid-December. Hill later learned the Magic's doctor, James Barnett, had died in a plane crash in September and Hill's medical info got lost in the shuffle. The result: multiple ankle surgeries more, a near death experience due to a staph infection, and four lost seasons of basketball.
- Grant gave serious consideration to rejoining the Pistons during the 2007 offseason as he and Joe Dumars reconnected. Ultimately, he chose to leave the past as the past, wanting to carve a new chapter (he signed with Phoenix).