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HOUSTON – There were plenty of moments in Grant Hill’s storied career where he felt like any game could have been his last.

But through multiple ankle surgeries and years of doubts from pundits and in his own mind about whether or not his playing days would be forever lost, Hill persevered. On Tuesday when he checked in with 1:05 left in the first quarter at Toyota Center, Hill, more than 18 years after his professional basketball journey began, became the 20th active player to appear in 1,000 NBA games.

“There were periods of time 10 years ago, where I didn’t know if I would play again, let alone play a thousand games,” Hill said, seated in front of his locker with the game ball in his lap.

“It’s not a major accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, but to me, I think with all that I’ve been through things like that, things like a few years ago playing all 82 games, are personally things I’m proud of.”

“I think the most gratifying thing is, I think I find joy in things that I didn’t find joy in maybe earlier in my career,” Hill said. “I think the relationships. I think when you’re younger and probably a little bit more selfish, you know, the world revolves around you and you think about your legacy and your place, all-star games and all that other stuff. Now, it’s just knowing what I’ve been through and being able to still play and the relationships and bonds that you form with your teammates and the lessons that you learn, all those little things are more significant to me than anything I did prior to my injuries.”

Eric Patten, Clippers.com