Above the Rim

(page 1 of 5)

Grant and Tamia HillOn a balmy afternoon in March, NBA superstar Grant Hill sauntered onto the practice greens at the Omni Orlando Resort International, earning more than a few double takes and dispelling focus at every turn. The arrival of the Magic’s point guard had to be a dream come true for at least all of the present swinging faithful. Graciously alert, the 6’8” Hill nods in greeting and makes his way to the tee. For a completely different reason, he’s also caught the attention of another inquiring set of eyes—those of his wife Tamia, who was quite focused on his shirt. "Why is he wearing that?" she wondered aloud. Kelly green and slightly tattered, the t-shirt her husband wore was slightly curious, but he’d just come from practice - and just like any other guy, probably threw on what would work for a low-stress after work experience. Not entirely unreasonable, even for someone who spends much of his time in the limelight.

Shirt notwithstanding, the diminutive singer-songwriter seems genuinely glad to see Grant and he feels the same. In a time when celebrity or otherwise public relationships are fraught with angst, their ease is refreshing. Introduced to each other by singer Anita Baker, their individual and joint histories include a few twists and turns, including life-altering sickness, new life, and the classic love at first sight experience. After their initial meeting in 1999, Grant told the Detroit Free Press that he had found someone with whom he felt was compatible. “When we both started seeing each other [during] that first two or three months, I kind of knew that this was the one.” Tamia, whose songs bear the hallmark of a incurable romantic, reportedly let it be known that being with Grant reminded her that she “likes feeling like I’m protected.”

Nearly a decade later, the two still mean business. Their daughter Myla Grace is an engaging kindergartener with a penchant for the stage and they are expecting another daughter in August. Aside from a growing family, each has lent their time to a great deal of charitable work. The Tamia & Grant Hill Foundation is dedicated to providing resources to charities, schools, non-profit organizations, and scholarship development. They also sit on the advisory board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and have developed a basketball scholarship at Duke University in North Carolina. Duke is where Grant’s award-winning really took flight: he landed NCAA championships in his first two years and ultimately brought home the distinction of being first-team All American and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, among other accolades.