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Grant Hill reveals his all-time starting fives in Duke history from old school and modern players
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- Grant Hill reveals his all-time starting fives in Duke history from old school and modern players
Making an all-time starting five of any kind is a challenging and thankless task. Whether it's about a specific team, an era or the NBA in general, someone always gets left off who has a legitimate claim to be included in the conversation. Still, these kinds of hypothetical debates always spark excitement, both among fans and the players.
Grant Hill , one of Duke's most iconic players and one of college basketball's true legends, also jumped right into that conversation. When asked to name his all-time Duke starting five, the Hall of Famer didn't hesitate much, even though he did split it into two different eras: old-school and modern.
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G-Hill is one of the greatest
Hill himself is one of the greatest players to ever come out of Duke, a two-time NCAA champion with a list of individual awards and accolades too long to write. When he entered the NBA, he was often labeled as the heir to Michael Jordan , which says everything you need to know about the lofty expectations placed on him.
So it's safe to say that if anyone has the credibility to make this list, it's him. Still, Hill chose to sit this one out and play the role of a fan instead.
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"First of all, I'm not on my starting five. I'm a fan here," Hill clarified , before listing the top guys.
"I think you have to start with Johnny Dawkins, he was the first kinda big recruit that kinda set off, at least in Coach K's era, and got guys going. Christian Laettner is as good, and as accomplished as any… I mean, every big game he brought it and dominated. I'll put (Shane) Battier up there, just because I recruited him, he lived in Detroit, so I was in his ear…" he added.
Those names come as no surprise. Dawkins was the original cornerstone of Mike Krzyzewski's Duke; Laettner remains one of the most accomplished college players of all time and Battier was everything Duke represented in one player.
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Hill's connection to Battier actually goes way back. When Grant was playing for the Detroit Pistons, Shane was still in high school, doing volunteer work with the Pistons organization. Hill immediately saw something special in the young wing and watched him become an excellent role player and a two-time NBA Champ.
Hill then rounded out his "old school" group with two usual suspects, "I'll throw J.J. Redick, just because he has a podcast, and I don't want him talking about me, and he gets sensitive about that kind of stuff. And I'll say Jay Williams. That's my five from the old school guys," he concluded.
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Modern guys
Of course, no list would be complete without matching up the old guard against the new wave of guys who are still (more or less) chasing greatness in the Association.
Hill's modern starting five included Jayson Tatum , Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Kyrie Irving and Marvin Bagley III, a mix of champions and future Hall of Famers, as well as some rising stars to go up against those legends.
Still, when asked which team he'd take in a head-to-head matchup, Hill didn't hesitate. The former Blue Devil sided with old-schoolers.
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Over the decades, countless stars have passed through Duke University on their way to making their mark in the big boys' league, and many more will follow that path. So one thing's for sure: as Duke continues to produce elite talent year after year, these all-time debates are only going to get a whole lot more complicated.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
