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It's going to take a lot more than giving up Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Hill Looks to Make the Climb
Sep 11, 2008
Posted by: Lauren Brill
The Spurs' George Hill poses at the Rookie Photo Shoot in Tarrytown, New York.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images/NBAE
George's last name might be Hill but the former IUPI basketball standout has a mountain to climb before he reaches his full potential. Drafted 26th in the 2008 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, George Hill is a solid defender but has plenty of room to grow on the offensive end. Nailing 2-of-25 from the field in his three games at Summer League in Las Vegas, Hill intends to work hard on transitioning from the two to the one and improve upon his decision making on the offensive end.
Excited to wear the same uniform as his role model, Tony Parker, Hill intends to expand his game by learning from some of the league's finest. With less than a month to go before training camp begins, Hill is focusing on his ongoing uphill battle to reach his full potential. This past summer NBA.com caught up with Hill at the Rookie Photo Shoot in Tarrytown, New York and discussed the trail he will travel in his climb to the top.
NBA.com: How has your life changed since being drafted?
George Hill : I have a lot of new friends. I have friends that I haven’t heard of in a long time. I don’t know how they got my number but they are blowing my phone up. But I am going to keep the same number. The things I normally do I can't do anymore. You have to take a lot of things more seriously. So, that is probably the biggest thing.
NBA.com: What is the biggest adjustment you will have to make transitioning from college to the pros?
George Hill : Probably going from the two to one, I will have to be unselfish, share, give up the ball, try to get my team involved rather than being the main focus like in college. I am not the go-to guy anymore, so I will have to give up my ability to score to make the team better.
NBA.com: How are you preparing for the upcoming season?
George Hill : I am working on every aspect of my game. I want to try and be the best player I can possibly be and just work harder than the next person.
NBA.com: Have you spoken to anyone from the Spurs organization?
George Hill : Not yet, because we don’t report to later on. Hopefully when I get in there I will meet all the players and pick up on everything that they know.
NBA.com: The Spurs have been one the stronger teams in the league over the past few years. Are you excited to join a team that his been so successful and has a lot of talented veterans?
George Hill : It is a great opportunity to play for the Spurs. You just spoke about the organization, which is great. You can't be in a better situation than I am in right now. Also, its will be great learning from talented players. They have great vets in Tim Duncan, Jacque Vaughn, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen. I am ready to come in and take my little war wounds that they are going to give and learn from my whole team, because the bench is good too. I am just ready to learn from everybody.
NBA.com: Is there anyone that you are specifically looking forward to playing with or against?
George Hill : Tony Parker, I looked up to him. I always watched him play. I just love his game. I am ready to get behind him and let him teach me the things he does to be successful.
NBA.com: What was the Summer League experience like for you?
George Hill : Summer League was fun. It was good to get in the environment of the NBA. I struggled a little bit from the floor because at a point guard position you have to find your spots to be aggressive shooting and when to pass. I think that I did a great job but I didn’t shoot as well as I could. But when we got to Utah I opened up a little more, found my different spots where I could pick and choose. It turned out to be really fun.
NBA.com: Have you changed anything in your daily regime to prepare for the league?
George Hill : I changed my diet. I don’t drink a lot of pop or fried foods anymore. That is probably my main thing. I am not as tired. Although when you walk around and see the restaurants that you normally go to like KFC you think "I want some chicken," but it is probably not as good for you, so I try to stay away from it.
It's going to take a lot more than giving up Kentucky Fried Chicken.
He drank fried foods?
This was posted earlier, more conversation is here:
http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104703
He used to eat at Phil Jackson's ??????
A black guy likes KFC?!
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