For Grant Hill, this is 40

[mkwest]

But Hill seemed just as content the day before he officially joined the "over the hill" club, snacking on a chocolate energy bar at the Clippers' Playa Vista, Calif., practice facility after the sixth day of training camp with his fourth, and most likely final, professional team. That's because Hill never expected to be here, not even before a vicious ankle injury and the ensuing litany of complications from it effectively cut down one of the league's brightest stars in his prime. He didn't expect to be in L.A., first of all, suiting up for a franchise that Jamal Crawford recently called "one of the laughingstocks in the NBA" before its recent reinvention into a Western Conference contender, and he also didn't expect to be playing at such an advanced age.

"I think the fact that I missed some time, I'm making up for it in some respects," Hill says in a tone as comforting as Mr. Rogers'. "You still have that desire. Maybe if I had played during those years I wouldn't be here, maybe physically I wouldn't be able to be here at this point. I still love the game, I still love to compete and the opportunity to win. I still feel like I can play.

"I think when I got hurt those years, part of it was coming back, part of it was to prove that you can physically still play. I think that mindset still exists: 'This guy is 40 years old. He shouldn't be out there.' Maybe part of that plays a role in motivation. But it really boils down to, 'If you don't love it, you're not gonna do what you need to do to make sure you're ready to play.' So, I enjoy it, I have fun. I enjoy my teammates here, the challenge of the season, and the potential of this particular team."

"You're not playing with a lot of young guys who need to prove themselves," Crawford says. "All these guys have a body of work. They're all proven in the NBA. They've all been successful. It makes it a lot easier to sacrifice, knowing that we can lean on each other to get through whatever storm we face.

"Obviously, when you get older there's some perspective. It's appreciation, it's perspective, it's wisdom. And I think that can be applicable in life and also in the game. So you appreciate the two-a-days and the little things, because you know you won't [always] be going through that."

Justin Verrier, ESPN

[mj_shoefanatic]

I like that quote from Jamal.