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"This has been like my safe haven" - George Hill owns an 850-acre ranch with over 1,000 animals
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- "This has been like my safe haven" - George Hill owns an 850-acre ranch with over 1,000 animals
Many NBA stars go into collecting shoes, jewelry, watches or cars. It's crazy how some would have an entire room in their houses just filled with shoes. Others have massive garages to store all their cars. There are those who have home vaults to secure their jewelry or watch collections. George Hill is different.
During his NBA career, Hill collected animals, big and small. He has a lot of them, and he keeps them at what he calls the "Scenic Hill Ranch," a massive 850-acre property in Medina, Texas, about 45 minutes from San Antonio, where the Spurs were one of the teams he played for during his NBA career.
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"They all say how far it does go," Hill said while showing ESPN's Marc Spears how vast his property is. "This is pretty much like the top, top, not this plateau but the one way, way in the back. Way over there, that's considered my property. All the way, and you can go over here, is still considered my property. Where I grew up in 34th and Keystone and Meridian, like all of downtown Indianapolis, will fit on like half of it."
George's world away from the world
Hill was born in Indianapolis and grew up in the Brightwood neighborhood where all young George saw as a kid were gangs, drug dealers, violence, and guns. He said that "Scenic Hills Ranch" offers him the peace and quiet he never enjoyed growing up or while playing in the NBA.
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"You can't hear no cars. You can't hear anybody talking. You can't hear the day and day life of just being in the inner city. You hear nothing but air and animals and birds. We probably have over a thousand animals out here right now, from elands, red lechwe, New Zealand Red Stag; we have elk, ostrich, kangaroos," he added.
"This has been like my safe haven. This is the place I come to if I'm having a bad day or if I'm not feeling a certain way or things are bothering [me]. I come out here, and I just sit here, and I can spend hours here. And once I leave here, it's like it's left in there. I don't worry about it as much."
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A longtime Spurs ticket holder gave him the inspiration
Owning a massive property is one thing; how Hill bought it is another interesting story. When George played for the Spurs, he met longtime season-ticket holders Will and Gloria Drash, with whom he became close.
Will taught George how to shoot a rifle and influenced him to get into hunting. The more he got to know the couple, the more Hill wanted to live life as they did, and he promised himself that if he earned enough money, he would buy his own ranch.
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"Mr and Mrs Drash showed me what it was like to really live, and ever since then, I like, 'Man, if I make enough money and fortunate enough and blessed enough, I want to own my own ranch, put it in the trust, and pass it on to my kids to start a generation of wealth type thing. They always say most African-Americans, when their parents or grandparents die, they're left with debt, not with equity. And I don't want to leave my kids in debt," he continued.
After earning a $40 million contract with the Indiana Pacers in 2012, Hill signed a $57 million deal with the Sacramento Kings in 2017. That year, he bought the ranch, as he planned. George played in the NBA until 2023. When he retired, he had his dream life already waiting for him to enjoy.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
