http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/grant-hills-response-to-jalen-rose/
Grant Hill’s Response to Jalen Rose
Grant Hill’s Response to Jalen Rose
grant hill merks jalen rose
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“The Fab Five,” an ESPN film about the Michigan basketball careers of Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson from 1991 to 1993, was broadcast for the first time Sunday night. In the show, Rose, the show’s executive producer, stated that Duke recruited only black players he considered to be “Uncle Toms.” Grant Hill, a player on the Duke team that beat Michigan in the 1992 Final Four, reflected on Rose’s comments.
I am a fan, friend and longtime competitor of the Fab Five. I have competed against Jalen Rose and Chris Webber since the age of 13. At Michigan, the Fab Five represented a cultural phenomenon that impacted the country in a permanent and positive way. The very idea of the Fab Five elicited pride and promise in much the same way the Georgetown teams did in the mid-1980s when I was in high school and idolized them. Their journey from youthful icons to successful men today is a road map for so many young, black men (and women) who saw their journey through the powerful documentary, “The Fab Five.”
It was a sad and somewhat pathetic turn of events, therefore, to see friends narrating this interesting documentary about their moment in time and calling me a bitch and worse, calling all black players at Duke “Uncle Toms” and, to some degree, disparaging my parents for their education, work ethic and commitment to each other and to me. I should have guessed there was something regrettable in the documentary when I received a Twitter apology from Jalen before its premiere. I am aware Jalen has gone to some length to explain his remarks about my family in numerous interviews, so I believe he has some admiration for them.
In his garbled but sweeping comment that Duke recruits only “black players that were ‘Uncle Toms,’ ” Jalen seems to change the usual meaning of those very vitriolic words into his own meaning, i.e., blacks from two-parent, middle-class families. He leaves us all guessing exactly what he believes today.
I am beyond fortunate to have two parents who are still working well into their 60s. They received great educations and use them every day. My parents taught me a personal ethic I try to live by and pass on to my children.
I come from a strong legacy of black Americans. My namesake, Henry Hill, my father’s father, was a day laborer in Baltimore. He could not read or write until he was taught to do so by my grandmother. His first present to my dad was a set of encyclopedias, which I now have. He wanted his only child, my father, to have a good education, so he made numerous sacrifices to see that he got an education, including attending Yale.
This is part of our great tradition as black Americans. We aspire for the best or better for our children and work hard to make that happen for them. Jalen’s mother is part of our great black tradition and made the same sacrifices for him.
My teammates at Duke — all of them, black and white — were a band of brothers who came together to play at the highest level for the best coach in basketball. I know most of the black players who preceded and followed me at Duke. They all contribute to our tradition of excellence on the court.
It is insulting and ignorant to suggest that men like Johnny Dawkins (coach at Stanford), Tommy Amaker (coach at Harvard), Billy King (general manager of the Nets), Tony Lang (coach of the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins in Japan), Thomas Hill (small-business owner in Texas), Jeff Capel (former coach at Oklahoma and Virginia Commonwealth), Kenny Blakeney (assistant coach at Harvard), Jay Williams (ESPN analyst), Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies) and Chris Duhon (Orlando Magic) ever sold out their race.
To hint that those who grew up in a household with a mother and father are somehow less black than those who did not is beyond ridiculous. All of us are extremely proud of the current Duke team, especially Nolan Smith. He was raised by his mother, plays in memory of his late father and carries himself with the pride and confidence that they instilled in him.
The sacrifice, the effort, the education and the friendships I experienced in my four years are cherished. The many Duke graduates I have met around the world are also my “family,” and they are a special group of people. A good education is a privilege.
Just as Jalen has founded a charter school in Michigan, we are expected to use our education to help others, to improve life for those who need our assistance and to use the excellent education we have received to better the world.
A highlight of my time at Duke was getting to know the great John Hope Franklin, James B. Duke Professor of History and the leading scholar of the last century on the total history of African-Americans in this country. His insights and perspectives contributed significantly to my overall development and helped me understand myself, my forefathers and my place in the world.
Ad ingenium faciendum, toward the building of character, is a phrase I recently heard. To me, it is the essence of an educational experience. Struggling, succeeding, trying again and having fun within a nurturing but competitive environment built character in all of us, including every black graduate of Duke.
My mother always says, “You can live without Chaucer and you can live without calculus, but you cannot make it in the wide, wide world without common sense.” As we get older, we understand the importance of these words. Adulthood is nothing but a series of choices: you can say yes or no, but you cannot avoid saying one or the other. In the end, those who are successful are those who adjust and adapt to the decisions they have made and make the best of them.
I caution my fabulous five friends to avoid stereotyping me and others they do not know in much the same way so many people stereotyped them back then for their appearance and swagger. I wish for you the restoration of the bond that made you friends, brothers and icons.
I am proud of my family. I am proud of my Duke championships and all my Duke teammates. And, I am proud I never lost a game against the Fab Five.
Grant Henry Hill
Phoenix Suns
Duke ‘94
I am a fan, friend and longtime competitor of the Fab Five. I have competed against Jalen Rose and Chris Webber since the age of 13. At Michigan, the Fab Five represented a cultural phenomenon that impacted the country in a permanent and positive way. The very idea of the Fab Five elicited pride and promise in much the same way the Georgetown teams did in the mid-1980s when I was in high school and idolized them. Their journey from youthful icons to successful men today is a road map for so many young, black men (and women) who saw their journey through the powerful documentary, “The Fab Five.”
It was a sad and somewhat pathetic turn of events, therefore, to see friends narrating this interesting documentary about their moment in time and calling me a bitch and worse, calling all black players at Duke “Uncle Toms” and, to some degree, disparaging my parents for their education, work ethic and commitment to each other and to me. I should have guessed there was something regrettable in the documentary when I received a Twitter apology from Jalen before its premiere. I am aware Jalen has gone to some length to explain his remarks about my family in numerous interviews, so I believe he has some admiration for them.
In his garbled but sweeping comment that Duke recruits only “black players that were ‘Uncle Toms,’ ” Jalen seems to change the usual meaning of those very vitriolic words into his own meaning, i.e., blacks from two-parent, middle-class families. He leaves us all guessing exactly what he believes today.
I am beyond fortunate to have two parents who are still working well into their 60s. They received great educations and use them every day. My parents taught me a personal ethic I try to live by and pass on to my children.
I come from a strong legacy of black Americans. My namesake, Henry Hill, my father’s father, was a day laborer in Baltimore. He could not read or write until he was taught to do so by my grandmother. His first present to my dad was a set of encyclopedias, which I now have. He wanted his only child, my father, to have a good education, so he made numerous sacrifices to see that he got an education, including attending Yale.
This is part of our great tradition as black Americans. We aspire for the best or better for our children and work hard to make that happen for them. Jalen’s mother is part of our great black tradition and made the same sacrifices for him.
My teammates at Duke — all of them, black and white — were a band of brothers who came together to play at the highest level for the best coach in basketball. I know most of the black players who preceded and followed me at Duke. They all contribute to our tradition of excellence on the court.
It is insulting and ignorant to suggest that men like Johnny Dawkins (coach at Stanford), Tommy Amaker (coach at Harvard), Billy King (general manager of the Nets), Tony Lang (coach of the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins in Japan), Thomas Hill (small-business owner in Texas), Jeff Capel (former coach at Oklahoma and Virginia Commonwealth), Kenny Blakeney (assistant coach at Harvard), Jay Williams (ESPN analyst), Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies) and Chris Duhon (Orlando Magic) ever sold out their race.
To hint that those who grew up in a household with a mother and father are somehow less black than those who did not is beyond ridiculous. All of us are extremely proud of the current Duke team, especially Nolan Smith. He was raised by his mother, plays in memory of his late father and carries himself with the pride and confidence that they instilled in him.
The sacrifice, the effort, the education and the friendships I experienced in my four years are cherished. The many Duke graduates I have met around the world are also my “family,” and they are a special group of people. A good education is a privilege.
Just as Jalen has founded a charter school in Michigan, we are expected to use our education to help others, to improve life for those who need our assistance and to use the excellent education we have received to better the world.
A highlight of my time at Duke was getting to know the great John Hope Franklin, James B. Duke Professor of History and the leading scholar of the last century on the total history of African-Americans in this country. His insights and perspectives contributed significantly to my overall development and helped me understand myself, my forefathers and my place in the world.
Ad ingenium faciendum, toward the building of character, is a phrase I recently heard. To me, it is the essence of an educational experience. Struggling, succeeding, trying again and having fun within a nurturing but competitive environment built character in all of us, including every black graduate of Duke.
My mother always says, “You can live without Chaucer and you can live without calculus, but you cannot make it in the wide, wide world without common sense.” As we get older, we understand the importance of these words. Adulthood is nothing but a series of choices: you can say yes or no, but you cannot avoid saying one or the other. In the end, those who are successful are those who adjust and adapt to the decisions they have made and make the best of them.
I caution my fabulous five friends to avoid stereotyping me and others they do not know in much the same way so many people stereotyped them back then for their appearance and swagger. I wish for you the restoration of the bond that made you friends, brothers and icons.
I am proud of my family. I am proud of my Duke championships and all my Duke teammates. And, I am proud I never lost a game against the Fab Five.
Grant Henry Hill
Phoenix Suns
Duke ‘94
i guess he missed the points jalen was trying to make.
Where was coach K recruiting in Detroit and other urban areas????
where are the street kids with 1 or no parents on the duke teams????
doesnt even have to be blakc it could be brown or white too, where are they????
It's no secret that Duke rectuits good ole boys. they leave the others for other programs. Im not saying its wrong or right, shit coach k's record speaks for itself. but for anyone to take issue with Jalens words, it to me shows an ignorance of growing up in a bad area trying to be a good kid and yet still not getting full recognition.
Grant has NO idea what its like to have a hard life in a tough neighborhood, and yo uknow what. good for him, good for his parents, thats great. but for him to talk down on someone who has lived it and felt the actual repercussions of not being looked at by all schools is just as bad as what Jalen said.
Where was coach K recruiting in Detroit and other urban areas????
where are the street kids with 1 or no parents on the duke teams????
doesnt even have to be blakc it could be brown or white too, where are they????
It's no secret that Duke rectuits good ole boys. they leave the others for other programs. Im not saying its wrong or right, shit coach k's record speaks for itself. but for anyone to take issue with Jalens words, it to me shows an ignorance of growing up in a bad area trying to be a good kid and yet still not getting full recognition.
Grant has NO idea what its like to have a hard life in a tough neighborhood, and yo uknow what. good for him, good for his parents, thats great. but for him to talk down on someone who has lived it and felt the actual repercussions of not being looked at by all schools is just as bad as what Jalen said.
i guess as an adult u relize you are the master of your destiny no matter where u grew up. U can be a rich kid who is a spoiled shit lil bum who does nothin or someone who takes advantage of your breaks and be a productive person.
u can be born in the hood and allow yourself to be influenced to do what they do in the hood or u can look at it as a reason to not do it and get out.. life is all choices brehs.. choose wisely
u can be born in the hood and allow yourself to be influenced to do what they do in the hood or u can look at it as a reason to not do it and get out.. life is all choices brehs.. choose wisely
problem is, jalen expressed views he held as a teenager, not as an adult. that seemed clear from the get. it's just that the notion that jalen held (blackness defined by how impoverished one's up bringing was) is outdated. grant hill is just calling him out like that.
and if you read the article, you'd see that grant hill's grandfather (grant's dad's dad) wasn't able to read until later in life. and tried to bestow upon his chillren the value of an education. grant's dad ending up going to yale. because of his tenacity and hard work.
is hard work not valued anymore? because it seems grant hill emerged from the same place all black people did: behind white people.
and if you read the article, you'd see that grant hill's grandfather (grant's dad's dad) wasn't able to read until later in life. and tried to bestow upon his chillren the value of an education. grant's dad ending up going to yale. because of his tenacity and hard work.
is hard work not valued anymore? because it seems grant hill emerged from the same place all black people did: behind white people.
He expressed views he held as a teenager because it's a documentary about him and the Fab 5. He could have said AT THE TIME I felt like....but he didn't. I think most people understood where he was coming from.
Jalen and most kids from those type of surroundings barely know what's going outside of their city let alone what Grant Hill's grandfather did in 1920. He said and did stupid shit just like we all do growing up.
If Jalen didn't value hard work he wouldn't be where he is today. I think you're putting too much stock into what some dumb kid thought 20 years ago.
Jalen and most kids from those type of surroundings barely know what's going outside of their city let alone what Grant Hill's grandfather did in 1920. He said and did stupid shit just like we all do growing up.
If Jalen didn't value hard work he wouldn't be where he is today. I think you're putting too much stock into what some dumb kid thought 20 years ago.
JUST 2 KEEP IT 100...DUKE'S COLORED ATHLETES HAVE ALWAYS SEEM WATERED DOWN SOME 2 ME...I WOULDNT QUESTION THEIR FAMILY VALUES BUT FROM MY VIEW MOST OF THEM HAVE AN INVISIBLE TENDERNESS I CANT DESCRIBE.ON THE COURT IT DOESNT REALLY MATTER BUT IT ALMOST REMINDS ME OF THE KIDS FROM MY HOOD WHO WENT 2 PRIVATE SCHOOL....THEY WERE NEVER REALLY ACCEPTED WITH OPEN ARMS ON THE STREETS.IT IS WHAT IT IS.1
That is your perception and I agree with it.
But the question is not whether Duke's players are watered down or not; it's whether being "watered down" makes them less "black" and if so, how that perpetuates stereotypes of what it means to be black.
If Jalen is saying having a good family, education, money , etc is not being black, then what is he indirectly saying about what IS being black?
@tay
would you say they didnt accept them because of their own insecurities? or almost upset that they werent in the what appeared to be a more fortunate situation than attending a public school?
edit: im mean they live in the same neighborhood face teh same problems. they just dont spen 6 hours at the same location 5 days a week. the other 18 they are in the hood. ya know
and how many people that live in the hood even stick around high school???
i graduated from a continuation school and i graduate with dealers bangers hoes druggies and all. but we all wanted to be there that was the difference we seen the value in a diploma at a young age.
would you say they didnt accept them because of their own insecurities? or almost upset that they werent in the what appeared to be a more fortunate situation than attending a public school?
edit: im mean they live in the same neighborhood face teh same problems. they just dont spen 6 hours at the same location 5 days a week. the other 18 they are in the hood. ya know
and how many people that live in the hood even stick around high school???
i graduated from a continuation school and i graduate with dealers bangers hoes druggies and all. but we all wanted to be there that was the difference we seen the value in a diploma at a young age.